Joel Osteen - Pick Up Your Mantle
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I want to talk to you today about Pick Up Your Mantle. A mantle in the scripture was a coat or some type of covering. It was symbolic of the blessing of God. It represented his calling and authority to carry out his will. The mantle enabled the person to do things they couldn’t do on their own. It was favor to accomplish dreams and faith to see miracles and courage to outlast opposition. Having that mantle empowered the person to go further and take new ground. God never created us to get stuck at one level. He’s a progressive God. He wants every generation to increase. He has these destiny moments where he’ll give us an opportunity to pick up a new mantle. So we can step into new levels.
Often it happens when someone goes to be with the Lord. Their work here on earth is finished, but the purposes of God never stop. They finished their course, but they left the mantle. And of course, we’re celebrating the homegoing of my mother. She lived 91 amazing years. She carried different mantles. The mantle of faith, believing for miracles. A mantle of prayer, covering her family and loved ones. A mantle of generosity. My mother was always helping people, giving gift cards, paying their rent, being a blessing. A mantle of commitment, pastoring faithfully since she was in her early 20s, always in church, taking care of people and a mantle of standing in the gap for others, people that she didn’t even know, someone she saw in passing, praying for them year after year, calling them by name.
And I know she was my mother, «Joel, that’s your mantle. Doesn’t have anything to do with me.» But no, she was the mother of the church. You listen to our ministry, she’s connected to you cuz everything I do was influenced by her. We are at one of these destiny moments where God is saying, «Who’s going to pick up these mantels?» It’s not just for one. Any of us can. God is calling us to greater things. Who’s going to cover your family with prayer? Who’s going to stand in the gap for that loved one that’s off course? Others are criticizing, writing him off. Somebody’s got to rise up and say, «I’m going to pray him back home. I’m going to remind God every day».
Don’t leave that mantle on the ground. Pick it up. Be the one to make a difference. Who’s going to believe for miracles in a greater way? Who’s going to take the limits off of God? Not believe the lies that, «man, we’re stuck here. All my family’s depressed. We’ll never get well. Joel, someone has to break out of the status quo and pray bold prayers to see those generational bondages come off.» Who’s going to pick up the mantle to live more committed, more consecrated, not taking the easy way out, but staying on that high road to be an example to those around you? Or how about that mantle of generosity, being a blessing, helping others in need, living to give, not to get. God is calling us up higher. He’s saying there are greater things in store, but you have to pick up that mantle. greater favor, greater influence, greater resources, but it’s going to require greater commitment, new mindsets, being willing to get out of our comfort zone and stretch to new levels.
This is what happened to Elisha in the scripture. He was a young man out in the fields plowing, had 12 oxen in front of him. He was working in the family business. Life was good. One day while he was minding his own business, the prophet Elijah showed up. He was a powerful man. He called down fire from heaven and destroyed 450 false prophets. He prayed in a three and a half year drought came to an end. He’s the one that outran a chariot and raised a little boy from the dead. Saw all kinds of miracles. God do amazing things. When he saw Elisha out in the fields, he took off his coat and threw it at Elisha. Imagine it hit him and fell to the ground. And Elisha thought, «Who is this man throwing things at me»?
He looked closer and realized it was the prophet Elijah. This wasn’t just his coat. This was his mantle. This represented the favor, the authority, the blessing of God. This was a critical moment. God was calling Elisha to greater things. Was giving him an opportunity to step up to a new level. The problem was Elisha was comfortable. He was satisfied. He had to make a decision. Was he going to leave the mantle there and think, «Man, I don’t want more responsibility. I don’t want to have to stretch. I’m just going to play it safe. Let someone else have that mantle». You’ll never reach your destiny if you play it safe all the time. You have to get out of the safe zone and over into the faith zone.
There are levels God is calling you to that are going to feel uncomfortable, that are over your head, that require greater commitment, greater consecration. You can’t hang around those same people and carry this new mantle, greater faith. You can’t stay in the boat and walk on water, bolder prayer. You can’t pray weak, get by prayers and see the fullness of what God has for you. All these thoughts were bombarding Elisha’s mind, telling him not to pick it up. He could have walked away and went about his business. Instead, he reached down and picked up that mantle. This was a destiny moment. He was saying, «God, I’m willing to step up to who you’ve called me to be, to accept the favor, the blessing, the calling that you’re entrusting me with». He had a new mindset. A shift has taken place, a transfer of the anointing. I’m walking in greater power, greater authority, greater consecration.
You can’t pick up a new mantle and keep an old mindset. There needs to be this shift in your thinking. No more «I’ve reached my limits and I can’t get well and we can’t pray for people. Joel, I don’t have that kind of authority, that kind of power.» It’s not just up to what you can do. The power of the Most High is behind you. What you couldn’t do before that mantle you picked up brings the authority, the power, the favor of almighty God. Elisha stopped the oxen, cut up the plow, and made a big fire and with the smoke billowing in the background, he left his comfort zone, walked away with Elijah to become his assistant. And sometimes when you pick up a mantle, you have to walk away from things. You can’t carry that mantle of favor, that mantle of greater influence and compromise at the same time.
You may have to walk away from some friends that are pulling you down, bringing out the worst in you. Or walk away from that phone, that computer that’s distracting you, spending hours a day on things that aren’t making you better. or walk away from fear, doubt, those thoughts telling you you’re not able, you’re not good enough, you’ve made too many mistakes. The enemy will tell you all the reasons you can’t pick up that mantel, you’re not worthy, you’re not qualified, you’re too shy. Walk away from those lies. Get out of your comfort zone. God wants to use you like he did my mother for greater miracles, greater favor, greater prayer, greater generosity. Will you pick up that mantle?
That’s what I had to do when my dad went to be with the Lord. I was content where I was doing the television production, working behind the scenes at Lakewood. And I thought I’d do that the rest of my life. But while I was minding my own business, Elijah showed up, so to speak. And that mantle came to me. And I thought, I can’t pastor like my father. I’m not qualified. I’ve never been to seminary. God, you’ve got the wrong person. But God wouldn’t have given you the opportunity if you weren’t well able. I took a step of faith and I I picked up that mantle. I thought, man, this is going to be hard. I’m way over my head. I’m going to do my best to carry this mantle. But what I discovered was the mantle carried me. There was a blessing, a favor, a courage I had never seen before.
And I think about what I would have missed if I hadn’t been willing to pick up that mantle. Where would I be today if I’d stayed in the safe zone and believe the lies that I’m not good enough? I don’t have what my father had. No one will ever listen to me. I would have never seen the compact center, never seen the books, the media, being able to help people. I would have missed who I was created to be. There are mantels God is asking you to pick up. Mantles of faith, praying for what looks impossible. Mantels of favor, believing for bigger things. Mantels of courage to press past the fear, mantles of prayer to stand in the gap for your family to push back the darkness.
The last 10 years of my mother’s life, she didn’t come up to the office anymore. She used to come two or three times a week and write notes and encourage the staff. And one year we calculated she had written 15,000 handwritten notes. She loved to thank people for their support and tell them she was praying for their healing. She said to me recently, «Joel, I feel kind of bad that I don’t go up to the office anymore, but I really feel like I’m just supposed to stay home and pray». Many times, she would stay in bed till noon just praying for people. She’d wake up early. She wasn’t lazy, but she’d just lie there and call every family member by name. Not just her children, but their spouses, extended family, her grandchildren. She had over a hundred people that she would pray for every day. She was an incredible force for good for our family and for our church family.
nd she may not have called you by name, but she prayed fervently for everyone that’s a part of our ministry. And I told Victoria when she passed, I’m not just going to miss her friendship, miss her being my mom, but I’m going to miss her prayers. There’s a void, a vacuum. She always had us covered from the time we were little children. We never left the house without her praying for us. Mother passed, but that mantle stayed here. God is asking us to pick it up. Be that prayer warrior for your family, for your friends, for your church. Stand in the gap. Declare the favor and purposes of God over their lives. You don’t have to spend hours a day, but you can get up 10 minutes earlier and cover your family in prayer.
One time, my mother saw the name of an entertainer on a marquee driving to church each week. She read about how he came from a family of missionaries to Mexico. He grew up singing in church, but now he was off course singing in clubs. She didn’t know him, didn’t have any connection. But my mother started praying. Not one time, but day after day. He got on her prayer list. When you were on her list, watch out. Things are going to happen.
Years went by and nothing changed. He’s still out singing in the clubs, but he had a child that was sick and decided to go to church. He walked into Lakewood and Usher recognized him and told my mother and she went back and gave him a hug and said, «Bill, I’ve been praying for you for years». He thought that day he’d be condemned and looked down on, but he felt unconditional love. The arms of our Heavenly Father opened wide, ready to receive him. He not only gave his life back to Christ, but his son was healed from leukemia. A few months after that visit, our friend Bill Nash did his first Christian concert at Lakewood. That was a start of a new beginning. I wonder where Bill would be if my mother had not stood in the gap for him.
There are people God brings across your path on purpose that need your prayer. They don’t have anyone lifting them up. You can be the one that helps them break bondages and step into their destiny. In the same way, my mother always prayed for Willie Nelson years and years. She loved Willie weed and all. I think it’s because he and my brother Paul kind of look alike, but she didn’t see the same results with Willie that she did with Bill. But you never know what God is going to do. Just because the person dies doesn’t mean their prayers don’t go on. Some of us are blessed today because of our grandmother’s prayer, our great-grandparents. People stood in the gap that maybe we didn’t meet. They believe for their seed and for future generations. And today we’re seeing favor protection because like my mother, they put up that wall of prayer. They took time to call our name to speak life over their family.
Well, Elisha picked up this mantle and followed Elijah, served him faithfully, took care of him. It came time for Elijah to go to heaven. Was his last day on earth. He came to the Jordan River and needed to cross. They had no boat, no bridge. So Elijah took off his cloak and smoked the water. The river parted. That mantle carried power and authority, caused supernatural things to happen. He and Elisha walked through, came down to his final minutes. He said, «Elisha, you’ve served me all this time, and I’m about to leave. What would you like me to do for you?»
Elisha could have said, «I just want to carry on what you’ve started. Let me just continue this work.» He could have asked for something normal, something reasonable. But Elisha was bold. He knew that what he was going to face was going to require more favor, more power, more miracles. He said, «Elijah, my request is that I would have a double portion of your spirit, that I would have twice the faith, twice the power, twice the influence». Elijah could have said, «What are you talking about, Elisha? You need to be more humble, be satisfied with what I did». But Elijah didn’t fault him. He didn’t try to push him down. He said, «You’ve asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I’m taken away, you will have it».
In a few minutes they were walking along. This whirlwind caught Elijah up and took him to heaven. Suddenly he was gone. Elisha stood there in disbelief. He was so distraught that he tore his shirt into two pieces wondering what in the world just happened. Elijah was gone but his mantle fell to the ground. Elisha picked up that mantle. It’s significant that he took off his old clothes. He was saying, «I can’t become who I’m supposed to be wearing old labels. I’m not a prophet. I’m a farmer. I can’t do what Elijah did. I don’t have the talent, the favor, the influence».
Before you put on this new mantle, take off all the old labels. «I’m too short», «too tall». «I’m addicted». «I’m unattractive». «I’m not worthy». Jesus said, «You can’t put new wine into old wine skins. If you do, the wine skins will burst.» You can’t go to new levels with old thinking. Quit telling yourself everything you’re not and get in agreement with God. You are a masterpiece, made in his image, a mighty hero, a giant killer, strong, competent, talented, raised up for such a time as this. Elisha walked to the Jordan River. He was headed back home, but had no way to get back across. He remembered what Elijah did. How he threw his cloak in the water and it parted.
Thoughts were telling him, «Don’t even think about it. You’re not Elijah. You don’t have that kind of power». There will always be voices trying to talk you out of who you are, trying to convince you to take off that mantle. There were 50 people standing on the banks of the Jordan, the same ones that saw Elijah part the water a few hours earlier. It’s one thing to see if the mantle works in private. If it doesn’t, nobody will know. But Elisha has all these people watching. Takes off his coat. He removes the mantle and strikes the water. This dramatic moment, soon as he did, the water opened up. The river parted. He walked through on dry ground. The same anointing that was on Elijah was now on Elisha. This didn’t happen by accident. He was bold enough to pick up the mantle. That anointing, favor, and power was transferred to him. Elijah left, but the mantle stayed.
This is symbolic. When someone leaves, goes to heaven that carried favor, blessing, and influence. Those mantels don’t leave. They’re waiting for someone to pick them up. God is counting on us. He’s doing a new thing. Many of us have been blessed and it’s easy to get comfortable. I don’t want to rock the boat. But God is calling us up higher. He has greater things, but it’s going to take greater commitment, greater faith, greater prayer, greater generosity. When you pick up that mantle, you’ll discover like I did, the mantle is going to carry you. Elisha came to the Jordan. He didn’t have to fret, worry, how’s this going to happen? It wasn’t up to him. It was up to God.
The mantle represents the authority, the favor, the blessing of the Most High. But you have to pick it up. Believe for miracles. Cover your family in prayer. Leave the familiar and step into the unknown because what got you to where you are was good, but it’s not going to be enough for where God is taking you. We are living in darker days. There are more obstacles, more divisions, more devils to fight, more people that are cynical and want to bring you down, more distractions to steal your time, deception to get you off course. You can’t win today’s battles off of yesterday’s tactics. God is doing a new thing. The darker it gets in the world, the brighter you and I are going to shine. But you’re going to need greater faith, greater miracles, greater prayer, greater consecrations.
That’s why Elisha prayed for a double portion. He wasn’t saying, «I just want to outshine you, Elijah. I just want to look better for my ego». He knew there were greater enemies. And some of these mantels that you’re about to pick up are double portion mantles. You haven’t seen, heard, or imagined what God is about to do. He’s entrusting you to go further, to carry his blessing, his favor in ways you’ve never imagined. You know why? Because he can trust you. You’ve been faithful. Like Elisha, you’ve given, served, done the right thing. Now your time is coming.
And it’s good to look back and remember what God has done. Thank him for the victories. I talk all the time about how God gave us the compact center, how he healed my mom from cancer. That’s good. But God doesn’t want you to live off of past victories. He’s about to give you some new things to talk about that will supersede the old. Double portion power, double portion favor, double portion creativity, double portion of resources. When my father went to be with the Lord, we were in that 8,000 seat sanctuary that daddy and the congregation built.
And man, it’s a big place. And by the grace of God, I picked up that mantle and followed in my father’s footsteps. And I was content to just try to keep the church going. It would have been a win if we just didn’t go down. But God is a progressive God. He wants every generation to increase. He knows the later it gets, the more power, the more favor, the more blessing it’s going to take. When we acquired the compact center, this place, it seats 16,000 people. It’s not a coincidence that it’s exactly double. There are some double portion anointings waiting to be picked up. The new things God is going to do is going to be out of the ordinary, uncommon, something you’ve never seen.
See, in the Old Testament, only certain people were anointed. That mantle had to come to you. Elijah went to Elisha through the mantle. Samuel went to David and anointed him. It was limited for a group of people, those that God selected. But in the New Testament, since Jesus has come, the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of each one of us. We can all pick up these mantels. The last message Jesus gave, he was with his disciples. We call it the last supper. He told them how his assignment was coming to an end and how he had finished his course. He said, «I’m about to leave and go to my father, but I’m not leaving you alone. I will send the Holy Spirit to live in you». He was saying, «I’m going, but I’m leaving the mantle, the power, and favor to accomplish my will». He went on to say, «Greater works than these shall you do».
Well, Jesus did amazing things. Healed the sick, multiplied food, and calmed the sea, raised Lazarus. But he said in effect for your day, you’re going to get a double portion to stand against the darkness. When opposition is stronger, don’t worry. He’s got you covered. There are double portion anointings coming. God is calling you to greater things to go beyond what you’ve seen in the past. Who’s going to pick up that mantle of prayer for your family? Maybe you had a mother, a grandmother praying for you, and their prayer and dedication has carried you to where you are. But there comes a time where what they’ve done won’t be enough. Someone else has to step up, be that one, cover your family, speak the blessing over them.
Who’s going to pick up that mantle of faith to believe for miracles, to pray bold prayers, to take the limits off of God? Who’s going to pick up the mantle of consecration to live a holy life to not give in to compromise take the easy way out? You can’t reach your destiny that way. Just like the anointing of Elijah was transferred to Elisha because he picked up the mantle. We’re in a time of transition. The homegoing of my mom. She was 22 years old when she first started pastoring with my father. She had no ministry experience. She was a registered nurse, but look what God has done. She never dreamed at 91 we’d be celebrating all she accomplished. Who knows where you will be if you’ll pick up some mantles.
Say, «God, I’m willing to take on more responsibility so you can entrust me to carry your love, your favor, and your blessing to make a greater difference». You may feel like I did, that it’s over your head. You’re not qualified. But you’ll discover you don’t have to carry the mantle. The mantle will carry you. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare like Elisha, you’re going to see the double portion. Double favor, double influence, double miracles, double honor, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?