Joel Osteen — It's Already Yours
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I want to talk to you today about "It's already yours". The scripture tells us how God has already blessed us, favored us, already approved and accepted each one of us. He's not waiting to do it. He's already done it. There are blessings with your name on them, healing with your name on it, promotion, good breaks, businesses, houses, contracts. As far as God is concerned, they already belong to you. The real question is when are you going to go get what's already yours.
When our daughter Alexandra was about 10 years old, she came in the kitchen one afternoon and said, "Dad, I'm going to go to the movies and go eat lunch with my cousins. I need some money". I said, "Okay, there's a $20 bill on my dresser back in my closet. Why don't you get that"? She gave me a hug and thanked me and headed toward the back door. I said, "Wait a minute, aren't you going to go get the money"? She smiled and said, "I already got it. I knew you'd say yes".
Can I tell you, God has already said yes to you being blessed, yes to you living healthy and whole, yes to you accomplishing your dreams. Why don't you have the boldness like Alexandra and go get what already belongs to you? As a father, that made me feel good. It warmed my heart to know that she knew I wanted to be good to her. She felt so loved that she would go in and take it, knowing that I would say yes. What if we believed that our Heavenly Father loved us so much that we had such a boldness, such a confidence, that we would go get what already belongs to us? There's favor with your name on it. It's already yours.
The psalmist said, "God has crowned you with favor". Doesn't say he's going to do it one day. He's already done it. Are you bold enough to go get your crown, start carrying yourself like a king, a queen, confident, secure, knowing that you're one of a kind, a masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made? Don't go your whole life with your crown up on a shelf, thinking, "Oh, I never get any good breaks. I'll never get ahead". God has already said "Yes". Get rid of that defeated mentality, go get your crown. You have the favor of God. Blessings are chasing you down. Goodness and mercy follow you everywhere you go, and when you have this boldness to go get what belongs to you, you'll step in to a new level.
God told Jeremiah, "Before you were formed in your mother's womb, I accepted and approved you". Some people go their whole life trying to gain approval so they can feel good about themselves. They think if they work hard enough, have enough success, move into the right neighborhood, convince a certain person to like them, the good news is you've already been approved. Quit trying to work for something that you already have. You're not waiting to get it if you get good enough, if you lose 20 pounds, if you have the right friends. No, God has already approved you. When God created you, just like he did with Jeremiah, he looked at you and said, "That was good. Another masterpiece".
Don't live intimidated, insecure, trying to play up to people, trying to convince them to be your friend. If they don't want to be your friend, let them go. It's their loss, not yours. You don't need their approval, you have almighty God's approval, and there is a freedom when you realize, "I'm not waiting for it. I'm not hoping to get it. I'm not trying to talk people into it. I have already been accepted, approved, redeemed, forgiven. The creator of the universe calls me a masterpiece".
Paul said in Ephesians that God has blessed us. Again, past tense. He's not thinking about doing it, he's already done it. Now, you may not feel blessed. Your checking account may not say you're blessed. Business may be slow. It's easy to think, "When I see it, I'll believe it". But faith is just the opposite. You've got to believe it and then you'll see it.
Instead of talking about how bad it is, start declaring, "I am blessed. I am prosperous. I'm the head and not the tail. I lend and I don't have to borrow". You have to talk like you're blessed, think like you're blessed, walk like you're blessed, act like you're blessed. Live like you're blessed. That's what activates the blessing, not dragging around.
Somebody ask you how you're doing, "Well, I'm just hanging in there. It's really, really bad but I got the joy of the Lord". No, you've got to notify your face. Put a smile on. Put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high. Walk with confidence. You're a child of the most high God. You have royalty in your blood. You were created to reign in life.
Now, you've got to do your part and go get what's already yours. Go get your dreams. Go get the abundance. Go get your health. Go get the victory. "Well, Joel, I've been praying for favor. I've been asking God to bless me". No, here's the key. You don't have to pray about something that you already have. Just start acting like it's true. I don't always feel anointed but I know that God has already anointed us. He's already equipped and empowered us.
I never pray, "God, please give me your anointing". I always say, "Lord, thank you that I am anointed. Thank you that I am well able". You may not feel blessed or confident or strong or talented, but don't fall into that trap and just go through life with a "Poor old me" mentality.
Get in agreement with God. God says you are blessed, you are strong, you are talented, you are victorious. Not going to be one day. Not in the sweet by-and-by. God has already blessed you. He's already made you more than a conqueror. He's already crowned you with that favor.
God said to the Israelites, "How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the land that I have given you"? God had already promised them the land. It had their name on it. God was saying, "When are you going to go get what's already yours"? My question: "How long are you going to wait before you put on your crown of favor? How long are you going to wait before you start believing you're blessed and healthy and strong and talented, equipped, one of a kind"? This is your time. This is your moment.
The prophet Joel said, "Wake up the mighty men. Wake up the mighty women". That's who I'm looking at. You've got to shake off the doubt, the fear, the intimidation and go get what belongs to you. Just like the Israelites, God has put promises in your heart. He's spoken dreams to you. Maybe things you haven't told anyone about. Seems so big, so unlikely, you don't think you have the talent, the connections.
You may not but God does. He's already put your name on that dream. Your name is already on that song, that movie, that book you've been wanting to write. Your name is already on that business, that charity, that you've been wanting to start. Couples that are believing for a child, be encouraged. There's a baby that already has your name on it. Single people, there's a husband, a wife, that has your name on them.
David said, "God has blessings stored up for those that love the Lord". You have no idea the amazing things God has stored up for you. They're already yours. My challenge is don't leave them stored up. Be bold and believe that you're highly favored. Believe that you're well able. Believe that you can become all God's created you to be.
This is what Abraham had to do. Twenty years before he had a child, God said, "Abraham, I have made you a father of many nations". God said it in the past tense, "I have made you," like it had already happened. At that time, he didn't have one child. Abraham could have thought, "God, what are you talking about? I'm not a father. I don't have any children". In other words, "Joel, I'm not blessed, I'm not healthy, I'm not strong". He could have talked himself out of it, but he chose to believe. When God says you're blessed, just say, "God, I agree with you, I am blessed". God calls you prosperous. Don't go check your bank account. Don't go look at the stock report. Just say, "God, I agree with you. I am prosperous".
God says he is restoring health back into you. You will live and not die. The medical report may say just the opposite. That's okay. That's how Abraham felt. Just say, "God, if you say it, I agree. I am strong, I am healthy, I will live and not die". When you get in agreement with God, that's what allows him to release those blessings that have been stored up. The scripture puts it this way. All of God's promises are yes and amen. God says, "Yes, you're blessed. Yes, you're healthy. Yes, you're strong. Yes, you will accomplish your dreams".
But I've learned the "Yes" alone is not enough. If you want it to become a reality, you've got to add the "Amen" to it. Amen means be it unto me. God, I agree. Let it happen. It's got to become personal. It's got to take root in your spirit. It's one thing to know that God can bless. It's another to say, "I am blessed". It's one thing to know that God can heal. Yes, God can restore, but it takes on a new meaning when you say, "I am healed. I am restored. I will live and not die". It's one thing to know that God made you, but it does something different when you say, "I am a masterpiece. I am one of a kind. I am fearfully and wonderfully made".
God says, "Yes". Make sure you add this is what Abraham did. He got in agreement with God, and some 20 years later, the promise came to pass. But I wonder how many blessings that have been stored up for us that we miss out on. How many dreams that have our we get discouraged, it's taken so long, we settle where we are, we don't see them come to a reality.
My father used to tell about this big warehouse he imagined up in heaven. You walk in and see acres and acres of boxes up on shelves. As far as you can see, everywhere you look, there are rows and rows of boxes. You walk over closer, you notice each box has an individual name on it. Out of curiosity, you ask St. Peter what are all these boxes? What does this mean? Peter says, "These are all the unclaimed blessings God's people never picked up".
There's a box of favor that has Bill's name on it but he never came and got it. He never believed. There's a box of forgiveness that has Shannon's name on it but she never received it. She went through life beating herself up, thinking she was washed up. Look at that box. That's got the business that Carlos dreamed about but he never thought he had what it took. That box is the promotion that Julie wanted but she let her friends talk her out of it. That box is the husband Deborah prayed about but she gave up. Boxes and boxes of favor, promotion, healing, good breaks.
Friends, don't leave your boxes up on the shelf. Go get what already belongs to you. Go get the healing, go get the children, go get the dream. Go get the victory. When you rise up with a boldness and say, "God, I know you love me. I know you want to be good to me and, God, I want to thank you for bringing my dreams to pass. Thank you that I'll live healthy and whole, that I'll live debt-free, that you're bringing the right people across my path. Thank you for giving me the desires of my heart".
When you believe like that, it puts a smile on God's face. The scripture says, "It is the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom". There's nothing that brings him any more joy than to see you flourish and become who you were created to be. But sometimes, a religious spirit makes us think, "I can't ask for too much. I can't ask for my dreams. That wouldn't be right. I've got to stay humble". No, you are not inconveniencing God by believing big. He's the one that put the dream in your heart. God never created you to reach a certain level and then get stuck. He created you to excel, to take new ground for the kingdom, to set a new standard for your family. Take the limits off of him. Get rid of little dreams, little goals, little plans.
God wants to show you he's not limited by your circumstances. He's not limited by your education, by your background, by your talent. He's limited by our thinking. If we think, "I've gone as far as I can and nothing good is in my future and I don't deserve it. I've made too many mistakes," that will keep us from the fullness of our destiny. You have to enlarge your vision, make room for God to do something new. He's about to rain down you're going to see an abundance of his goodness. He's going to take you someplace that you've never been. He's going to show you what you've never seen.
Ephesians 3:20, "Exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond". "Well," you say, "Joel, this sounds good but God's got bigger things to deal with than me, my challenges, my dreams, my goals". No, understand, you are the apple of his eye. You are his most prized possession. He created you in his own image. He didn't breathe life into the water, into the sky, into trees. He breathed his life into you. He put his DNA on the inside. You weren't created to be average, to be mediocre. You are royalty. God has destined you to leave your Mark on this generation.
There are boxes on the shelf right now that have your name on them. They already belong to you. God's waiting for you to come pick them up. I'm asking you to stir up your faith. Start believing bigger. Start expecting God's goodness. Start declaring God's favor. It may not have happened in the past, but this is a new day. It can happen in the future, and when you believe, new doors open, promotion comes, the right people show up. When you believe, the angels go to work, God begins to fight your battles, negative situations will turn around. When you believe, all things are possible.
If I had a $100 bill in my hand, that bill in itself doesn't do me any good. In other words, I can't wear the bill, I can't eat the bill, I can't drive the bill. It's simply a piece of paper that's hardly worth anything. But if I take that $100 bill to the store, I can exchange it for some groceries. I can exchange it for a new shirt. I can exchange it it's called legal tender. That piece of paper can be exchanged for goods and services. Hebrews 11 says: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".
You could say faith is the currency of heaven. If I need groceries, then I need to take some cash down here on the earth. But in the unseen spiritual realm, that cash is not going to do me any good. The substance I need for exchange in the unseen realm for God to work is faith, and the scripture says, "Abraham believed and it was counted unto him as righteousness". The truth is Abraham wasn't necessarily righteous. If you read the story, Abraham made plenty of mistakes. He had a baby out of wedlock, he lied about his wife, told people she was his sister. He didn't live a perfect life. But we see this principle at work. Abraham believed. He had faith and God said, in effect, "All right, Abraham, you've got the faith. Let's make an exchange. I'll give you my righteousness," and if we had to choose and we don't. But if we had to choose between being wealthy with money or being wealthy with faith, I would always choose faith. Because when you have faith, you're connected to the hands that rule the world. You're connected to the God that can make anything happen.
When you have faith, God can rain down abundance, give you explosive blessings, blessings that thrust you to a new level. God can give you a Compaq Center, like he did for us. He can take you where you could not go on your own. When you say, "God, I believe what you promised, that my children will be mighty in the land. I believe they will surpass anything that I've done," God says, "All right, you've got the faith. Let me breathe on your children. Let me make it happen". "God, I believe that you're greater than this sickness. Medically speaking, I don't see a way but, God, I know you have the final say, and you said the number of my days you will fulfill. You said when darkness overtakes the righteous, light will come bursting in. So, Lord, I believe you're my healer".
God says, "All right, you've got the faith. Let's make an exchange. Let me heal. Let me restore. Let me do what "God, I believe you can get me that property, that new building to expand my business. In the natural, I don't see how but, God, I know you can do anything". God says, "All right, you've got the faith. Let me open some new doors. Let me arrange things in your favor. Let me cause the right people to like you". Faith is what you need to exchange for God's goodness, for his blessing, for his favor. That's why the scripture says, "Without faith, you cannot please God". It's because when we don't have faith, God can't do much for us. It limits him.
Isaiah said that God is longing to be good to you. He wants to bring your dreams to pass. But he goes on to say you have to be looking for his goodness. I believe today your faith is increasing. You know what's happening? You're getting wealthier. You've got more to exchange. Jesus said, "According to your faith, it will be done unto you," and when you go to God believing big, believing for your dreams, believing that the problem will turn around, knowing that he's all powerful, that's not just being positive, that's not just hoping that it happens. It's deeper than that. An exchange is taking place. You're trading your faith, the currency of heaven, and that allows God to do amazing things.
But too often, we go to God with our doubts. "God, I've got this big dream but I don't know how it can happen. I don't think I have the talent. I don't have the connections. God, I never get any good breaks. My car broke down last week. My dog ran away and my goldfish died. My neighbor won't talk to me. God, it's really, really bad but I need your help". God says, in effect, my words, not his: "I work by faith. That's the substance I need for the exchange". Here's what I'm saying. It's much better to go to God and say, "God, I've got this big dream. It looks impossible to me but, God, I know with you all things are possible. I know you can make a way where I don't see a way. I know you can open doors that no man can shut. I know you're supplying my needs according to your riches, not mine. Stored up for me, those that love the Lord". God says, "All right, that's what I'm looking for. That's the currency of heaven. Let me go to work".
Talked to a young couple a few years ago and they'd been trying to have a baby for a long, long time, and they were very discouraged and about to give up. I told them what I'm telling you. There's a baby that it's already in the warehouse. God destined it to become yours but you have to stay in agreement. Instead of complaining, one of the best things you can do is remind God what he said. "God, you said in psalm 113 that you would give the barren woman a child and make her the happy mother of children. God, you said the fruit of my womb is blessed. You said that children are a reward from the Lord. So, Lord, I want to thank you that that baby that has my name on it is coming in".
Some of you, there's a business that has your name on it. You've been dreaming about it. You've been praying for it. It's time to rise up and go get what belongs to you. "Father, you said you would give me the desires of my heart. Lord, I want to thank you that that business that has my name on it is coming in". Maybe you're in a legal battle. Doesn't look good, you're tempted to give up. "No, Lord, you said the strength of the ungodly is being cut off. The power of the godly is being increased. You said when the enemy comes against me one way you would defeat them and cause them to flee seven different ways. So, Lord, I want to thank you, the vindication that has my name on it is coming in.
I spoke on this subject several years ago and I specifically mentioned that baby that has your name on it is coming in. There was a young couple in the audience that had been trying to have a child for many, many years. Went through all the fertility treatments they were about to settle where they were and just accept the fact that they could never have children. But when I made that statement, "There's a baby that has your name on it," something came alive on the inside. It ignited in their spirit.
They left that day, knowing that God was in control and somehow he could still bring it to pass. Four hours later, right after the service, they got from their business manager in another state, asking if they would be interested in adopting a baby that was about to be born. Years earlier, they had had a dream that they had a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby boy. Eight weeks later, room when their little baby was born. Just so happened he was a blue-eyed, blond-haired baby boy, like they'd seen in the dream. That baby had been stored up for them. It was on their shelf. You've got to go get what already belongs to you. Don't leave any packages in your warehouse. I don't want to be greedy. I just want everything that has my name on it.
Friends, healing belongs to you. Children that are mighty in the land belong to you. A beautiful, debt-free house belongs to you. Joy, peace, happiness, abundance, lending and not borrowing belongs to you. What would happen if we'd all go to God with the currency of heaven, faith, boldness, confidence, expectancy? That's what gets God's attention, knowing that he loves us, knowing that he wants to be good to us. That's what causes God to do more than we can ask or think. Why don't you stir your faith up?
Remember, you're not going to be blessed. You've already been blessed. You're not going to have a crown of favor, you already have a crown of favor. Make sure you put it on each day. God says, "Yes". Now add your "Amen" to it. If you'll do this, I believe and declare everything that has your name on it is coming in: the health, the children, the contracts, the businesses, the houses. You need to get ready, you're going to see God's goodness in a new way. New opportunities, explosive blessings. You're going to step into the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name.