Joel Osteen - It's Just a Matter of Time
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In this encouraging message, Joel Osteen teaches that the moment we pray in faith, God cuts off the source of our problems—like sickness, addiction, or opposition—in the unseen realm, using Jesus cursing the fig tree (Mark 11) as the key example where the tree withered from the roots overnight; though things may look unchanged or even worse for a time, it’s just a matter of time before the manifestation catches up, so we must hold fast in faith and thanksgiving until we see the victory.
The Unseen Change When You Pray
I want to talk to you today about «It’s Just a Matter of Time.» We all have things that we are believing will change: we are fighting an illness, we are struggling with an addiction, we are dealing with fear, depression, anxiety. We know what God promised—that He would restore our health, that He would free us from the fear. We prayed, we believed, but we do not see anything improving.
But what you cannot see is: the moment you prayed, in the unseen realm, the source of what was coming against you was cut off—the source of the fear, the source of the addiction, the source of the sickness. Now you may not see any manifestation for some time; there may not be any evidence that things have changed. This is when many people get discouraged.
But there will always be a period of time where it looks like God did not do what He promised: the fear still comes, the medical report has not improved, the addiction looks just the same. But what is feeding those things has been cut off. It may seem like it is still alive, but the truth is: the fear is dead, the sickness is dead, the trouble at work is dead.
Don’t Be Discouraged by the Delay
Do not be discouraged because you do not see anything happening—it is just a matter of time. One day Jesus was leaving Bethany. He saw a fig tree off in the distance. He was hungry, so He went over to get something to eat, but the tree did not have any figs. Jesus said to the tree, «May no person ever eat fruit from you again.» He cursed the tree.
But when He said it, nothing on the outside looked any different. The tree was still just as full and healthy as before. I can hear the disciples begin to whisper, «What happened? It did not work. Did He lose His power?» They had seen Jesus speak to a blind man and heal his eyes, and they had heard Him speak to the storm and calm the sea. But this time when Jesus spoke, nothing changed; there was no evidence that what He said had happened.
But the next morning, as the disciples were passing by, they saw the tree. The scripture says the tree had withered from the roots. When Jesus spoke to the tree, nothing happened on the outside, but on the inside, down in the roots, the source was cut off.
The Roots Are Dead
When the roots are dead, the tree is dead. It may still look alive; it may still have green leaves, still have wide branches, but it is just a matter of time before the outside catches up with the inside. It may look like that sickness you are dealing with is still alive, that anxiety is just as bad as ever, the addiction is just as strong.
You prayed and wondered why God will not do something. God did do something: the moment you prayed, He cut off the source. That addiction may look like it is alive, but if you could see the roots, you would realize it is dead. It is just a matter of time before the outside catches up.
That sickness may seem permanent, like you will never get well. Have a new perspective: the roots have been cut off. Do not be discouraged because it still has green leaves; you do not see anything changing. The Psalmist said, «The strength of the wicked is being cut off, and the power of the godly is being increased.»
Everything that is trying to stop you, you need to see that power as being cut off. It may be hindering you now, but it is not permanent; it is not going to last. Why? It lost its source. Every day it is withering; every day it is getting weaker. It may look the same on the outside, but on the inside it is drying up.
Faith Is About What You Know
When Jesus spoke to the tree, there was no evidence that anything changed. Maybe you are believing for something and you do not see any sign of things improving. You are speaking faith over your health, but the medical report is not getting better. You are praying for your child, but he is not getting back on track.
If you just had some evidence, if you just saw a little sign, then you would believe. No, this is what faith is all аbout: you cannot be moved by what you do not see; you have to be moved by what you know. «Father, I want to thank You that the moment I prayed, You cut off the roots. I know this sickness is not permanent—healing is coming. I know this addiction is not how my story ends—freedom is coming. I know this depression does not have the final say. Father, I thank You that it is withering up.»
And some of the things that you are concerned about, God has already done. You have not seen it yet, but in the unseen realm things have changed. That anxiety you have been praying about, asking God to take it away—it is already dead. That trouble at work—God has already cut off the source.
Stay in Faith Until It Manifests
Now do your part: stay in faith until it manifests. Keep thanking God, keep talking like you are free, keep thinking like you are healthy, keep living like you are victorious. I talked to a man that had struggled with an addiction for many years. He said, «Joel, I asked God to help me, but nothing happened.» He did not see anything on the outside changing. It was not getting any easier, so he assumed that God was not doing anything.
He lived with the mindset, «I am addicted; I will never be free; it is too strong.» He was waiting to see the manifestation before he believed God was working. But faith says you have to believe that when you prayed, the miracle was set into motion. You cannot wait to see the evidence and then you are going to believe—you have to believe first.
You may not see any sign of it, but deep down you have to know the source of that addiction has been cut off. When you know the roots have been cursed, you will have a different mindset. Instead of thinking, «Maybe one day it will happen,» you will know it is just a matter of time.
A Testimony of Freedom
God has already spoken it; He has already cut off the source. Now all you have to do is walk it out. And I told him what I am telling you: you may not see anything happening, but the moment you prayed, God did something. Instead of thinking, «One day I will be free,» try a new approach: «Father, thank You that I am free. Thank You that this addiction is dead, that it does not control me, that You have already put an end to it.»
He started living with the attitude that it was already cut off. He kept thanking God he was free, talking like he was free. And I saw him about six months later. He said, «After 22 years of being addicted, today I am totally free.» Are you waiting for the evidence to believe what God said about you? Are you talking yourself out of it because you do not see any sign?
If you will get in agreement with God, you will see what He has done on the inside show up on the outside. The source of what is trying to stop you has been cut off. «Well, Joel, it seems like it is still alive—seems like as strong as ever.» Do not be moved; do not be fooled by the outside.
The Cut Rose Illustration
Victoria was in our backyard one time. We had these beautiful rose bushes. She got some scissors and cut off one of the roses and brought it inside. The moment she cut it off, it was dead; it was separated from its source of life. What is interesting is it did not look dead; it did not look any different from the other roses that were still on the bush: it was still beautiful, still colorful, still smelled good.
She put it in a vase. For a couple of weeks it was right by our kitchen sink: still looked beautiful, healthy. But the whole time it was dead; it was just a matter of time before it withered up. You may have things in your life like that rose: the sickness has already been cut off, the depression, the fear, the addiction.
The moment you prayed, it died, but it still looks just the same. You do not feel any difference; nothing is changing—that is okay. That does not mean that it is still alive. Like that rose, at some point it is going to wither; you are going to see what God promised you.
Don’t Faint in Your Mind
Now the scripture says, «Do not faint in mind.» The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking. Thoughts will tell you, «Nothing happened when you prayed. You will never get well; you will never break the addiction; you have had it too long.» Do not believe those lies—the roots have been cut off. It is just a matter of time before you see things change in your favor.
We have some friends; every Easter they send us a dozen rosebuds. They come in this large box; they have a long stem with the rosebud on the top. What is interesting is even though the rose is dead, even though it has been cut off from the bush, when you put that stem in water, the rose will bloom. It is dead, but it will still blossom. It has no life, but it will still get bigger, increase, and expand.
When Problems Seem to Bloom
There are times when even though God has cut something off, it will get bigger. Even though He cut off the trouble, it will blossom. You will be tempted to think, «Joel, this sickness is not dead; it is getting worse. This anxiety is not dead; it is increasing instead of decreasing.» No, stay in faith—it may bloom, it may blossom, but it is still dead.
All through the day, «Father, thank You that the source of this trouble has been cut off. Thank You that You have cursed the roots of this fear. Thank You that You said this sickness has to go. So, Lord, I am going to stay in agreement with You. I know it is just a matter of time before it withers up.»
When we were trying to acquire this building, the former Compaq Center, we had all kinds of opposition. But after two years we finally got enough city council members to be for us, and we won the vote. We were so excited; we knew that God gave us the building.
Opposition at the Compaq Center
But three days later a company that owned most of the property around the facility filed a federal lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. I thought the opposition was over, but it was just beginning. We had this huge company coming against us; they were the largest taxpayer in Texas, a big real estate company.
Now we had this giant in our path. I was tempted to think, «God, what are we going to do? They have more resources; they have more influence.» But I did what I am asking you to do. I said, «Father, I want to thank You that the source of those coming against us has been cut off. They may be bigger, stronger, but God, I know You being for us is more than the world being against us.»
Like that rosebud that blooms even though it is dead. Do not be surprised if opposition blossoms against you, adversity blooms, giants try to stop you. It looks like they have the upper hand—no, stay in peace. Their source has been cut off. It is not permanent; it is just a matter of time before you see the hand of God.
All the odds were against us; it looked like this building could be tied up in the courts for many years. We were told that the other side would never back down. But one day they called out of the blue and said they wanted to meet. We met; they agreed to not only let us have the building but to lease us nine thousand covered parking spaces. That two-year legal battle suddenly came to an end.
Temporary Blooming of Trouble
You may have things that you thought were dead—the addiction, the trouble at work, the legal situation—but now it is blooming; it is getting bigger. You think that your prayers must not have worked—no, the roots have been cut off. It may bloom, but it lost its source.
What you are dealing with is only temporary; it cannot last without the source. That rose bloom looks so beautiful for a couple of weeks, seems so vibrant and so healthy, but then it suddenly begins to wither. You are about to see some of these suddenlies: things you have been praying about, you believe that the source has been cut off, but it seems like it is still alive—no, get ready.
That addiction is about to suddenly go. That depression is about to suddenly stop. That opposition is about to suddenly be defeated. That sickness is about to suddenly change. It may be blooming now—that is a sign that it is on the way out. That is a sign that you are close to your breakthrough, you are close to a new level, you are close to seeing freedom like you have never seen.
The Enemy’s Noise on the Way Out
When you walk into someone’s house and see a beautiful bouquet of flowers, they can smell nice, they can look nice—you never think about the fact that the flowers are dead, that in a few weeks they are going to be thrown out. When negative things are blooming in your life, like those roses, it may seem like they are permanent, like they are going to be there forever.
What do you have to remind yourself: it is only temporary. That sickness may be blooming; it looks so impressive—I know a secret: it is not going to last. That trouble in your marriage looks permanent—no, this too shall pass. Your child is off course; it looks like he will miss his destiny. No, the source of that trouble has been cut off. It may be blooming now; that does not mean that it is not dead. God is already putting an end to it.
Now it may take a little time to see what God promised, but it is on the way. Do not talk yourself out of it; do not get discouraged by what is not happening. I have heard it said, «The enemy makes the most noise when he is on his way out.»
You think about how when Jesus told demons to leave people, very often they let out a loud scream; they would make all this noise, all this commotion. When the enemy is stirring up trouble in your life, making a lot of noise—your health went down, finances are not good, your child is acting worse—do not panic. That is a sign he is on the way out; he makes the most commotion when he is about to leave.
Believe You Receive When You Pray
There was a lady that had a dream. In this dream she was in her house. She saw this very evil-looking person come in and start taking her possessions. She was watching from the second floor over the banister; he was putting her things in this large bag.
In this dream she began to pray. She said, «In the name of Jesus I have authority over you; leave my things alone.» The man began to mock her. He said, «I do not have to listen to you; I am not stopped by you; I am not afraid of you or your prayers.» He continued through the house, putting her things in that bag.
She said it again, «You have to go.» He laughed and said, «I do not have to leave; your prayers do not stop me; you have no authority over me.» But this time she noticed while he was saying that, he started putting all of her things back. He kept mocking her, laughing, causing a commotion—at the same time he was returning everything that he took.
This went on until he put everything back in its proper place. As he was running out of the house, she could hear him down the street still saying, «I am not afraid of you; you have no authority over me.» See, the scripture says the enemy comes like a roaring lion. He is not a lion, but he will make a lot of noise; he will talk a lot of trash. But his bite is not nearly as much as his roar.
Receive It in Your Spirit First
Sometimes though we are praying and it does not seem like anything is happening; it is like the enemy is mocking us, saying, «You will never get well; you will never break the addiction; your child will never get back on track.» If you will just stay in faith, keep praying, keep believing—all that time he is stirring up trouble, causing a commotion—what he will not tell you is he is putting everything back.
He may laugh, but he is putting your children back, putting your health back, putting your freedom back, putting your dreams back. Do not get discouraged when things get worse. What you lost is only temporary; it is all coming back. Jesus said in Mark 11, «Whatever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive it and you will have it.»
It does not say believe that you receive it when you see it, when your health turns around, when the breakthrough comes. The key is: you have to believe that it happens when you pray—when nothing has changed, the medical report has not improved, the fig tree looks just the same. You do not have any evidence, but you believe when you prayed, your healing came. You believe when you prayed, you were free from the addiction.
You have to receive it in your spirit before you will ever see it in the natural. You have to be healed in your spirit before you will be healed in your physical body. But too often we believe we are going to receive it: «One day I am going to get well. I am going to be free"—that will limit us.
Examples of Faith in Action
The prayer of faith says, «When I pray according to God’s word, I believe it happens right when I pray. I have it in my spirit.» You have to receive it in your spirit or you will not see it in the natural. When my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she and my father prayed on December 11, 1981.
That day my mother believed she received her healing. She had just been given a few weeks to live; she looked so yellow; she only weighed 89 pounds. Nothing in the natural said she was healed. For months nothing even looked any different; she did not feel any better—in fact, it looked like the cancer was winning.
But my mother just kept saying, «Father, thank You that on December 11, when we prayed, I received my healing. Thank You that that day the tide of the battle turned in my favor.» She kept thanking God; she kept calling herself healthy; she kept declaring scriptures over her life: I will live and not die; with long life God will satisfy me.
Eventually the healing she received in her spirit when she was not well began to show up in her physical body. She started getting better and better. Today, over 40 years later, my mom is still healthy and whole.
Don’t Lose Your Cows
But when you believe that you receive when you pray, you do not keep asking God to do it; you start thanking Him. If I have already received my healing, I do not have to keep asking God to heal me, keep begging Him, «God, please heal me.» No, instead you start saying, «Father, thank You that I am healed. Thank You that I am free. Thank You that I am blessed.»
Maybe you are believing for a scholarship: «Father, I am asking You for this scholarship so I can continue my education. Lord, I believe I will receive it right now in my spirit"—you receive it by faith. From then on, «Father, thank You for that scholarship.» You keep thanking God; you keep talking like it is coming.
Every circumstance may say, «It is never going to work out»; you may not see anything changing—that is when you have to dig down deep and say, «I am not going to give up on what God promised me. I am not going to let negative thoughts talk me out of it. I am not going to let what I do not see talk me out of what God put in my heart. I know what I have received in my spirit is already on the way.»
Hebrews 10:23 says, «Hold fast the confession of your faith.» You have to hold fast what God put in your heart. There are forces constantly trying to convince us that what God said is never going to happen: it has been too long; there is no sign; it would have happened by now.
No, in the unseen realm things have already changed; the miracle has already been set into motion. The roots of what has been trying to stop you have already been cut off. Now stay in faith until you see the manifestation. Do not talk yourself out of it.
You may be tempted to let it go; you are about to give up on your dream, your health, your children. No, get a new grip—it is closer than you think. You would not be hearing this if it was not about to happen.
When I was growing up, my father would always have a big conference at Lakewood every Thanksgiving—it was one of the highlights of the year. He would fly in missionaries that we support from all over the world. One year he decided he wanted to feed everyone at Lakewood.
So months before the conference, he prayed and asked God to give him two cows; that way we would have enough food to feed all the people. He believed; he received it when he prayed. But week after week went by, and there was no sign of any cows. He kept believing, telling the church that the cows were coming. But every voice said, «You are wasting your time; nobody has ever given you a cow. You better go down to Chick-fil-A and eat more chicken.»
As it got closer, thoughts whispered, «Just buy the cows. You have the money; it is never going to happen.» He finally got so worn down; he quit talking about the cows and went out and bought the meat for the conference. A couple of weeks later he had a dream one night. In this dream he saw this huge snake out in a field. Inside this snake he could see the distinct outline of two cows.
He woke up, and it was like God said to him, «I just want you to know you let the enemy have your cows.» Those cows already belonged to my father; in the unseen realm they were on the way. But when we get discouraged, when we quit believing—"Well, it is never going to happen; I will never get well; I will never meet the right person. Joel, look at the fig tree; it has not changed"—now my challenge to you is: do not lose your cows.
What you have received in your spirit is already en route; it is just a matter of time before it shows up. Hold fast your profession; keep believing; keep thanking God that it is on the way. God is faithful. Do not let the lack of evidence convince you that nothing is happening.
In the unseen realm things are changing; forces that have stopped you in the past have been broken; the roots have been cut off of that depression, that addiction, that sickness. It may look like it is still alive, but it is just a matter of time. You are going to see what God promised.
And the reason it is more difficult, the reason it seems like it is getting worse, is because the enemy is on his way out. I believe and declare: what you have received in your spirit is about to show up in the natural. Get ready for healing, promotion, breakthrough, the right people, the fullness of your destiny—in Jesus' name.