Michael Todd - I Know it, Even When I Don't Feel It
I always grapple with how much y’all can take. No, no, I’ve got to be transparent because I constantly struggle with whether you want me to be raw and real or if you prefer the idea of what a pastor is supposed to be like. My job qualifications—how I got this job—are solely by the grace of God. So, as I prepare, I wrestle a lot with whether this will tear down what you think a leader should be, or if my authenticity will inspire you to stay committed to God, because none of us can do this without Him. So I decided today that I was going to be real and honest, and I don’t need anyone to judge me as I share what I’m about to say. We are a HOT church, which means we are Humble, Open, and Transparent.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but we just came out of 21 days of prayer and fasting, and the word for this year is, «You gotta say it with your chest!» We believe in faith that we are going to get stronger and that God will change us from our weaknesses. We’ve been discussing weakness for the past three weeks, and we’ve been talking about God allowing us to win in our weakness. Pastor Charles killed it last week by discussing our glitches, our gifts, and all sorts of other topics. I’ve been believing God for some huge things during these 21 days of prayer and fasting. When I approached the last three days, I usually have a sense of what this season has been about. Typically, I feel like, «Yes, that’s what I wanted!»
But something interesting happened this time during my season of prayer and fasting. We’ve been doing this for years, and when I came off this time of prayer and fasting, I didn’t feel stronger. Your pastor did not feel like, «Let’s go, I’m healed, I’m delivered, oh, are y’all ready to take on the devil?» Instead, I was thinking, «No more devils.» If I can be real with you, I felt like I didn’t want to take another hit. During this prayer and fasting period, I got sick. I’ve been fighting to keep my wife and my children as a priority, and with everything that has been happening—can I be real right now? I’ve been managing my son’s recovery from autism while dealing with various other challenges. I thought I was supposed to feel stronger; I thought I should come off this ready to fight everything, but I felt like I just wanted to rest.
As the pastor of this church, if I’m feeling this way, I know there are others in the audience and watching online who feel the same. I’m not trying to kill anyone’s high, but I had to speak to those today who’ve done the right thing yet don’t feel the results. It might not be in this season of prayer and fasting, but there are areas in your life where you know you’re doing the right things. Some of you have been tithing, some of you have been giving, and some of you are trying not to curse people out when they treat you badly. You think, «But they’re still mean to me, they still won’t forgive me, and they still want to turn me away.» Yet you’re resolved to cut them out and expect the same results as you have now. Lord, you know my heart—I’ve tried for three days, and our relationship is very authentic.
On Thursday, I had an all-out conversation with God. I went to Him and was honest, saying, «God, I do not feel stronger.» It felt like He brushed off my concerns in our prayer time, saying, «But you’re stronger.» Maybe you didn’t hear me. Let me clarify, «Thou knowest that mine is weakness, and Thou strength is not in doing.» I replied, «God, I don’t feel strong.» He repeated, «But you’re stronger.» I responded, «God, I expected to feel the same level of strength I would feel if I indulged in Blue Bell ice cream every day for the 21 days of prayer and fasting.» He assured me, «But I promise you’re stronger.» I protested, «God, I don’t feel stronger.» He replied, «Just because you don’t feel it doesn’t mean you aren’t stronger.»
I said, «God, you’re going to have to break this down for me.» Then He began to ask me deep questions in my spirit. He asked, «Did you fast?» I answered, «Yes.» He asked, «Did you pray?» Again, I replied, «Yes.» He inquired, «Did you obey?» I said, «Yes.» He asked, «Did you give away what I asked you to give away?» I affirmed, «Yes.» He concluded, «Then you’re stronger.» I admitted, «I don’t feel stronger.» To which He responded, «That’s it! It is the sign of a maturing believer when you know something even if you don’t feel it. I know I’ve done the work, I know God told me things, and even if I don’t feel it, that means I’m maturing, and I’m getting stronger.»
I said, «Hold on, hold on, because I still don’t feel it.» He explained, «For the majority of your Christian life, you will have to focus on what you know rather than what you feel.» I’m about to preach to someone in this place today because you’ve been waiting for a feeling to change your perspective on your situation. But it will not be a feeling; it will be a knowing. In this moment, God began to tell me, «Michael, what do you know you did?» I said, «I know I fasted. I don’t feel the results, but I know I did.» He continued, «What else did you do?» I replied, «I know I prayed. I don’t feel the results of my prayer, but I know I did it. I know I obeyed, I know I gave, and God said, 'Faithfulness is greater than feelings.'»
I came to encourage someone in this room today. You may not need this word right now, but three weeks from now, when you’re ready to throw in the towel and your prayer and fasting juice has worn off, what you need to remember is that faithfulness is greater than feelings. Then God gave me a phrase that blew my mind: «You need to be committed to the resolve and not the results.» You need to be committed to the resolve because the resolve is greater than the results. Our generation wants results, yet we do not stay committed to what we said. We need to stay steadfast in what God told us and be vigilant about what He is doing in us. We’re not resolved; we want results, and we let the results mess up our resolve.
He said to me, «Michael, this is the enemy’s greatest tactic for every one of my children, all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden when I created this amazing, lush, beautiful space for them. I gave them one boundary: 'Don’t eat from the fruit of this tree.' It wasn’t the only tree in the garden; it was one of billions. They decided to listen to the enemy, despite having made a resolve to obey God and eat from all the other trees. They listened to the enemy asking, 'What would be the worst result of eating the fruit from this tree? ' That one moment of letting go of their resolve caused them to forfeit the paradise that God had for them.»
I came to speak to somebody who has been searching for a feeling after this fast, looking for a feeling after breaking up with someone. You’ve been seeking a feeling to see if you’ve made the right decision, but God says this will not be a season of feelings. This will be a season of faithfulness. You’re going to have to shift your mindset to acknowledge that my resolve is greater than the results. Someone say that with me: «My resolve is greater than results.» Say it again: «My resolve is greater than results.» You need to be resolved that you will stay pure even if that means you do not have a date for the next three years. I’m coming for you today. Some of you need to be resolved to save money and get out of debt, even if that means no birthday presents for the next three years. Some of you need to be resolved to work on your business, even if that means sacrificing your social life for the next three years.
Let me explain this further because some of you are just sitting there looking at me. Resolve means being settled and firmly decided on a course of action. I have to reach a place where my feelings no longer matter as much as I have previously allowed. Let me give you a personal example. I didn’t know how real I would be, but I’m going to share anyway. Do you remember the first week of Crazy Faith when I was talking about «I got the keys, the keys, the keys»? Here’s a picture from that first week. This is me at my heaviest—I weighed 254 pounds and counting. I felt horrible; I was tired all the time. You didn’t know it because I would get up on stage for an hour and a half, jump around, and act the fool, but while something looked victorious on the outside, I was dying inside.
After that day when I wore that big old sweater that had the Holy Spirit’s declaration on it, I made a resolve to get healthier. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, «Michael, I can only bless your ministry to the level that your body can handle.» What you don’t realize is that your resolve is affecting your effectiveness. I decided I was going to eat healthily and exercise. The crazy thing about exercising is that once you begin, you have to make the choice that your resolve is greater than the results you see. Every time I would go to the gym, I would think, «I should be able to look in the mirror to see some progress.»
The most discouraging thing about working out is that if you constantly look for results before you see them, it will discourage your efforts. I came to challenge somebody because I feel that God is prompting me to press this point. Someone may be about to measure their success based on their results and, as a result, give up because they don’t see the outcomes they hoped for. I feel stronger, but there’s no visible evidence yet. Many people in the body of Christ are halting their progress—spiritually, physically, and emotionally—because they don’t feel like it’s working.
Do you know what the most devastating thing was throughout my entire five-month journey of weight loss? Today I’m at 220 pounds, but during that process, there were weeks when I followed all the right steps to lose weight but then stepped on the scale after eating nothing but kale and drinking water—they said I gained three pounds. I prayed; I fasted; I still got sick; I lost my job after giving in faith for my ministry. The problem is that too many of us are overly focused on results when God wants us to concentrate on our resolve.
I’m trying to offer you a word that can help you through 2023. When the storm arrives, you might think God has left you. When you have to go through counseling, you will feel like your marriage is over. When you have to downsize to an apartment for a year with three kids to improve your finances and credit, you might feel abandoned. Many of you seem to be having difficulty understanding this because you believe God’s path always goes from glory to glory. But I discovered that glory doesn’t look the same in every season. Do you recall that God was getting glory when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane? He was in a difficult place, sweating blood, yet still serving a purpose of agony, but God was still getting glory.
I know this is for everybody who came to receive a feel-good word today. I want to give you a word that’s going to help you live through every trial that you face. I think there needs to be a greater—what’s the word I want to say? —there needs to be a greater stance of us killing our feelings and not caring about how we feel. I just feel like it’s killing the church today. I felt like coming today, who cares? I felt like giving this. Will you do it when you don’t feel it? Will you give when you don’t feel it? Will you serve when you don’t feel it? Will you love when you don’t feel it? The title of my message is «I Know It Even When I Don’t Feel It,» and the reason I need to—um, the reason I need to camp out here is that there are things you know that you won’t recognize.
There are things that every one of us knows. I knew every time that I went to the gym, even though I didn’t feel it, I knew I was getting better. I knew my heart was being trained to carry all this weight. I knew I was getting stronger, but I couldn’t see it, and I couldn’t feel it. If I’m very honest, there were some days—my trainer is in the room right now—there were some days I didn’t show up. I pulled up to the gym; I know he saw my car. It’s glass all in the front. I pulled up to the gym, and I backed out because I didn’t feel it.
My question is, how many of us have shown up to be a father or a mother but then backed out? How many of us showed up to be the leader God called us to be but then backed out because we didn’t feel it? I am divorcing my feelings today. I need somebody to hear me in this place; if I’m really gonna get stronger, if I’m gonna be everything God’s called me to be, I must divorce how I feel. The great thing about it is most of y’all aren’t clapping, and that’s why you’ll have the same thing next year that you had this year. Because somewhere along the line, you’re not gonna feel it, and you’re not gonna know how to deal with it. I am helping because this is what nobody told me.
Everybody said you’ll know it when you feel it. How do you know they’re the right one for you? You’ll just feel it? No, no, baby, there are some things you can feel that will lie to you. He’s a drunk, like you say, he’s fine, but he’s abusive. But I feel this thing; oh, how do you feel that child? Oh shoot, let me stop; y’all pray for me. But do you know how many things we ignore because we feel something? God’s telling us the whole time, that’s not the job, that’s not the move. But I feel this is the best move, especially all y’all when you talk to pastors. I feel peace; you feel good. All your accountability and all your friends and all your family say this is the wrong move. Everybody in the world—Stevie Wonder can see this—is not a good situation for you. I’ve watched people bypass all accountability because they feel like this is the good thing to do.
My question to you today is, will your feelings keep leading your life, or will you make a decision that you are going to be faithful no matter what you feel? You know what a great example of this is? In Judges, there’s a man named Gideon, and they usually tell this story about how Gideon defeated this huge Midianite army with only 300 people. But I want to take it from a different perspective and see if we can find out how we have to be resolved to know what God said about us and not what’s happened in our past and not what’s happening in our present and not what we think is going to happen in our future. We would be resolved instead of looking for the results. Look at Judges 6:11. I know it, even when I don’t feel it; I feel this thing! Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree of Ofra—not Oprah—but Ofra, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezar.
Gideon, here’s our star character, son of Joash, was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, «Mighty hero!» God showed up and called Gideon something stronger than he was at that moment. He showed up in the worst situation; he’s at the bottom of the winepress, believing that his enemies are about to take him out, and God shows up and speaks a word over him that is supposed to give him strength. He says, «Mighty warrior!» Gideon looks around like, «Who in the world are you talking to?» This is my first point: when God begins to tell you that you’re stronger, when He’s giving us that word for this year, I want you to write this down: «Stronger is a prophetic declaration from God, but it has to be a divine decision by you.»
God can speak something over you that you disagree with, and many of us, God has called you son, daughter, righteous, pure, holy, more than enough, and you’re like, «No, I mean not because of what I’ve been through, not with my background or my qualifications.» I came to say to you today, I don’t know who you are, but God is trying to speak a word over you at the beginning of 2020 to give you the faith to continue to move on and not consult your feelings, but be faithful, be resolved, and not look for results. He showed up, and He’s saying, «You’re stronger, you’re stronger in your marriage; you’re a hero. You’re going to be able to lead a large church.»
Michael says, «Who? Because I don’t have anything that will qualify me for this position.» And God says, «I’m trying to speak a prophetic word over your life.» Besides that, you’re going to agree with what God is saying. My question to you today is, what has God said over your life that you have not agreed with yet? I talk to people so many times. I say, «Man, you have a speaking gift over you.» «Oh no, I’m not made for any big things.» «What stage are you made for?» «Oh man, you’re so creative.» «Oh no, I’m not creative like that.» Why wouldn’t somebody speak something over your life? You automatically start trying to put it up against somebody else who has maybe a mature or more developed version of that same gift. God is saying, «I saw you before you were formed in your mother’s womb, and I know what I put inside of you.»
When I show up and speak a word over you, there are some senior saints in this room who think their life is over, and God is calling to you right now, and He’s saying, «Your latter years are going to be greater than your former.» And you’re talking about, «Well, you don’t know what diagnosis I just got. You don’t know that I’m still having problems with my arthritis.» And God says, «You think that’s the thing I’m looking at to decide if you’re going to be effective in the kingdom of God for me? I factored all of that in.»
Look what He said to Gideon! Like all of us, you know, «I can’t do this,» and look at the guarantee that Gideon has. He says, «Yeah, you can’t. You’re a mighty hero 'cause the Lord is with you.» Today, I need you to know what the Bible tells us in Romans 8:31: «If God is for us…» See, I always say this because y’all don’t believe it yet. Thank you, sir, but we gotta convince all of them that if all we have is God—if everybody else leaves, if everybody else chooses a different path, if all my posse and all my friends go another way—if God be for us, y’all don’t hear me in the building! Somebody say «Who!» If God called me to pastor this church, «Who can be against me?»
If God taught me to lead my family and be the father to MJ, «Who?» What I’m saying is, I don’t want to say any more clichés and not actually believe them in application in my life. Gideon does what most of us would do when God speaks a prophetic word over our life. We start trying to convince God of why it can’t happen. Look at him in Judges 6:13. Oh, sorry, Gideon replied, «If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to me? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t you say that the Lord brought us out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites?»
See, this is the thing: when you’re looking for results, he was still looking for results. You can never look at your situation to determine your strength. I must say it again: never look at your situation—well this is what happened; I just lost this; these people just left; and that happened—that is never an indication of how strong you are. What we do all the time is God says, «Start the business,» and we say, «Well, I don’t have any money, and I don’t have a degree.» And God said, «That is not a qualification for being used by me! I’m asking you to just believe the word, and I need you to move on that.»
Let me bring it back. I started trying to convince God, «Maybe you missed it. Maybe I don’t have the strength to lead this church. Maybe I don’t have the ability to do all the things that God has called me to be.» I have to be real with you today, and I keep saying it, but you don’t realize that as I’m speaking to tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people right now, the enemy this whole time of prayer and fasting—I’m gonna use this as a therapy session right now. This is the only way I know how to lead y’all. I only know how to lead like what’s really happening. The enemy has been trying to convince me, «It got bigger than you! It’s too much! There’s no way you could keep your peace and stay pure! Thousands of people are listening to you! All it takes is one mess-up, and you’re finished! Oh, they think you’re great now? Wait till they find out who you really are! Wait, wait till you can’t come speak on Sunday 'cause you were just stressed!»
Now, I don’t know what you deal with on your Monday through Saturday, but these are suggestions every single week. They don’t see you outside a Target arguing with Natalie 'cause she spent an extra hundred and fifty dollars! «Oh, what?!» They’re gonna find out you’re human. You’re gonna not say the scripture right; you’re gonna get on something and embarrass the church; you’re gonna do this! And it’s all of these suggestions that I’m not strong enough to do what God’s called me to do. But then I have to remember what I know. I know that’s how I feel, and how I feel is real. But what I know is if God is for me, I know I didn’t call myself to this, but He called me! I know that when I stand up, He’s gonna speak through me. Uh, y’all don’t hear me. Somebody shout, «I know!»
If we do not stop listening to our feelings and go back to what we know, I am the righteousness in Christ Jesus! I know that my steps are ordered by the Lord. I know that if I would acknowledge Him in all my ways, He would direct my path. Somebody shout at me, «I know!» The only comfort that you’re gonna have in the season of getting stronger is not what you feel; it’s what you know. The old folks used to say it like this: «I was young, but now I’m old, and I know I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken.» My old pastor used to say it like this: «I got a feeling that everything is gonna be alright.» See, there’s something that you have to everybody say «know,» and today, as we progress in this stronger series, I had to stop 'cause I want to teach you how to get stronger, but I want you to know strength first starts in your mind. Strength is about what you know and not how you feel.
Look what the Lord says—He says in verse 14, «The Lord turned to Gideon and said,» this is my favorite. This is one of the most powerful verses; I go to this verse almost every week because this is what I have to do to pump myself up to do what God’s called me to do: «Go with the strength you have.» Hold on; wait! What? I struggled all week with all of this, and then I prayed to you, God, and you say, «Yep! Go with that! That’s all the strength you need!» Like, hold on! What are you saying? What you got is just enough! «Hold on, Lord, but I can’t even spell words with three syllables in them, and you call me to write a book.» «Go with the strength you have.» «Well, God, I didn’t see what a successful marriage was supposed to look like, and so I don’t know if we can work this out.» «Go with the strength you have.» «Well, God, I’ve never seen anybody manage money well, and you called me to be a millionaire and a philanthropist and do all this stuff.» He said, «All I’m asking you to do is go with the strength you have», should be very encouraging to the people in this room».
When you consider what God has called you to do and reflect on what you naturally possess, it may not seem to add up. I know when I look at what God has called me to do and I consider my natural abilities, it doesn’t seem to add up either. However, God never requires you to accomplish it without Him. All He asks is that you move forward with the strength you possess. This is beautiful, and you need to write this point down: the strength you have is enough, so go with that!
Now, what would happen if for the rest of the year you stopped making excuses and moved forward with the strength you have? I was talking to someone—I’ll leave them nameless—and I said, «This year, I’m going to start working out!» They responded, «I’m going to start in July.» I asked, «Why?» They said, «Because first, I need to set up my little home gym, and then I need to build up my strength so that when I go to the gym with other people, they won’t see how weak I am.» So, I’m going to do this P90X program for 90 days, knowing that was a lie. Then I’ll go and do this, and do that. I told her, «That will always delay what you want to see because you’re going to give yourself an excuse not to go.» I said, «You need to go with the strength you have.»
Somebody say, «Go with the strength I have!» I came to declare that you have no more excuses in 2020. Nobody is clapping over there? Oh, that’s okay! God speaks over you, mighty hero. You might tell Him why it can’t happen, but He says, «Go with the strength you have.» That’s the formula! Chris, you’re going to do great things this year. I can’t, but God says, «Go with the strength you have.» Your marriage is going to succeed! God, that’s crazy! Go with the strength you have. I’m going to be pure and not have sex with anyone outside of marriage. There’s no way! Jerome is right here—any other thoughts?
Somebody say, «Go with the strength I have!» Gideon’s whole instruction is very basic, but I need you to know it without just feeling it. This season of getting stronger will not be about how I feel. I’ve told people to stop asking me that question because I don’t want to lie to them. «How are you feeling?» «Horrible! I’m mad!» But that’s not the question I want you to use to delineate whether I’m okay. Instead, say, «How am I doing?» «I’m being faithful.» «How are you doing?» «I’m staying pure.» «How are you doing?» «I’m being consistent.» You see, if I stop worrying about how I feel, I’m going to get the results of becoming stronger.
I know this is a heavy word for some of you because it’s going to require you to do something. You want to come to church to be entertained, but you don’t want to go home and change! Did you all know I’ve had this word for three years? But I couldn’t teach it because I hadn’t disciplined myself to live it. I knew I needed to lose weight four years ago when I was in more Excel shirts—I had more X’s in front of my size. I did it to myself, and God was trying to help me out of it. My question is: what is God trying to help you get out of and get into in your purpose? You just don’t feel it.
Well, okay! I don’t feel it anymore, but I know it! Gideon knew that the Lord was with him. Look at verse 14—Judges 6:14. After He told him to go with the strength he had, Gideon said, «How am I going to rescue Israel from the Midianites?» And God said, «I am sending you.» This is what you need to know: strength is directly connected to where you are sent. Do not get into something you were not sent to and then ask for God’s strength in it.
See, a lot of us say, «This is what I’m about to do,» and God is saying, «I didn’t ask you to do that! That wasn’t Me—I’m not supplying for plans you made up.» What He wants you to do is be in the place that He sent you to. Judges 6:15 says, «But Lord,» Gideon replied, «How can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I’m the least in my entire family!» He bought into the lie of the enemy. God gave him a word—He literally told him, «You don’t have to get stronger. Go with the strength you have,» and then he listened to the suggestions of sabotage.
Write this down because these suggestions will come to you as you get stronger. He listened to his feelings. The feeling that he listened to made him overestimate what he would have to do alone. He said, «How can I rescue Israel?» God didn’t ask you to rescue Israel on your own! He didn’t ask you to rescue your family, and He didn’t ask you to change an entire generation. He said, «Can I use you to change Israel’s destiny?» Many times when we listen to the suggestions of sabotage, we think that when God calls us to do something, He expects us to do it alone.
He said, «There’s no way I can do this.» Then he compared himself, but I know nobody in this room struggles with lies! He said, «We are the weakest clan in our tribe.» Church, if we’re going to get stronger, we cannot sabotage what God has spoken over us by comparing ourselves to people who were not called to do what God called us to. I know it’s easy to look at everyone else, but God said, «I chose you! I called you! Go with the strength you have!» Stop overestimating what you’ll have to do without Him, and stop comparing yourself to everyone else, because He didn’t call them to do this!
Then look at the last thing: he undervalued what God placed in him. He said, «My tribe is the weakest, and I’m the weakest in my tribe.» He undervalued what God has placed inside of you—He placed it there for the task ahead. The reason I was in high school leading 2,000 young people at pep rallies, acting a fool when I had no qualifications to do that, is because God was preparing me at that moment to lead a church of thousands and get on a stage and act the fool. I would have never known that what I was doing in that season was training for what God has for me now, but I had to go with the strength I had and rely on the fact that when it’s time, what God placed in me was what I needed for what He called me to.
Now we’re standing here trying to figure out, «Is this You, God? Do I have enough?» He said, «I already told you.» The first word I said to you was «mighty.» The first thing I spoke over your life was that you’re the head and not the tail. The first thing I spoke over you is that you were going to be overcoming in every situation. Look at how God responds to Gideon—I love it! Judges 6:16: The Lord said to him, «I will be with you, and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.» Hold on!
Instead of listening to the suggestions of sabotage where we overestimate what we have to do, where we undervalue what God has put inside us, and where we compare ourselves, we need to know this. Somebody say, «I know God’s got me!» That was the first thing He said to him: «I will be with you.» When God says, «I will be with you,» He’s saying, «I got you.» Then look at the second thing He said: it’s a statement of strength. He said, «You’re going to be victorious!» Somebody say, «I’m victorious!» He said, «You’re going to defeat the Midianites, and I’m not just going to let you go through the war and get beat up. I’m going to make you victorious!»
Some of you need to know that the things you’ve been going through—the wars you’ve been facing, the fights you’ve been in—God is going to make you victorious! Somebody say it once more: «I’m victorious!» Then look at this last statement: He said, «You need to know I’m favored.» He said, «You’re going to fight a battle that should require a lot more people, and you won’t be fighting them as if you were fighting one man.» God told me to encourage you in this season: no longer think about your feelings of comparison, overestimating, or undervaluing. I need you to know, «I know God’s got me, I know I’m victorious, I know I’m favored, and I know I’m getting stronger!»
You’re going to have to rehearse the word of the Lord because you’re not going to feel it. I apologize for being the bearer of bad news at the start of this year, but while you’re getting stronger, you’re not going to feel it. So when you don’t feel it, you have to rehearse the promise: «God’s got me, I’m victorious, I’m favored, and I’m getting stronger.» Somebody say, «God’s got me, I’m victorious, I’m favored, I’m getting stronger!»
Now, somebody needs to say it with faith! Somebody say, «God’s got me, I’m victorious, I’m favored, I’m getting stronger!» Just one more time with everything you’ve got! Somebody say, «I know God’s got me, I’m victorious, I’m favored, and I’m getting stronger!» Every day, every day, every day! I don’t feel it, but God! This hurts, but I’m victorious! This is tough, but I’m favored! And you know what? I’m getting stronger! I’m back! Two years ago, bring in my witness—Brent, I was standing right there, and I couldn’t do ten push-ups. Two years ago, today, without even thinking about it—not without monitoring my progress every week—I can do the rest of the service sitting here! No, y’all don’t hear me! I couldn’t do ten two years ago, but I can stand here now and say in the Spirit, «God’s got me, I’m victorious, I’m favored, and I’m getting stronger!»
Will somebody give God a shout of praise in this building? Worship team, come back up here! Hear me real quick. That part of that worship song—that’s it. I know breakthrough is coming by faith. What does the first say? «I know!» From now on, it’s not «I feel.» What are the words? «I know.» I need somebody to realize that I’m getting stronger because I no longer need the feeling. I just have to know it! So by faith, I need somebody to sing this out and know your situation is changing! Something’s moving—come on! He made Gideon a promise; He’s made you a promise. I don’t have to feel it; I know it! He made me a promise! Somebody say, «I know, I know!» I don’t have to feel it, but it doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand—that’s my faith! Somebody say, «Hands lifted all over this building.»
Father, I pray I tried to deliver this word as You gave it to me, but I didn’t feel it after the prayer and fasting, but I know it. For every situation in our lives that we’ve been trying to feel our way through, I declare and believe that there will be a knowing that only comes from the Holy Spirit. Father God, we will not give up in the middle of what You are trying to do in us just because it doesn’t feel like it’s changing. Father God, we are going to be a church that is resolved, and it doesn’t matter about the results! Father, we get stronger because we are faithful, and we thank You that right now we know that You are with us. We know we are victorious, we know we are favored, and we know we are getting stronger! I declare that the suggestions of sabotage will fall off the minds and hearts of the people, that they will stop overestimating what You have called them to do without You, that they will no longer compare themselves to people who are called to what You have called them to, and that they will not undervalue Your goodness and grace to put everything in us that we need. Today, we declare that we don’t feel it, but we know it. In Jesus' name, if you know it, give God a shout of praise! I bet if you know it, even when you don’t feel it, give God a shout of praise! Hallelujah!