The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (5 page)

Are you declaring victory over your life, over your family, over your career? Nothing happens until you speak. When you get up in the morning, you need to make some declarations of faith. Whatever God has put in your heart, declare that it will come to pass. I say every day, “I am increasing in the anointing, in wisdom, in favor,
and in influence. Every message is getting better. God is taking our ministry where no ministry has ever gone.” You have to speak favor into your future. I declare every day, “My children will fulfill their destinies. Their gifts and talents will come out to the full. They will supersede anything that we’ve done.”

Ever since I took over for my father in the church, I have said, “When people turn me on, on television, they cannot turn me off.” Do you know how many letters I get from people who say, “Joel, I was flipping through the channels. I don’t like TV preachers. I never watch TV preachers, but when I turned you on, I couldn’t turn you off”?

I think to myself,
I called you in! I said so.

One man wrote and told how his wife tried to get him to watch the program for many years, but he wouldn’t do it. One day he was flipping through the channels and came across our program. Normally he would flip by it very quickly. But for some reason this day his remote control stopped working, and he got stuck on our program. He was so frustrated. He finagled with the remote and ended up changing the batteries. It still wouldn’t work. He said, “Joel, even though I tried to act like I wasn’t listening, you were speaking directly to me.” The funny thing is, when our program was over, the remote control went back to working just fine. He said, “Now I never miss one of your programs.”

When you declare favor over your life and over your future, God will make things happen that should have never happened. Our attitude should be,
I’m coming out of debt, and I’m saying so. This will be my best year, and I’m saying so. I will overcome every obstacle, and I’m saying so. I will accomplish my dreams, and I’m saying so.

In the Scripture there was a lady who had been sick for many years. She had gone to the best doctors, spent all of her money trying to get well, but nothing worked. One day she heard Jesus was coming through town. The Scripture says,
“She kept saying to herself.”
She wasn’t saying, “I’m never going to get well. I can’t believe this has happened to me. I always get bad breaks.” No, she kept saying to herself, “When I get to Jesus, I know I will be made whole.” In the midst of the difficulty, she was prophesying victory. All through the day, over and over, she kept saying, “Healing is on its way. Brighter days are up ahead.” When she started making her way to Jesus, it was extremely crowded, but she didn’t complain, she didn’t get discouraged, and she kept saying, “This is my time. Things are changing in my favor.” The more she said it, the closer she got. Finally she reached out and touched the edge of His robe, and she was instantly healed.

Notice the principle: Whatever you’re constantly saying, you’re moving toward. You may be struggling in your finances, but when you keep declaring, “I am blessed. I am prosperous. I have the favor of God,” every time you say it, you’re moving toward increase. You’re getting closer to seeing that come to pass. You may be facing a sickness. It doesn’t look good. But every time you declare, “I am healthy. I am strong. I am getting better,” you’re moving toward health, wholeness, victory. Perhaps you’re struggling with an addiction. Every time you declare, “I am free. This
addiction does not control me,” you’re moving toward freedom. You’re moving toward breakthroughs.

Now, here’s the catch. This works in both the positive and in the negative. If you’re always saying, “I am so unlucky. I never get any good breaks,” you’re moving toward bad breaks, more disappointment. “Joel, my back has been hurting for three years. I don’t think I’ll ever get well.” You’re moving toward more sickness, more pain. “Look, I’ve been through so much. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy again.” You’re moving toward more discouragement, more sadness. If you will change what you’re saying, you will change what you’re seeing. The Scripture says, “Call the things that are not as if they already were.”

A lot of times we do just the opposite. We call the things that are as if they will always be that way. In other words, we just describe the situation. “Gas is so high. I don’t see how I’m going to make it.” You’re calling in more struggle, more lack. “I can’t stand my job. My boss gets on my nerves.” You’re calling in more frustration, more defeat. Don’t use your words to describe the situation. Use your words to change the situation.

One time our daughter, Alexandra, had a copy of my first book from ten years ago and a copy of my newest book. She was comparing the photos on the cover. She exclaimed, “Wow, Daddy! You look better today than you did ten years ago.” I said, “What would you like me to buy you?”

Do you know how many times I have said, “I’m getting stronger, healthier, wiser. My youth is being renewed like the eagles.” Every
time you say it, you’re moving toward it. But if you’re always saying, “I’m so out of shape. I’ll never lose this weight,” you’re moving toward the wrong thing.

A gentleman who looked to be about seventy recently told me, “Joel, when you get old, it’s all downhill.” That was his
say so
. He was declaring, “I’m going down.” He was calling in poor health, lack of vision, and hearing loss. If he keeps that up, he’ll keep moving toward it. By the way he looked, he had already been saying it for a long time!

I realize we’re all going to get old. We’re all eventually going to die, but don’t make plans to go downhill. Don’t start speaking defeat over your life. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, and the Scripture says, “His eye was not dim, his natural strength not abated.” One hundred and twenty. Healthy. Strong. Twenty-twenty vision. Didn’t have reading glasses. Wasn’t wearing a “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” button around his chest! He had a clear memory, a strong, sharp mind. In spite of how you feel, in spite of what’s been passed down in your family line, every day you need to declare, “Everything about me is getting better and better—my bones, my joints, my ligaments, my blood, my organs, my memory, my vision, my hearing, my talent, my skill, my looks, my skin. My youth is being renewed. Like Moses, I will finish my course with my eye not dim, my natural strength not abated.” You talk like that, and you’re moving toward renewed youth, health, energy, and vitality.

That’s a lot better than getting up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and saying, “Oh, man, I’m getting so old. Look at these wrinkles. I look so bad. This gray hair. I’m so out of shape.” You keep moving toward that, and in five years it’s going to be scary! You need to have a better
say so
. Don’t talk about the way you are. Talk about the way you want to be. You are prophesying your future.

There’s a young lady on staff at Lakewood. Every morning before she leaves her house, she looks in the mirror and says, “Girl, you’re looking good today.” I saw her one time and asked if she was still doing it. She said, “Yeah, in fact, today when I looked in the mirror, I said, ‘Girl, some days you look good; but today, you look
really
good.’”

Why don’t you stop criticizing yourself? Stop talking about all the things you don’t like—how you’re getting too old, too wrinkled, too this, too that. Start calling yourself strong, healthy, talented, beautiful, and young. Every morning, before you leave your house, look in the mirror and say, “Good morning, you good-looking thing!”

Maybe you’re in a difficult time today. To complain, “I don’t think I’ll ever get out,” is just going to draw in more defeat. Your declaration should be, “I have grace for this season. I am strong in the Lord. Those who are for me are greater than those who are against me.” When you say that, strength comes. Courage comes. Confidence comes. Endurance comes. If you go through a disappointment, a bad break, or a loss, don’t grumble, “I don’t know why this has happened to me. It’s so unfair.” That’s just going to draw in more self-pity. Your declaration should be, “God promised me beauty for ashes, joy for mourning. I’m not staying here. I’m moving forward. New beginnings are in my future. The rest of my life will be the best of my life.” When you talk like that, you’re moving toward double for your trouble. You’re moving away from self-pity and toward God’s goodness in a new way.

One of the best things we can do is take a few minutes every
morning and make these positive declarations over our lives. Write down not only your dreams, your goals, and your vision, but make a list of any area you want to improve in, anything you want to see changed. Put that list on your bathroom mirror, somewhere private. Before you leave the house, take a couple of minutes and declare that over your life. If you struggle with your self-esteem, feeling less than, you need to declare every day, “I am confident. I am valuable. I am one of a kind. I have royal blood flowing through my veins. I am wearing a crown of favor. I am a child of the Most High God.” You declare that, and you’ll go out with your shoulders back, with your head held high.

If you struggle with your weight, declare, “I am in shape. I am healthy. I’m full of energy. I weigh what I should weigh.” It may not be true right now, but you keep saying it and you’re going to move toward it.

Instead of living under a blanket of guilt and condemnation and being focused on past mistakes, declare, “I am forgiven. I am redeemed. I am wearing a robe of righteousness. God is pleased with me.”

The Scripture says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” It doesn’t say, “Let the weak talk about the weakness. Discuss the weakness. Call five friends and explain the weakness.” You have to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go.

When you’re in a tough time and somebody asks you how you’re doing, don’t go through a sad song of everything that’s wrong in your life. “Oh, man, my back’s been hurting. Traffic is so bad today. My boss isn’t treating me right. The dishwasher broke. The goldfish died, and my dog doesn’t like me.” All that’s going to do is draw in more defeat. Turn it around. Have a report of victory. “I am blessed.
I am healthy. I am prosperous. I have the favor of God.” What you consistently talk about, you’re moving toward.

This is what David did. When he faced Goliath, it looked impossible. All the odds were against him. He could have easily gone around saying, “I know I’m supposed to face Goliath, but look at him. He’s twice my size. He’s got more experience, more equipment, more talent. I don’t see how this is ever going to work out.” You can talk yourself out of your destiny. Negative words can keep you from becoming who you were created to be. David looked Goliath in the eyes and said, “You come against me with a sword and a shield. But I come against you in the name of the Lord God of Israel. This day, I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air!” Notice he was prophesying victory. He may have felt fear, but he spoke faith. I can hear David, as he’s going out to face Goliath, affirming under his breath, “I am well able. I am anointed. I am equipped. If God be for me, who dare be against me?” He picked up that rock, slung it in his slingshot, and Goliath came tumbling down.

When you face giants in life, you have to do as David did and prophesy your future. “Cancer, you are no match for me. I will defeat you.” “This addiction may have been in my family for years, but this is a new day. The buck stops with me. I’m the difference maker. I am free.” “My child may have been off course for a long time, but I know it’s only temporary. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

There was a man in the Scripture name Zerubbabel. He faced a huge mountain. To rebuild the temple in Jerusalem was a big obstacle, with enemies opposing every step. But like David, he didn’t talk about how impossible it was, how it was never going to work out. He said, “Who are you, oh great mountain, that would stand before me? You shall become a mere molehill.” He was prophesying his future. The mountain looked big. But he declared it would be flattened out. It would become a molehill. Here’s the principle: Don’t talk about the mountain; talk to the mountain. Look at that mountain of debt and tell it, “You can’t defeat me. You’re coming down. I will lend and not borrow. My cup will run over.” Whatever mountains you face in life, no matter how big they look, don’t shrink back in fear or be intimidated. Rise up in faith and tell that mountain, “You’re coming down.” Tell that sickness, “You’re temporary.”

Say to that loneliness, that addiction, that legal problem, “Who are you, oh great mountain, to stand before me?” In other words, “Don’t you know who I am? A child of the Most High God. Haven’t you read my birth certificate? My Father created the universe. He breathed life into me and crowned me with His favor. He called me more than a conqueror. That means you can’t defeat me. You can’t hold me back. Oh great mountain, you’ve got to come down. I will overcome this illness. I will break this addiction. I will pay my house off. I will see my family restored. I will accomplish my dreams.”

Prophesy victory. Prophesy breakthroughs. Prophesy what you’re believing for.

In the Old Testament, Ezekiel saw a vision. He had this dream of a valley filled with bones. It was like a huge graveyard. Everywhere
he looked were acres and acres of bones from people who had died. Bones represent things in our life that look dead, situations that seem impossible and permanently unchanging. God told him to do something interesting. He said, “Ezekiel, prophesy to these dead bones. Say to them, ‘Oh, you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” Ezekiel, in this vision, started speaking to the bones, telling them to come back to life. He called in skin, muscle, and tissue. As he was speaking, the bones started rattling and coming together, just like out of a movie, morphing back into a person. Finally, God told him to “prophesy to the breath” and call it forth. The Scripture says, “As he prophesied, breath came into those bodies, and they stood up like a vast army.”

You may have things in your life that seem dead—a relationship, a business, your health. All you can see is a valley of dry bones, so to speak. God is saying to you what He said to Ezekiel. It’s not enough to just pray about it; you need to speak to it. Prophesy to those dead bones. Call in health. Call in abundance. Call in restoration. That child who’s been off course, don’t just pray about him or her. Prophesy and say, “Son, daughter, come back in. You will fulfill your destiny.” If you’re struggling with an addiction, don’t just pray about it, but prophesy. “I am free. Chains are broken off me. This is a new day of victory.” Get your checkbook out and prophesy to it. All it looks like are dead bones. Debt. Lack. Struggle. “I prophesy to these dead bones that I will lend and not borrow. I am the head and not the tail. I am coming in to overflow.” Just as with Ezekiel, if you’ll prophesy to the bones, God will resurrect what looks dead. He’ll make things happen that you could never make happen.

A friend of mine smoked cigarettes from an early age. She had tried again and again to stop but couldn’t do it. She was constantly saying, “I’ll never break this addiction. It’s too hard. And if I do, I know I’ll gain so much weight.” This went on for years. One day
someone told her what I’m telling you, to change what she was saying, to prophesy victory. She started saying, “I don’t like to smoke. I can’t stand the taste of nicotine. I’m going to quit and not gain any extra weight.” She said that day after day. Even when she was smoking and enjoying it, she would say, “I can’t stand to smoke.” She wasn’t talking about the way she was. She was talking about the way she wanted to be. About three months later, one morning she noticed the cigarette tasted funny, almost bitter. She thought she got a bad pack. It got worse and worse. Several months later, it had gotten so bad she couldn’t stand it anymore. She stopped smoking, and she never gained one extra pound. Today she is totally free. She broke that addiction, in part, by the power of her words. She prophesied her future.

Maybe like her, you’ve spent years saying negative things over your life. “I can’t break this addiction. My marriage is never going to make it. I’ll never get out of debt.” You have to send your words out in a new direction. You are prophesying the wrong thing. Get in a habit of making these positive declarations over your life. Every day declare that your dreams are coming to pass. It’s not enough to just believe it. Nothing happens until you speak. As was true of the psalmist, when you say of the Lord, God will do what He promised.