Overview of Encourage Yourself (Joel Osteen, SiriusXM)
Joel Osteen delivers a motivational message about overcoming discouragement by learning to encourage yourself. Drawing on the biblical example of David and personal anecdotes, Osteen outlines practical habits—replaying past victories, changing your mental “channel,” keeping an encouragement file, and celebrating yourself—that build inner strength and sustained faith. He closes with an invitation to use daily devotional resources (including a 2026 365-day devotional calendar) to maintain expectancy and keep God first.
Main takeaways
- External encouragement helps, but lasting hope must come from inside you. Learn to be your own chief encourager.
- Rehearse past victories and remember times God provided, protected, or turned things around for you—this fuels faith and courage.
- Change the mental “channel” away from defeat and onto the “victory channel” (hope, expectancy, God’s goodness).
- Create and use tangible tools to boost morale: an encouragement file, written compliments to yourself, and daily declarations of faith.
- Every setback can be a setup for a comeback—persist, get up again, and trust God to complete what He started.
Practical steps & exercises (actionable)
- Change the channel: When negative thoughts arise, deliberately shift to remembering positive outcomes and God’s past faithfulness.
- Replay victories: Mentally rehearse specific examples where things turned out well—promotions, recoveries, protection, reconciliations.
- Start an encouragement file: Collect kind notes, compliments, certificates, or printed emails. Review it when discouraged.
- Write letters to yourself: If you have no incoming encouragement, document your strengths, accomplishments, and ways you’ve helped others.
- Compliment yourself regularly: Catch yourself doing right and affirm it—build a running inner recording of positive truth about who you are.
- Celebrate yourself physically: Treat yourself kindly—send yourself flowers, take yourself to dinner, or buy yourself a small gift to reinforce worth.
- Daily ritual: Wake with expectancy, read a scripture/devo, and journal God’s promises (Osteen recommends his 365-day devotional calendar).
Biblical examples & scriptural anchors
- David: The central biblical model—after severe setbacks (family captured, men turned against him), “David encouraged himself in the Lord” and rose up to recover and prosper (1 Samuel 30:6 context).
- Scriptural phrases referenced by Osteen include themes like “no weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17), “delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4), “God will perfect that which concerns you” (Psalm 138:8), and Jesus’s promise that nothing can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). These support the message of inner confidence rooted in God’s faithfulness.
Stories & memorable anecdotes used
- David: Replaying his lion/bear, Goliath, and survival stories to regain faith and lead his men to a comeback.
- Joel’s personal habit: Saying “Thank you, Lord, for our beautiful new building” repeatedly as a way to encourage himself and build faith—his son eventually repeating it.
- Encouragement file beginnings: Letters and humorous early compliments (example: an elderly gym acquaintance’s “better luck next time” note) that Joel saved and later drew strength from.
- Junior-high girl and carnations: A girl bought and sent herself carnations so she wouldn’t be left out—result: she felt celebrated and confident.
- Examples of self-praise: Joel’s practice of looking in the mirror after preaching and saying, “Joel, you did good today.”
Notable quotes
- “Other people cannot keep us encouraged… if you're really going to live in victory, that encouragement has to come from the inside.”
- “Change the channel. Get the remote control.”
- “Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”
- “God did not bring me this far to leave me here.”
- “If you don't have an encouragement file, start one. When you're tempted to get down, go get those letters out.”
Resources mentioned & how to get them
- 2026 365-day devotional calendar (daily scripture, declarations, journaling lines) — offered as a gift for a donation; available at joelostein.com or by calling 888-567-JOEL.
- Guided journal series: “God's Word for Every Season” — a scripture-writing/reflective journal to deepen daily engagement.
- Additional media: weekly services online, YouTube, Joel Osteen Network (24/7), SiriusXM, and podcast downloads.
- Encouragement to become a monthly partner ("Champion of Hope") for ongoing ministry support.
Tone and audience
- Tone: Uplifting, pastoral, practical, and personal—aimed at listeners seeking spiritual renewal, encouragement through setbacks, and everyday faith practices.
- Audience: Christians and general listeners facing discouragement, life setbacks, or wanting daily spiritual routines to foster hope and resilience.
Quick summary (one-line)
Learn to encourage yourself—replay past victories, change the mental channel, create an encouragement file, and celebrate who God made you to be—so discouragement won’t steal your dreams and you can step into a God-ordained comeback.