4 Powerful Things to Tell Yourself Every Morning | April Osteen Simons

If your mornings feel rushed, or you feel like you're filled with anxiety, or you just want to have a really great day, these simple daily habits will help you reset your focus, your peace, and your mindset. Now, let me tell you something that I've believed since I was a little girl, and that's this. What you say and what you pray sets the tone for your whole day. My dad used to say it like this, there's a miracle in your mouth. Listen, I'm not talking about some religious ritual. I'm talking about starting your day with intention by what comes out of your mouth. And again, this is a rhythm that I've learned from watching my parents, from living my own life and just needing peace and direction for myself. Because I'm just not going to wait till my life is falling apart before I start declaring God's Word over my life. No, I'm going to start today. I'm going to start every day declaring what God says about my life. So if your mornings feel rushed or anxious, or you just want to have an amazing day, these declarations can help you reset before the day gets on the inside of you. So today I want to share four simple but powerful declarations that I say every morning. And these simply help me walk into the day with peace and with focus and with confidence. And I believe that they're going to do the same thing for you. Declaration number one is this. I just say it out loud. Today I will walk in peace and clarity. I'll be steady. I'll be focused and I will not be overwhelmed. That comes from Isaiah 26.3. I just personalized the scripture, God, I thank you that you're going to keep me in perfect peace because my mind is steadfast and I trust in you. So not only does this help me every single morning, but especially on those days that are packed full of things and things that I may not know how the outcome is going to be. And I think about the times when I'm preparing to speak and I'm traveling and I'm trying to manage the things in my mind as well as thinking about what's going on at home. I need this reminder, God, I thank you that I'm in perfect peace. See, it helps keep me grounded instead of getting swept up in everything that's going on around me. Here's what I've learned. Peace doesn't just show up in your life. You have to choose it. And clarity doesn't come from running faster after things. It comes from slowing down, being still before God so that your thoughts can tell you what actually matters in your life and what you need to accomplish instead of getting involved in unnecessary distractions. Now, I know somebody is saying amen to that right there. This simple declaration just helps me filter out the noise. It reminds me, April, you don't have to figure out everything before 9 a.m. You don't have to overthink it. You don't have to overanalyze it. You don't have to overdo it. Just let God lead you. And because I've spoken this and I have this confidence down on the inside of me, I can breathe. I can take one step at a time and I can trust God to guide me even when things are unsettled and uncertain. Even when I'm waiting on answers and even when I'm navigating pressures that are all around me, I can still walk in peace. I can still move with this calm confidence. And that changes everything about how I show up every single day. The next declaration I speak out loud every morning is, God, I thank you that your favor surrounds me like a shield. I thank you that the right doors will open and the right people will be in my path. This is taken from Psalm 512, Lord, you bless the righteous and I thank you that you surround me with favor as a shield. I've spoken this over my life for years and my parents spoke it over all of our lives when we were growing up. And I keep saying it because it helps me to stay anchored and trust and not pressure. And what I mean by that is, when I speak this declaration out, I am reminding myself, April, you don't have to force what's not meant to be yours. You don't have to try to make everything happen through your own efforts. God's favor can do what you can. It will bring you the right opportunities. It will put you in the right conversations. It will protect you from the wrong people and the wrong timing. This declaration is a reminder that you're not forgotten. I don't know if you feel that way today. Maybe you feel invisible or passed over and like everyone else is getting their promotions. This declaration is for you because it's assuring you that God is aligning the right open doors for you in His perfect timing. So you can declare this over your day and then let go of trying to control everything and all the outcomes and simply trust that God is going to send those right people. He's going to have you at the right place at the right time. He's working behind the scenes for you and His favor is on your life. The next declaration I speak out is, God's protection covers me and my family. No harm, no disaster, no broken bones, no near misses, and no fear will touch us today. This is based on Psalm 91. No harm will overtake us. No disaster will come near us because He gives His angels charge over us to protect us in all our ways. Now, as a mom and as a parent, and I'm sure this is the same for you, this one is personal. I've spoken it over my family for years. I continue to speak it today because let's be real. In this world, it can feel chaotic and uncertain and oftentimes unsafe. This is how I center myself on God's Word and I remind myself, Psalm 91. Every day when I get in my car, I speak that God's angels are protecting me and keeping me from accidents. I say it out loud, even when fear tries to whisper otherwise, and I can't tell you how many times I've prayed this and someone in the family has said, you know what, I almost got into an accident, but somehow I was protected. Listen, that's not a coincidence. That's prayer working. God's covering is real. This declaration assures me that even though I don't know what's ahead, I know that God goes before me. And I speak protection not because I'm afraid, but because I'm standing in faith. I'm trusting God to be faithful to His Word. And listen, we all need God's protection and I want to encourage you to speak protection over your home and your kids and your spouse and your travels and your health. Don't allow fear to run through your thoughts. Stand on His Word and walk into your day knowing with confidence that God has already gone ahead of you. Declaration number four, today will be an amazing day filled with peace, joy, and the goodness of God. This is taken from Psalm 118.24. This is the day the Lord has made and I'm going to be glad and rejoice in it. This one right here, hands down, sets the tone for my entire day. It's me deciding what kind of day I'm going to have before my feet hit the floor. I always say, Father, I thank you that this is going to be an amazing day because believe me y'all, the circumstances of your day are going to try to grab your attention and have the final say in your day. This declaration reminds me that my emotions aren't going to dictate what kind of day I'm going to have. I've already decided it. Sure things may come up, but I've already decided that today's going to be amazing. See, I want to live from a place of faith and not reaction. So when I say this, I am not just being positive, I'm choosing a posture of anticipation. I'm expecting good things. I'm expecting to see the goodness of God. I'm expecting joy. I'm expecting answers to my prayers. I'm expecting solutions. My perspective is positive and it's faith filled. This declaration is about shifting your perspective because when you expect good things, when you expect peace and joy and blessing, you start to see them. Listen, when you change your perspective, you really can change your life. And the moment you start acting like life is a blessing is the moment it starts to become one. You might be surprised how much more hopeful you feel when you start your day with these words. Remember, the words that you speak become the house that you live in. So maybe today's a good time to take inventory and check the atmosphere in your world. This week, I want to challenge you to just try these four declarations for the next seven days. Say them while you're getting ready, say them on your commute, write them up on your mirror, put them on your phone, and every day, every single day, expect great things. Have the mindset that something good is going to happen to me today. I want to pray over you and I want to agree with you in faith that no matter what you're facing today, that you still can have a good day. Why? Because the scripture says, this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. God's word is true. He's faithful to his word and really the circumstances of life shouldn't dictate the kind of day that we're going to have. Let me pray. God, I thank you for every person who is watching or listening right now. I speak peace over their minds and strength over their bodies and clarity over their steps. Remind them today that you've gone ahead of them, that you're with them, that your goodness and mercy are following them every step of the way. Let them walk in today knowing they are covered, they're favored, and they're filled with purpose. They're protected. Their families are protected. I pray that they wake up each day with expectancy in their hearts, knowing that the God of heaven is cheering them on and you have good things in store for their lives. In Jesus name, amen. Before I go, I'm going to share something that's close to my heart. I was planning on introducing a second YouTube channel to you called the John Osteen Legacy Channel. This is something that we've been thinking about and simply a place to honor my dad and bring his messages of faith to a new generation. But two days before this launch, my sweet mama, Dodie Osteen, went to be with Jesus. And although it's been devastating, we've decided to rename the channel to the John and Dodie Osteen Legacy Channel because let me tell you what, they were a great team. And now through this channel, their faith and their words can keep bringing hope and truth and encouragement to people all over the world. And whether you've seen them or heard them on TV, heard my dad's messages long ago, or you've never heard them at all, I would love for you to be a part of this channel. The link is in the description box below. And let me just say to those of you who've reached out and prayed for our family, thank you so much. It's meant the world. Until next time, have an amazing day.