T. d. jakes quotes

When You Hold Onto Your History, You Do It At The Expense Of Your Destiny.

You cannot embrace your destiny if you do not let go of your history.

Others can inspire you, but ultimately the only thing that empowers you is what lies within you and learning how to better utilize what you’ve been given.

The enemy doesn't care how many days you live as long as you don't live in the days you have.

It's better to wait for something that respects you than to go in so low that it diminishes what you've worked for.

Stress and worry is a residual of relying on yourself and being your own god, in control of everything. Worship allows us to rely on God's power to steer us through life.

Never make a permanent decision about a temporary situation.

God will give you anything as long as you understand that he is the primary and not the secondary.

If only we could realize that our purpose is to be caretakers. We are responsible for leading our flock to the place where the grass is green, but it is up to them to eat! We cannot be responsible for how much they digest. We cannot make people mature.

Real value isn’t in what you own, drive, wear or live. The greater value is found in love and life, health and strength, friends and family!

Either your troubles make you better, or they make you bitter. We must always examine what’s going on in our hearts.

I'm for people bettering themselves, no matter who they are and where they are, doing all they can to be all they can be.

You’d be surprised at the things that look great on the outside but are dysfunctional on the inside. Be sure to function as good as you look

Resist your fear; fear will never lead to you a positive end. Go for your faith and what you believe.

Know when your space is too small for you...and you have to birthed to the next level!

Success is never an accident it's always on purpose.

Faith must always pass the test of discouragement.

We think that forgiveness is weakness, but it's absolutely not; it takes a very strong person to forgive.

One of the great healing balms of the Holy Spirit is forgiveness. To forgive is to break the link between you and your past.

What woman would not appreciate a God who becomes her attorney, assumes her case, requires no fee, and wins her the victory?

I believe it is our attitude that determines our altitude. It is our attitude that allows us to soar above those things that would otherwise overcome us.

Some of the best people with whom you can have a relationship are the people who challenge your thinking.

If you think down, you will go down. If you think up, you will go up. You’ll always travel in the direction of your thinking.

Too many people want the appearance of winning rather than the practices and hard work that create a true champion.

Many of us harbor hidden low self-esteem. We deem everything and everyone more important that ourselves and think that meeting their needs is more important than meeting our own. But if you run out of gas, everyone riding with you will be left stranded.

You cannot be a Big person with a Small heart

You cannot change what you will not confront.

There’s something you learn from helping other people with their dreams that prepares you for your own.

It does matter where you go to church, it does matter where you worship, it does matter where you lift your head, it does matter where you cry out to God. There is something about the atmosphere. I might be lame, but put me in the atmosphere. I may be drunk, but put me in the atmosphere. I may be weak, but put me in the atmosphere.

No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn't in submission to God!

Big ideas come from forward thinking people who challenge the norm, think outside the box, and invent the world they see inside rather than submitting to the limitations of current dilemmas

I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It's a gift you give yourself.

Once you have confidence in your instincts, you must never allow other people's refusal to believe, or their data to refute, what you instinctively know is true.

Some young ladies are so starved for male approval that what should be a normal attraction to men is accelerated into an obsessive need for male affirmation. Tragically, these dear ladies allow themselves to be devoured in the arms of men who have neither regard not respect for them as people.

Every goal that you will ever pursue will require a plan of action. Whether you are pursuing your life’s destiny or striving to obtain a particular goal, you must be able to see things as you desire them to be.

If you already understand your purpose, are you prepared to change your plans to match God’s will? If you aren’t, you can easily become bitter because things that used to work for you may no longer work. Be willing to transition at every stage and age of life. If your heart is open and you have an open mind, the blessings will flow.

I found out that the things that hurt us the most can become the fuel and the catalyst that propel us toward our destiny. It will either make you bitter or it will make you better.

If you dont like the way your life is going, redesign it. Redeem the years you lost. Restore your vision, revive your passion for living, and reclaim what was dormant inside of you. I cannot give you the dream but I can give you the tools to reach the dreams you have inside.

Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.

No matter where you are in life right now, know this: God put you on this earth to fulfill the promise He has predestined for your life.

Somebody is n the hospital begging God for the opportunity u have right now. Step into your moment.

Sometimes we esteem others more important than ourselves. We always become the martyr. It is wonderful to be self-sacrificing, but watch out for self-disdain! If we don’t apply some of the medicine that we use on others to strengthen ourselves, our patients will be healed and we will be dying.

The lifting up of the woman does not require the tearing down of the man. In fact, a strong woman appreciates a strong man. Conversely, a strong man is not intimidated by a strong woman.

It is important to remember that for every person, there will be a problem. Even more importantly, for every problem, our God has a prescription!

God gives you the resources for success. But it is up to you to recognize them and use them to their fullest.

A whole woman will always attract a whole man. And when they touch, they will fuse to create a whole marriage. Ultimately, when the time is right, they will produce whole children.

Ignorance is brought about by assumption.

Surround yourself with people whose definition of you is not based on your history, but your destiny.

Sometimes what makes us insecure and vulnerable becomes the fuel we need to be overachievers. The antidote for a snakebite is made from the poison, and the thing that made you go backward is the same force that will push you forward.

Nobody wants somebody who wants them for what they have or the position their in- you want somebody who wants you for you. In case it all goes crazy and it all turns to dust. I want somebody who loves me in the welfare line, eating gumbo, eating fish,black eyed peas and rice. I want somebody that loves me. God wants you to love him, not his cars, not his house, not his blessing- love him.

The dream God gives you guarantees, no matter what it looks like now, when it’s all over, your dream will come to pass.

God's not going to promote you because you have a dream, He's going to promote you because you've maximized where you are so now you're ready to go to the next level.

The most wonderful thing in the world is somebody who knows who they are and knows where they're going and knows what they were created to do

I wasn't trying to be rich or famous; I was trying to figure out what is this thing in me that won't let me sleep that makes me restless and makes me keep pushing. I was trying to discover who I was.

Surround yourself with those who won’t compete but will revel in your success and see your ascent as a reflection of their own possibilities.

God is not preparing the Blessing for YOU, He is preparing YOU for the Blessing

As we forge deeper into this issue of forgiveness, we must be prepared to open up and discuss things that bother us before they escalate to a crisis level. We must examine our struggles with forgiveness in which there are not overt offenses or blatant betrayals. I'm convinced that seeds of resentment take root in the silent frustrations that never get discussed. Other people cannot read our minds--or our palms!--and that is why we have tongues to speak.

I have certain standards for myself so if something drops beneath that standard or if the opportunity doesn't fit who I am authentically at my core - I don't invest time where my brand isn't respected or where what I have to offer isn't appreciated.

You have to knock on doors. You can't keep your dreams a secret. You have to put them out there on display and people can say whatever they want but keep on pointing your actions towards your dreams.

Come hell or high water you will never take me back to the place I was before. I have been through too much to let life whoop me again. My faith is stronger than it's ever been, my mind is more tenacious than it's ever been, my soul is more absolute.

You cannot have a private relationship in a public arena. You must look to an inner circle of people who really know you. Don't expect to have that kind of intimate relationship with people who only know you publicly. Do not seek to be understood by the world.

If you can disappoint yourself as much as you love yourself and you still manage to disappoint yourself then why are you shocked when other people that you love disappoint you.

When people can walk away from you: Let them walk.

If you don’t find a way to love a flawed person, secretly you’re teaching yourself that you are not lovable because of your flaws.

Worship strengthens you. It gives you a sense of God's presence and ultimately His protection and provision.

Prayer will get you out of a pinch, prayer will get you out of a crises, prayer will get you out of your dilemma, prayer will get you out of your trouble.

Much like the removal of moles and skin lesions is done to prevent them from growing into more serious skin abnormalities, removing minor discord before it becomes a calamity is an important use of our time. Most people don’t like to make waves and they swallow frustration and bury true feelings, not wanting to compromise temporary tranquility, never realizing that massive turmoil doesn’t start out massive—it grows beneath the skin like a cancer that could have been avoided with early detection.

There are people who can walk away from you... let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you... Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over.

The critic is a prisoner to his own experiences and perspectives, erroneously believing his limited experiences are the sum of all truth

I want to congratulate all the men out there who are working diligently to be good fathers whether they are stepfathers, or biological fathers or just spiritual fathers.

But I think my mistakes became the chemistry for my miracles. I think that my tests became my testimonies.

You must realize that if you are going to reach the heights you have been called to reach, you may elicit some criticism from those who are jealous, petty or angry because they were left behind.

Face the giants in your life, slay them, and move on. Do not be daunted by the mistakes and failures in your life.

When you can't do nothing but pray-you've done a whole lot.

You don't even have to be the one praying, but if you get around somebody who really know how to pray-prayer will lift you when you've fallen, prayer will catch you when you've lost your grip, prayer will stop you from going overboard, prayer will bring you out!

When you begin to realize that your past does not necessarily dictate the outcome of your future, then you can release the hurt. It is impossible to inhale new air until you exhale the old.

We have a tendency to want the other person to be a finished product while we give ourselves the grace to evolve.

I'll give you some symptoms of a sign that your faith is deteriorating-whenever you face all of your problems and you trust only your plans to get you out-it is a sign that your faith is deteriorating.

When God blesses you, don't let no devil in hell move you out of your place of blessing!

God is a businessman. He is not going to do business with someone who shows no sign of potential return. He invests in people who demonstrate an ability to handle what He has given them.

May the passion to be all that God wants you to be sweep across your soul like a gentle breeze.

As much as it pleases God to bless you, there will be moments when everything you try goes up in smoke. There will be moments when the one you counted on most walks away and leaves you groping through blinding tears and wailing questions of why. Plans and goals can be circumvented by the most disappointing of times, leaving you learning the art of patience and the acceptance of a denied request.

If you have achieved any level of success, then pour it into someone else. Success is not success without a successor.

I don't care how fancy you wrap trash, it's still trash.

You can't be who you are going to be and who you used to be at the same time.

Don't come into the presence of God to impress Him with something He gave you!

Arrogance always destroys opportunity

A lot of can't deal with life because they lack the patience to become who they want to be.... Everything happens by process. If you don't go through the process to get it, you don't have the power to keep it.

You don't know how much you've grown- until trouble comes back for an encore.

There is no room for God in a mind that's full of self.

Isn't it funny how something that will later be a blessing can be a curse if you get it too soon.

I'm not walking by sight- I'm, walking by faith

So though there are many things I would have done differently, I submit to God's sovereignty and His purpose in my life and I thank Him that He brought me the way He brought me and gave me what He gave me when He thought I could handle it.

Eagles fly where lesser birds cannot fly, so eagles can do what lesser birds cannot do.

My mother would take the Band-Aid off, clean the wound, and say, "Things that are covered don't heal well." Mother was right. Things that are covered do not heal well.

Timing is so important! If you are going to be successful in dance, you must be able to respond to rhythm and timing. It's the same in the Spirit. People who don't understand God's timing can become spiritually spastic, trying to make the right things happen at the wrong time. They don't get His rhythm - and everyone can tell they are out of step. They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.

Stop watering things that were never meant to grow in your life. Water what works, what's good, what's right. Stop playing around with those dead bones and stuff you can't fix, its over...leave it alone! You're coming into a season of greatness. If you water what's alive and divine, you will see harvest like you've never seen before. Stop wasting water on dead issues, dead relationships, dead people, a dead past. No matter how much you water concrete, you can't grow a garden.

Your words will tell others what you think. Your actions will tell them what you believe.

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm.. No matter how raging the billows are today, remind yourself: "This too shall pass!"

God's grace and mercy have brought you through. Quit acting as if you made it on your own.

You will never understand pleasure without pain.

There may be challenges or crosses that may have delayed your goals temporarily, but now it’s time to move forward.

The right thing at the wrong time will lead to failure.

We cannot embrace God's forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges.

There is a higher power, a higher influence, a God who rules and reigns and controls circumstances and situations that are beyond your area and realm of authority.

If you can learn to love the imperfect people in your family then it's possible that someone can learn to love a imperfect you.

You are just one idea away from what you sow in your brains, in your prophecies that God spoke over your life. You're one idea away. You are not waiting on God - God is waiting on you! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on and on about that. I have this stuff in me and I have no place to release it to you because sometimes church people are so spiritual they make me nauseous, because they expect God to do everything.

Even when things are getting worse instead of better - I believe God!

Not everyone will be happy when you begin to better yourself. Those who are for you will not just celebrate in your triumphs, but they will also pray with you through your tribulations.

a setback is a setup for a comeback

If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.

You can teach what you know, but you can only reproduce what you are.

God has invested entirely too much in you for you to be comfortable in anything less than you were created to be.

I don't care how cheap the box is that you put a diamond ring in, nothing about the box diminishes the value of the content.

The most dangerous thing in the world is to have no purpose.

Life's a university that'll teach you lessons, regardless of your desire to pass the “class” or not, there is always something else to learn

Excellence requires discomfort.

Don't allow your past or present condition to control you. It's just a process that you're going through to get you to the next level.

When we are placed in a set of circumstances where we have to take initiative and be creative, some of us find it hard to transition. Those people have been trained not to think but to obey orders. They are slaves to the training, unconsciously pledging allegiance to the average. Mentally they recite from the manual of mediocrity.

To those of us who often procrastinate on the decision we feel intimidated by lack of education or any area of weakness. I relieve you with this statement: It is not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but rather how much you ask. Ask questions.

There are some fires you can't get out of- you've got to go through the fire - you've got to go through the flood - you've got to go through the test - you've got to go through the struggle that you might decrease and he might increase.

Being angry is human. Staying angry is foolish.

If you have the FAITH to believe it, you have the POWER to conceive it!

When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over.

You don't have to be in church service to worship, you can be in your own home. You enhance your spirituality, through the instrument of worship, when you really connect with the invisible, almighty God.