So here's the thing. Here's another thing you can learn - learn that God will bless you, in spite of what you're walking through. God still wants to bless you. Notice here, it says in Verse 21: the Lord was with Joseph, showed him mercy, gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, so God blessed him. Notice this, he said: whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper; so here's the thing a lot of people don't realise, that even if you're in your prison, you can still do well. You can actually improve the prison you're in. See, most people want to get out of prison, rather than actually change the prison; and then they get out... So He blessed - whatever situation you're in, I hear this over and over. People come complain about their job, complain about school, complain about their family, but you'll never get anywhere doing that. You've got to say: if this is the place I feel contained and restricted and limited, then how can I change it, and make it a better place? When you've done that, that's when you're ready to be promoted.
The thing that God wants you to change now is the thing that's really irritating you. That's the thing people don't understand. The thing that's bugging you the most, is the thing that God calls you to influence change and bless. He's got to make a decision, that's what I'm going to do; and it's challenging, because some problems don't go away - they last a long time.
I know some prisons, or some problems that people have, last a long time, feels like God's never going to answer; but you know, if you hold on, and believe for a better future, it'll come. It will come. It does break through. It's just a matter of whether you can last the distance or not. You've got to hold on to God. God will bless you. He's blessing you where you are now. Sometimes we get so miserable in our feelings, we just can't see we're being blessed, but God has blessed us with good things. That's why the Bible tells you to be grateful and thankful. Have a look around, start to see what can I be thankful for? Well I'm alive, got two eyes, even though I'm wearing glasses. I can stand, I can speak, I've got energy, got life, got friends, I've got - and you begin to thank God. Thanking God shifts your spiritual atmosphere. Bless God. Bless God.
I'm amazed when I come into meetings, how little people have got to give to God; because we haven't practised giving something to God. Practise, practise, practise! Oh God, thank you! Today I am blessed. I am blessed today! I'm blessed in everything I do! I'm blessed when I come in! I'm blessed when I - I hope you would pray that prayer of you. That's a great prayer to pray. That's a prayer of a person of faith. That's a person who believes that God is with me, and His purpose is to bless me; so even dumb stuff, bad stuff and failures, nevertheless God uses them all for good.
I am blessed! I don't feel blessed, no. Do I look like I'm blessed? Sometimes no - BUT I AM BLESSED! Why? Because God is with me, He's in me, my life is in His hands. Oh, how can it get better than that! Come on, it's about an attitude, an attitude, so one of the great prayers you can pray when you get up in the morning everyday: I AM BLESSED TODAY! I thank you God, I am blessed. My life is a blessed life today. Whatever I put my hand to is blessed. I thank you Lord, you bless the works of my hand, you bless my health, you bless my relationship, bless my - I am blessed.
You say well, I don't even feel like that. Nevertheless, if you will start to declare it, those things will change around you. You start to see it differently, say: I'm blessed. I can't believe how - it's a thing in New Zealand. I've been to Pakistan. Now if you want to see people in trouble then you go to Pakistan. Man, we were sick there, and there's a lot of things to be very miserable about - people carry guns because it's frightening, and bombs go off, and there's terrorists; and yet in the midst of it, I just see very many happy people. I come here, and it's safe, and there's all these things going on that are so wonderful for us; and people are so miserable. Come on now, we need to say: I'm blessed. I am blessed by God!