Show Notes
You've been asking God for something. Maybe for years. Maybe you gave up asking because nothing changed.
But what if the problem isn't that God isn't listening? What if the problem is that your prayers don't have your name on them?
In this powerful message, Pastor Eric Thomas breaks down the real reason why so many prayers go unanswered, and it has nothing to do with God's ability or your worthiness. It has everything to do with responsibility. Using the story of Jabez, the electric bill principle, and raw personal testimony, ET reveals the missing ingredient between asking and receiving: you have to be willing to pay for what you pray for.
God isn't holding back your blessing because you're not good enough. He's waiting to see if you're willing to be responsible enough.
In this message you'll discover: → Why power is available but not automatic, and what activates it → The four things Jabez asked for, and why God granted every single one → Why your prayers don't have your name on them, and what that really means → The electric bill principle: if it's not in your name, you can't call and make changes → How to stop waiting for a reward you're not willing to be responsible for → Why some of the most gifted people never walk in their anointing → The difference between getting paid and being loyal → What it really means that "God so loved the world that He gave" → Why you have to die before you can live in the next level → How being responsible in three areas, yourself, your family, and your community, unlocks everything God has for you
📖 KEY SCRIPTURES: 1 Chronicles 4:9–10 — Jabez cried out to the Lord John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that He gave Acts 8:20 — Your money perish with you because you thought the gift of God could be purchased with money Matthew 6:33 — Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness Romans 12:1 — Present your bodies as a living sacrifice
CHAPTERS: Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome: The Gift of Power 00:00:41 The Setup: Something Needs to Change 00:02:58 Own It: The Version of You Right Now Is What's Killing You 00:09:20 The Prayer of Jabez: Four Things He Asked For 00:13:08 Ask and It Shall Be Given: Don't Be Timid With God 00:14:29 The College Story: Pride Keeps You From Asking 00:21:38 Your Money Perishes With You: The Wrong Currency 00:34:17 Part Two: The Real Price for Power - Responsibility 00:34:46 The Electric Bill Principle: Whose Name Is On It? 00:38:23 The China Story: My Son Had to Pay For It 00:39:32 Joseph Had to Leave: You've Got to Pay the Price 00:41:38 The Hospital Testimony: Learning Responsibility With Dallas 00:43:24 First to the House of Israel: Three Levels of Blessing 01:03:58 The Depth Comes From Being There: Not From the Stage 00:50:35 For God So Loved the World That He Gave: Jesus Had to Pay 01:09:25 The Altar Call: Three Types of Irresponsibility 01:14:59 The Prayer for Dallas: When You're Responsible, You Intercede 01:22:27 Closing: Your Prayers Now Have Your Name On Them
🔥 IF THIS HIT YOU Share it with someone who's been praying but not seeing results. Subscribe and turn on notifications → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRzMQFmplNd4-H1X5bj1jA?sub_confirmation=1
📲 CONNECT WITH APOC 📱 Download the App → Search "APOC Ministry" in your app store 🙏 Submit a Prayer Request → Tap "Prayer" in the app 💸 Partner With Us → apocministry.org/give 📅 Join Us LIVE: Saturdays @ 11AM EST
🎤 ABOUT ERIC THOMAS — ET THE HIP HOP PREACHER Dr. Eric Thomas is a world-renowned motivational speaker, pastor, author, and educator who went from high school dropout and homeless teen to earning his PhD and becoming one of the most sought-after voices in personal development and spiritual transformation. Known globally as ET The Hip Hop Preacher, he has delivered transformational messages to the NFL, NBA, Nike, Fortune 500 companies, and millions more. With over 2 million Instagram followers, 1.39M YouTube subscribers, and over 15 million podcast downloads, ET's message of sacrifice, discip
More from APOC Ministry
You got the news. The house burned down. The kids are gone. The people you trusted turned their backs. And now you're spiraling. In this powerful message, Dr. Eric Thomas uses 1 Samuel 30 to expose why overthinking is destroying your life and how to stop it before it ruins everything. David lost everything in one day. His city was burned. His wives and children were taken captive. His own men wanted to stone him. But the Bible says David did not spiral. He did not process. He did not overthink. He encouraged himself in the Lord. Get Encouraged. Get Permission. Get Direction. Then pursue. IN THIS MESSAGE YOU'LL DISCOVER: → The three strategies to stop overthinking before it ruins your life → Why processing is just gossiping and what to do instead → How David lost everything and recovered everything in the same chapter → Why you must get permission before you move → The two questions David asked God that changed everything → Why the devil wants to drag you into the deep and how to stay on solid ground 📖 KEY SCRIPTURES 1 Samuel 30:1–8 Psalm 34:1 Proverbs 3:5–6 Philippians 4:8 Romans 8:28 Jeremiah 29:11 CHAPTERS: Chapters
You think you have a reason to complain. So did TJ Tyus. He faced criminal charges and the threat of prison. He lost his own dream of playing in the NFL. He gave his life to God and served for years without a paycheck, driving three hours round trip to teach Bible study and helping raise more than a hundred kids and send them to college. He poured that lost dream into his sons. One of them has been working toward the NFL since he was six years old, and he did everything right: the discipline, the degree, the prayer. He finally signed. He started a game and played well. Two days later he was cut. Then signed again, and cut again. Team after team, the same phone call keeps coming. And TJ adopted a little girl out of foster care, fought cancer beside her, and buried her. If anybody had the right to act wild, it was him. He told God the truth: you never failed me, but you disappointed me. Then he made a decision. If I cannot praise, I will not complain. I will praise God or I will be quiet. This message is for you if life just hit you with something you cannot control and you are one bad moment away from losing it. You did not have a bad day. You had a bad moment, and you kept adding "and" to it. Here is how you stop. IN THIS EPISODE • Why you keep asking God to end the challenge that is supposed to change you • Why your half squat does not count • What "David encouraged himself" really means: take courage • How to stop stacking "and... and... and..." and put a "but" in your spirit • The FOCUS reset: Find your feet, Observe your focus, Check the meaning, Select one next step • How to make your valley a valley of praise SCRIPTURES • 1 Samuel 30:6 • Matthew 4:1-3 • Luke 2:49 • 2 Chronicles 20:12 • 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 • Hebrews 11:6 CHAPTERS: Chapters
You've been working hard. Praying harder. Fasting. Reading your Word. But if you're honest, nothing's really changed. And the question God is asking you today isn't whether you're trying. It's whether you're listening to what you're saying. In this powerful message, Dr. Eric Thomas uses the story of David in 1 Samuel 30 to expose why 322 million people are living with depression and why so many believers are stuck in cycles they were never meant to repeat. It's not because you don't have what it takes. It's not because God hasn't blessed you. It's because you've been using your mouth to curse what God is trying to bless. Your words are not neutral. Life and death are in the power of your tongue. This message introduces the winning formula God gave through David: Wake Up. Rejoice. Encourage Yourself. Keep Moving. IN THIS MESSAGE YOU'LL DISCOVER: → Why 322 million people are living with depression and how to break free → The four disasters that happened to David before he encouraged himself in the Lord → Why murmuring and complaining are not harmless → How your words create an atmosphere and shape your reality → The winning formula: Wake Up, Rejoice, Encourage Yourself, Keep Moving → How to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony 📖 KEY SCRIPTURES 1 Samuel 30:1–6 Psalm 34:1 Psalm 118:24 Proverbs 18:21 James 3:10–11 Revelation 12:11 CHAPTERS: Chapters
You've been working hard. Praying harder. Fasting. Reading your Word. But if you're honest, nothing's really changed. And the question God is asking you today isn't whether you're trying. It's whether you're listening.
You were born to win. You were chosen to win. So why do you keep returning to the same patterns God already freed you from?