The Groan Before the Glory – Bishop T.D. Jakes

From Groaning to Glory: Embracing God’s Transforming Power

Welcome, family. I’m so glad you’re here today. What you’re about to hear is not just a message—it’s a word that can change your life. God’s promises reach deep, touching places in your heart you’ve longed to see healed. And when that happens, I urge you: respond. Give, sow, commit. Let your faith manifest practically. That is when God’s word moves from your ears into your life.

Romans 8:18-28 reminds us: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Pause and reflect on that. Every trial, every moment of pain, every hardship—none of it can measure up to the glory God is preparing for you. Creation itself groans, waiting for the revelation of the sons and daughters of God. You are called to emerge, shedding the flesh that hides the light of who you truly are.

Hear me: sometimes, suffering is not the work of the enemy. Sometimes it’s the hand of the Potter shaping His masterpiece. The hardships, the struggles, the emptiness—they are molding you, not to harm you, but to prepare you for glory. The groans you feel within, even the silent ones, are the very things that awaken your soul.

The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, interceding with groanings that words cannot express. Even when you cannot articulate your prayers, the Spirit searches your heart and makes intercession according to God’s will. Every moment of pain, every tear you’ve shed, is being counted. God is using it to break chains, to prepare you for your breakthrough, to set a standard for generations to come.

Some of your struggles aren’t even fully yours—they are generational. Trauma, oppression, and hardship can imprint on our very DNA. Yet God, through the Spirit, prays against these roots, uprooting what was passed down so you can stand free. You are the barrier against the curses and hardships of your family line. It stops with you. You are the standard God raises against the enemy.

But to reach that glory, you must stand and resist. Resist the temptation to give up, to despair, to lash out. Stand even when your knees are weak, even when life feels uneven or painful. Stand, because God is with you, and He has not allowed your enemies to triumph over you.

God’s method often requires groaning. You may groan within yourself in silent prayers, in tears shed late at night, in frustration and longing. But these groans are not wasted—they are the seedbed for glory. The greater your groaning, the greater the glory. Your pain, your tears, your struggles—they are being transformed.

Think of biblical examples: David cried, and God delivered him. Jonah cried, and God rescued him. Your groans, too, are heard. They water your dreams, they cultivate your breakthrough, and they prepare the soil for God’s glory to manifest. Every tear, every heartfelt prayer, is shaping a divine harvest.

God’s work is relentless. He will not stop until stubbornness, pride, or resistance is broken, until you surrender fully. Your groaning becomes the vehicle through which God shifts your life, your family, and even your generation. He turns what seems like despair into triumph, mourning into joy, weakness into strength.

So cry if you must. Groan if you must. But do not stop. Your groaning is not a sign of defeat—it is a sign of preparation, a prelude to your glory. You will break through. You will stand. And when the glory comes, it will eclipse every moment of pain, every trial you’ve endured. The sufferings of this present world are nothing compared to the glory awaiting you.

The earth groans, the world groans, but you are about to emerge. God is ready to transform your struggle into power, your tears into testimony, and your groaning into glory. Stand firm, keep groaning, and prepare for the revelation of the fullness of God’s glory in your life.