Oprah Winfrey Shares Religious Inspiration at 2016 Essence Festival Presented by Coca-Cola

By Julie Brown Patton
Oprah Winfrey at 2016 Essence
Oprah Winfrey delivered an empowering speech about "the Creator" during the 2016 ESSENCE Festival over this Fourth of July weekend.  Facebook

American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey delivered what people are calling an unforgettable keynote speech about finding purpose and "letting go and letting God" at the 2016 Essence Festival this weekend presented by Coco-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.

As Winfrey's first Essence Festival presence, she said she wondered why it took her so long to attend. Known as a party with a purpose, the four-day festival has been put on by Essence magazine since 1994.

Regarding "the Creator's Dream" for people, Winfrey said she is living the dream. "And I want you to live the dream. I'm not living the dream because I'm special, but I was obedient to the call of the dream. I'm living in the space of the dream, and the dream is good."

"There is a bigger dream for you. What is God's dream for you. What does the creator's dream hold for you?" she posed.

The 62-year-old actress said people don't get what they wish for, or even what they hope for. "You get what you believe."

She said she believes there is magic in surrendering to God's dream for oneself. "Quit fighting and pushing against, and disallowing against, and stop trying to tell the Creator what you're supposed to do. Get still and know that His dream is for you."

Winfrey also reminded maintaining proper energy levels is important. "The energy of what you do, what you say and the energy of who you are goes out into the world, your home and into your relationships and that energy is always coming back to you. You're responsible for the energy you put out into the world."

One of Winfrey's last take-away points was:  "Before you think about the thing, you have an intention about the thing. The intention in which you give determines the outcome. My intention to live to the highest calling and be pressed to the mark of the highest calling."

Her empowering speech was delivered to a crowd of 450,000 at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.

She has been dubbed the "Queen of all media." The power of Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to influence public opinion, especially consumer purchasing choices, has been dubbed "The Oprah Effect".

Others appearing at Essence Festival included Mariah Carey, Misty Copeland, Rev. Al Sharpton, Kendrick Lamar, CIara and Jakes Maxwell, WWLTV reported.

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