“This is what the Lord says: In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, Come out, and those in darkness, Be free!” (Isaiah 49:8-9, NIV).
Favor can be defined as excessive kindness and gifts in our lives that we did not earn and we did not deserve. That’s exactly how God treats his children. Grace by its very nature is undeserved and unearned favor. And favor is the tangible release of God’s ability, influence, and provision in our lives in a variety of ways such as supernatural increase and promotion, restoration of stolen things, honor in the midst of adversaries, increases assets, great victories in the midst of great challenges, recognition when you’re least likely to get it, prominence and preferential treatment, petitions granted even by ungodly civil authority, policies reversed to your advantage, battles won that you did not even fight.
Luke 4:19 from the Amplified declares that we are in the acceptable year of the Lord “the day when salvation and free favors of God profusely abound.” Think about that. We are not in the day of vengeance (although this world is speeding quickly toward that day) but in the day of favor. When you understand this you begin to see that this is not “God is mad at you time” but it’s “God favors you time!”
I want to share with you a few simple principles for tapping into or walking in the favor of God:
- Acknowledge the favor is real. If you look around you will see many signs of the favor of God on your life right now. It honors God when you stop, recognize, and thank him for his goodness. It can be as amazing as the birth of your child or as simple as a decent parking place at Wal-Mart on a cold, rainy day. Learn to say when God does something in your life, “That was the favor of God!” Remember there’s something on you and it’s the favor and blessing of God.
- Believe for the favor. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As we spend time in the promises of God regarding the favor of God our faith and confidence for that favor will grow. Romans 5:2 makes it clear that we access the favor of God with faith so know that you are favored of God and start expecting the favor to show up in all areas of life (Psalm 69:13; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 90:17; Psalm 102:13; Psalm 106:4-5; 1 Samuel 2:26; Luke 1:25; 2 Corinthians 1:11; for starters).
- Confess the favor. I’ve noticed that the people who confess they are favored of God see a lot of God’s favor manifest in their lives. Conversely, people who go around bad mouthing their lives see less favor manifesting in their lives. We know that confession brings possession in general (that’s how we originally got saved – Romans 10:9-10) but I want to encourage you to deliberately confess the favor of God over your life throughout the day. Boldly declare that you are blessed and highly favored of God and as 2 Corinthians 6:2 indicates, NOW is the time of God’s favor.
- Don’t be ashamed of the favor. There is a real attempt of the enemy these days to try to make the believer feel ashamed of the blessing and the favor of God. I remember a leather coat I purchased for Kelli. It was a beautiful hand-tooled full length coat that I had saved for and purchased to bless her. As a young minister’s wife she was very concerned with what people would think or say. Consequently, I returned the coat. Does she still feel the same way? Try her! When the Lord blessed her with her Mazda Tribute she purchased with cash I remember the look on her face (all smiles), her petting the steering wheel (I kid you not), and the words that came out of her mouth (thank you Father). Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe.” Don’t go around drawing attention to yourself but don’t be ashamed of the favor of God in your life either. The part of your salvation or redemption you are ashamed of is the part that you cannot receive.
There truly is something on you and it’s the blessing and the favor of God!
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