Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man ~ Proverbs 3:3-4.

Introduction:

No situation in life can ever be comparable with the matchless possibilities that are available to the believers in Christ Jesus. Yes, sometimes, we feel like failures, and because we think we lost grips on some important things in life, we feel unloved, worthless and unwelcome in certain circles. Even then, God’s favour can always change the storylines.

No one can accomplish his or her dreams in life by the dint of hard-work alone; you will always require the touch of favour at major milestones in your journeys of destiny (1 Samuel 2:9; Romans 9:15-16). Hence, the conclusion is that a day of favour is worth much more than many years of labour. Please let that fact sink down deep into your heart.

A long time ago, the Psalmist observed that whatever we possess in life is provided for, and can only be secured for us by the arm of the Lord and the light of His favour (Psalm 44:3). It is the even more startling to note that Jesus Christ Himself capitalized on the place of favour in fulfilling His assignments on earth (Luke 2:52).

Herein is solid wisdom: if Jesus needed favour to succeed, then, everybody needs it for a supernatural advantage to access opportunities for success on earth. We must make room enough for it in our walks of destiny, and choose to maintain it pretty well when we obtain it. Yes, living without favour can make anyone labour like an elephant only to eat like a gnat.

What Is Divine Favour?

Basically, favour is an approval, or a preferment granted to make things easier for a person or a group of persons. It is an act of kindness, endorsement or help rendered without recourse to what you have done or left undone, or to your qualifications.

Favour goes out of its way to do something to help a person  beyond what is due him. It treats with generosity, leniency, and gives preferential treatment in order to accord an advantage or an edge to a person above others to the level where it could be termed “partiality” or “favoritism”. Favour approves a person’s plan or a course of action, without too much of “due process” or “brutal scrutiny”.

When God favours you, He becomes generous towards you until you feel it. He will be lenient with you, showing you mercy, forgiving, tolerating and withholding nothing you need from you. He will prefer you to others, protect you and move you forward where others are stagnating. Yes, when He favours you, He will do anything for you, and will even kill for you if necessary (Isaiah 43:2-4).

Divine favour is linked to God’s mercy. It comes to us not because we are perfect in His sight but because He loves us. It cannot be worked for, deserved or earned (Ecclesiastes 9:11). God always looks within Himself, beyond us, to show us His favour in order to shield us from evil and to help us out of trouble.

By His favour, God helped Abraham by restoring his wife to him from Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-18). By favour, He also helped Joseph, making him Prime Minister in Egypt, a land wherein he had been a slave. And, the fact that you and I are alive today is on the account of God’s mercy, faithfulness and compassion (Lamentation 3:22-23).

Whatever you earned or can ever possess in life is all by the grace or favour of God (1 Corinthian 15:10). In the account of Matthew 20:1-6, the owner of the big vineyard decided to pay the same wages to the laborers that worked for twelve hours and the ones that worked for only one hour. This vividly illustrates what the currency of favour looks like.

However, as expected, that act of favour generated controversies, and the early risers envied the latecomers. I guess that’s why God promised to shield the people He chooses to favour (Psalms 5:12). You cannot be favoured by everyone; some will envy you, and some frenemies will secretly work against your success and greatness.

Happily, you don’t have to be favoured by everyone to breakthrough in life. All it takes is just the right person at the right time extending favour to you to give you the breakthrough of a lifetime! Within a short period of time, like it happened to Joseph, divine favour can catapult you to anywhere God wants you to be.

Some favoured personalities in the Bible include: Naphtali (Deuteronomy 33:23), Joseph (Acts 7:10), Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:5), Daniel (Daniel 1:9). Others are: Ruth (Ruth 2:13), Esther (Esther 2:15,17; 5:2). Of course, corporate organizations, business entities, communities, and even a Church can also walk in divine favour (Acts 2:47).

From these characters above, we can safely conclude that favour produces supernatural increase, promotion and restoration. It also produces honour, recognition and great possessions. Furthermore, authorities for answered prayer, prominence and inexplicable victories are commonplace with those whom God has favoured.

Who Can Receive the Mantle of Divine Favour?

The Bible clearly posits that a right standing with God supernaturally provokes favour and blessings (Psalm 5:12). Meanwhile, when a man receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal Saviour, he also simultaneously receives an imputed righteousness that makes him the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, every genuine child of God is a candidate for God’s high favour.

If you are in Christ, you are Abraham's seed and the blessing of God, including His favour, is resting upon your life as a veritable "coat of many colours" (Galatians 3:13-17). It is true honour to be cladded with the mantle of divine favour; please wear it confidently, gratefully and proudly, anywhere and anytime!

I strongly believe that divine favour is a major fruit of the tree of life (Revelation 22:2). And, when we engage the platitudes of faith to receive it, our mountains are made strong to stand and to beat all the odds of life (Psalm 30:7).

What a joy and what a glee to be the Lord’s favorite! Truly, once God wraps you in His favour, you are highly favoured. Satan cannot strip you of it. Neither can relatives, hard times, setbacks, hostilities, or even the innovations of times and delays! If in doubt, please ask Joseph the Prime Minister.

Favour provokes God to arise in His power and fury to suspend all protocols and to fight every force holding back your testimonies. Favour makes the light of God’s countenance to shine upon you and, thereafter, you are turned to another man, and supernatural occasions begin to serve you effortlessly. You won’t miss this, in Jesus name. Happy Sunday!

• Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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