How to Seek God’s Favor
“The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.” Isaiah 60:10-11
Favor comes from the Lord. Yes, man can favor you but seek rather for God to favor you. For when God favors you, you’re highly favored. The favor of God is unique and cannot be compared to man’s favor. While the favor of man is short-lived and limited, the favor of God is for a lifetime and behind limits or barriers.
What is God’s Favor?
What’s the favor of God? I know you might have many definitions of favor in your dictionary, but I’d like to use scripture to deduce a definition of favor for you today. (Genesis 39:21, Exodus 11:2-3)
I consider “favor” as God’s act of putting my interest, my regard, my joy, my promotion in the heart of a person such that the person will make conscious efforts deliberately to help me in a way they wouldn’t have done ordinarily by themselves.
Favor is what qualifies the unqualified. It gives a man access where he otherwise had no connection. Favor is a blessing that only God can give you. If a man gives you a favor, he can take it away, or another person more powerful than he can take it again. But if God gives you favor, no man can deny you that.
How do you tap into this favor for you today? Proverbs 11:27
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
How to Gain God’s Favor
Two ways to gain favor in the sight of the Lord. Firstly through righteous conduct. When you and I walk like children of the light, in the light, we can expect to see the favor of God work for us. Prov. 11:27 calls it earnestly seeking good. In seeking good, we can find favor. The second way to receive God’s favor is to seek His mercy. When God shows you mercy, His favor accompanies it. (Genesis 39:21).
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Thank God that through Jesus, you and I now have access to God’s mercy (1Peter 2:9-10, Heb. 4:16). Therefore, we can call forth His favor through faith in Him. You can have favor in that office, in that school, in that project, in that organization. Seek good and seek mercy.
Prayer and humility is one way to secure the mercy of God. You can have that today. Why not pray the prayer of David in Psalms 119:58,
“I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.”
In seeking His favor by seeking His mercy to speak for us, we expose ourselves to favor like never before. God bless you today, in Jesus’ name.
A prayer:
Father, thank you for showing me mercy through the work of Jesus. I ask now that your favor will speak for me today according to your word to give me a testimony, in Jesus name, amen.
James Osayande George lives by the mandate to reveal the liberating truth of God’s word in simplicity and accuracy through a cutting edge teaching ministry.
Having been saved at the young age of thirteen (13) years old through a Divine encounter, he has since dedicated himself to know and serve the Lord with his life.
Best known for his calm voice, James George has ministered in full-time ministry since 2014 within which period he served as one-time resident pastor of Glad Tidings Life Triumphant Church, Kaduna State, Nigeria under his spiritual father and mentor, Pastor Moses Enabulele.
A student of the prestigious Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Training Center, Nigeria, James George is the author and co-author of numerous published and unpublished manuscripts and poems for blogs and magazines, as well as books including Walking through the Word Devotional (a classic all year round devotional book). Your Journey and God is his first published book. He runs a blog at www.thischariot.wordpress.com
He is the pioneer of G. M. M. Network, a body of believers dedicated to church growth, spiritual development, youth, and women empowerment, as well as outreach to the less privileged. He currently resides in and does his ministry from Lagos State, Nigeria
I appreciate your description of two ways to gain God’s favor–gain, not earn: do right and repent for doing wrong.