Sub-Topic: Walking in Divine Favour

In the journey of life, there are two paths to success. There is the path of labour/efforts. Luke 5:1-3. Peter, with all his experience in fishery could not catch fishes. Experience can fail, efforts can frustrate you. He labored all night in the best fishing condition and caught nothing!

Man’s effort is in the realm of struggles – you may get results and atimes, you may not. There is, however, a better way – the path of favour. Labour is man’s input, favour is God’s input! Favour is forever superior to labour. The professional laboured all night without results, but the carpenter turned preacher partnered with him, he had the greatest catch. Favour is forever superior to labour. Labour answers to human efforts, but favour answers to divine obedience. All Peter needed to do was just to obey an instruction – no sweat! Nothing in this kingdom is accidental. Everything in the kingdom of God is intentional. It is not enough to desire favour, you must know what to do to attract it. There is a way you position yourself that will make good things answer to you. At the root of favour is God. Luke 2:52. Once you get the favour of God, the favour of men is automatic. It is God that brings people into the realm of favour. Daniel 1:9 – God brought Daniel into favour. If God is not involved, you cannot lobby your way into favour.

In this kingdom, our placement is favour-determined not labour-determined. In order words, it is favour that makes people in this Kingdom! Exodus 23:25-26. Another word for favour is Grace (1 Cor. 15:10). Those that do not value grace will receive disgrace! Even your salvation is the favour of God. In Luke 5:2-3, Jesus saw two ships by the lake, Jesus entered into Peter’s ship. The turnaround of Peter was by favour. Favour located Peter’s ship!

Favour is superior to labour. Favour is what adds flavour to labour. One day of God’s favour is superior to a lifetime of labour. Exodus 12:36, by the instrumentality of favour, 430 years arrears of their labour was given to the Israelite. It is the favour of God that magnifies a man’s output.

There are two things that make for favour:

1. Favour has to do with the hand of God. That refers to God’s help, God’s efforts. Ps. 44:3. When God wants to favour a man, the man rests and God takes over the rest. Favour has to do with God’s help, God’s efforts that make for unusual breakthroughs. This week, favour will give you the blessing you have never seen before.

2. Favour has to do with the countenance of God, this refers to the face of God. God is focusing his attention on you. When God focuses His attention on you, men will give attention to your needs, Ps. 44:3. Esther 2:15-17. Esther was not the most beautiful of all the candidates, but what gave her the position was favour. Favour affects eyes! When favour is at work, sights see differently. In verse 17, the King also saw Esther differently – this was because of favour. In Esther 5:1, when Esther stepped out, against the law, and came before the King in the royal courts, Esther obtained favour before the King. Go seek the face of God first like Esther, and let His face go with you (Esther 5:3). She had not made a request, she got an open check!

What is Favour?

1. Favour is God’s demonstrated delight upon an individual. When God favours you, you become God’s favourite. Favour is God liking you without explanation. 1 Sam. 2:26. Samuel was a child, yet had favour! Favour is God giving you prefential treatment without explanation.

2. Favour is God singling you out of a crowd for special treatment. Esther 2:15-18, John 5:1-6. Jesus went specifically to one man in the crowd. Favour singled out that man for special touch. John 9:1-6.

3. Favour is God’s hand at work in a man’s life that makes for unusual breakthrough. Nehemiah 2:5-8 – the hand of God was upon him and the King could not say No.

4. Favour is enjoying what you are not qualified for. Josh 24:13. When fravour is at work, you can eat someone’s harvest, Ps. 44:3.

How do I encounter Divine Favour?

1. By righteousness. Psalm 5:12. Favour will only answer to righteous people. Righteousness is the first qualification for favour! When you are God’s candidate, He becomes the one that opens doors for you, Is. 3:10-11. The pathway to favour is righteousness. God brought Daniel into favour, Dan. 1:8-9. He separated himself unto God, God ushered him into favour. In 1 Sam 16:1-13, God told Samuel to go and anoint one of the sons of Jesse but didn’t tell him which in particular. David was not sanctified, but he must have been living a sanctified life in the bush. 1 Sam 10:1, the oil of favour came upon Saul. In vs 9, God changed his heart and the signs came to pass. Your heart has to be right with God.

2. Constant expectation. In this kingdom, what you do not expect, you do not receive. You must wake up daily expecting favour for that day. There is power in expectation. Prov. 23:18. Expect it, you will see it. Expectations attract realities. Prov 24:14. If you are not expecting favour, you would not receive it. Phil. 1:20. When your expectation and hope is in favour, you would not see shame. God respects our expectations. Jer. 1:12. God only performs what you expect. Consistently, always be expectant.

3. Love for God and His Kingdom. God will always favour them that love him, 1 Kings 3:3, Ps. 102:13-14. When you love God and favour His kingdom, you become a candidate of his favour, Matt 6:33. Neh. 1:1-4. There are people that pursue things and do not get them, there are people that things pursue! Neh. 5:14-18, Nehemiah was appointed Governor because of his heart which was for God.

4. Become an instrument of favour to others. Gal. 6:9, 7. Prov 11:27. If favour is not coming to you, start sowing favour. A man that favours people cannot be stranded! Prov. 11:27, you procure favour by favouring others. If your favour tank is running low, start favouring people.

5. Encounter with persons of favour. Some people carry the grace of favour, try and connect with them. One Moses brought favour to a nation of 3 Million people.

6. By the lifestyle of prayer & fasting. As you make fasting and prayer your lifestyle, people will look for you to favour you. Mark 1:35-37, when you seek God, men will seek you! One of the aftermaths of prayer and fasting is divine favour.

7. Divine Guidance. Ps. 23:3-5. In order to be favoured you may need to change your location. Some people are in the place in which they cannot be favoured, Isaiah 37, 1 Kings 17:6

8. You need the right mindset. Think positively. Prov. 23:7.

9. Keep company with favoured people. Certain composition cannot bring you favour. Gen. 12:1-4. In Gen. 13:4-5, Lot’s association with Abraham brought him favour. 1 Sam. 22: 1-2, 1 Sam. 23:8-39. Those people became mighty because of their association with David.

10. Be a “praiser” and worshipper. Ps. 34:1. Stop coming to God with complaints, come to Him with thanksgiving. You have made enough prayer points start making thanksgiving points!

Benefits of Favour

1. It provokes supernatural  turnaround and promotion, Gen. 41:14

2. It brings restoration of all that has been stolen. Favour restores what has been lost, Ex. 12:36.