Untitled Sermon (3)

God’s favor

The Set Time of Favor Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. —Psalm 102:13, kjv “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1, kjv). This is the set time the Lord is releasing an anointing of favor in the land. The Lord is causing the hearts of kings of the land to extend the scepter of favor to modern-day Esthers. The scepter represents authority. God’s favor causes policies, rules, regulations, and laws to be changed and reversed to your advantage. This anointing of favor will cause ungodly governmental officials to grant your kingdom petitions. This is an appointed time when oppression is being broken off the lives of many women worldwide. Whenever the time of deliverance and reformation comes on the time clock of heaven for God’s people, He anoints ordinary men and women with the spirit of favor. God’s favor brings forth prominence and preferential treatment. By the spirit of favor, God will promote you to strategic, authoritative positions to accomplish kingdom mandates. God’s favor brings forth promotion, even when you seem the least likely to receive it. Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and Jesus were not only favored; they also grew in favor as they advanced from one stage of destiny fulfillment to the other. (See 1 Samuel 2:26; Luke 2:52.) We should both desire to receive the spirit of favor and to grow in it. We should pray to enjoy favor from both God and man. The Lord is a sun and shield. He bestows favor and honor, and no good thing does He withhold from us (Ps. 84:11). Joseph was a man who walked upright before the Lord. The favor of God protected and preserved him from evil. Favor caused him to survive false accusations from Potiphar’s wife. God surrounded and protected Joseph with favor like a shield (Ps. 5:12). The favor of God shielded him and kept him safe in prison. God spared his life so that he could be named as prime minister and save his family and the world from famine. When you live a life pleasing to God by obeying His will, you will find favor with Him. God will also give you favor with people. Favor surrounded and protected Daniel as he slept in the lions’ den. God’s favor surrounded and protected Queen Esther as she approached the king unannounced. Favor caused Esther to be put in a triumphant position over her enemies. It will help you conquer and triumph over your foes. Because of divine favor Queen Esther was able to frustrate a wicked conspiracy to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. She saw Haman, the king’s evil adviser, hanged on the same gallows built to murder her cousin, Mordecai. Esther found favor with the king and so did Mordecai. The Benefits of Favor We are the righteousness of God, and as the righteous we ought to expect God’s divine favor! Psalm 5:12 teaches us, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” God’s favor changes everything in the life of the righteous woman! Here’s what God’s favor will do for you: ✦ God’s favor will empower your dream to be fulfilled in impossible situations. Favor will cause supernatural increase and promotion (Gen. 39:21). ✦ God’s favor brings forth restoration of everything that the enemy has stolen from you. The favor of God will initiate a great transference of wealth (Exod. 3:21; Joel 2:23–27). ✦ God’s favor is intended for the life span of the believer not just for short burst or isolated situations (Ps. 30:5). ✦ God’s favor assures you of victory in any situation. The enemies of your destiny cannot triumph over you because of God being with you (Ps. 44:3). ✦ God’s favor will cause you to be established in a prosperous business (Ps. 90:17, niv). ✦ God’s favor will cause those who stood against the fulfillment of the plans of God to honor you (Exod. 11:3). ✦ God’s favor will cause you to inherit generational blessing, especially in land holdings (Deut. 33:23; 6:10–14). ✦ God’s favor releases overcoming grace in the midst of seemingly greater impossibilities (Josh. 11:20). ✦ God’s favor will cause the yoke of poverty to be broken and cause retroactive payment of riches to be released in your life (Exod. 3:21). ✦ God’s favor will cause you to prosper in the world system (Exod. 12:36). ✦ God’s favor brings protection for you and your family from crisis and destruction. (Gen. 6:7–8, niv). ✦ God’s favor causes the preservation of life and invokes His abiding presence (Job 10:12). ✦ God’s favor brings promotion, even when you seem the least likely to receive it (1 Sam. 16:22; Esther 2:7–9). ✦ God’s favor will cause men to give you the resources to accomplish your assignment (Esther 5:8). ✦ God’s favor brings forth prominence and preferential treatment (Esther 2:17). ✦ God’s favor will cause your leader to hear your words and brings forth granted petitions and requests (Esther 5:8). ✦ God’s favor causes policies, rules, regulations, and laws to be changed and reversed to your advantage (Esther 8:5). What Blocks the Favor of God in Your Life? Throughout the Bible we see examples that show how people could not continue to walk in God’s favor because of sin, pride, rebellion against the ways and instruction of God, and disobedience. It is no different for us today. The Bible says that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). As women anointed and called by God, we cannot afford to operate outside God’s favor. We must understand the importance of our maintaining a quiet, gentle, submitted spirit. In the eyes of God this allows us to be trusted with high honor and favor in the kingdom. Esther carried with her a spirit of humility, submission, and obedience. Because of this she was favored by both man and God. If we ever sense that we have fallen out of favor with God, we can be restored. We can seek the mercy and forgiveness of God by repenting of our sins before Him. We can humble ourselves before Him and once again receive His favor. (See Luke 15:11–32.) I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. —Psalm 119:58–60 God is faithful and just and will forgive us and welcome us back into His favor with open arms. The Key of Favor

Michelle McClain-Walters, The Esther Anointing (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2014), 22–26.