ACTIVATING GOD’S FAVOUR – SEEING THE BIG PICTURE

The activation of divine favour upon your life depends to a large extent on your perception. What do you see? (Jeremiah 1:11-12).

Until your perception changes, your situation will not change.
Maximizing destiny is a function of how well I can see. Many people see, yet they cannot perceive (Matt. 13:13).

Different people view life from different perspectives, but the ‘big picture’ perspective entails seeing just as God sees…

The ‘big picture’ perspective enables you to see life in a broader view, knowing that it’s not all about you and your needs… it equips you with a sense of responsibility towards life (John 21:15-17).

The ‘big picture’ perspective allows you to grow (mature) in the Spirit, into the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

It allows you to persevere in the time of tribulation and to endure the season of trial (Heb. 12:2; Romans 8:17-18; 2 Cor. 4:17-18).

What do you see?

Your sight is a function of your focus (Isaiah 26:3).
What do you look at? (Gen. 13:14-16).
Do you focus your attention on the Word of God or on people’s opinion? (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; James 1:25).

Furthermore, your sight is a function of your location or positioning.
If you are not dwelling in the God-assigned location, your sense of vision becomes blurry (Gen. 15:1-6).

In Genesis 28, Jacob had a dream and that changed the course of his life forever. He knew that that was more to his life than just living a life of mediocrity. I strongly believe that the picture he saw in the dream kept coming back to him throughout the years he stayed in Laban’s house.

He knew beyond reasonable doubts that God would do something great in his life, and more importantly, his lineage and descendants would become a source of blessing to the world…

‘But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord’ (2 Cor. 3:18).

Few tips on how to enhance your spiritual sight:

Check the company you keep (Psalm 1:1).
Ensure you keep the right company (association). Show me your friend and I will know who you are… By-pass the ‘fire extinguishers’. Be a companion of those who fear the LORD (Psalm 119:63).

Enlarge your heart (Isaiah 54:2, Psalm 119:32).
Widen your scope! Broaden your horizon! Think big! Don’t limit God…

ACT on the Word! (James 1:25).
You have listened to many messages. You have heard many testimonies. You have prayed and trusted God for long… It’s time to take God by His Word. ACT!

The Word works wonders! Receive grace to be a doer of the Word!

             PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELA

RESIDENT PASTOR

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OPERATING IN GOD’S FAVOUR

God’s favour is always available to everyone to whom He chooses to favour. But let me be quick to say here that God can actually show His favour to as many as sincerely desire His favour unlike what many people usually think that, maybe, God is selective in showing His mercy and favour to some special sects. However, God’s favour is given on purpose and must therefore be on request through diligent seeking and craving. Psalm 119:58, Prov. 11:27

God is not a respecter of persons. Anyone that sincerely deserves to be favoured by God will be. God’s favour is not an exclusive right of any but preference and benevolence received from God. In the above text, we are going to use Joseph as our case study.

What does it mean to operate in God’s favour?

 Operating in God’s favour means to be aware of God’s provisions for strength, grace, perfection etc. and one goes ahead to leverage on it knowing that all of life’s race has actually be made simple by totally relying on/ trusting God. God’s favour does not just fall on people’s lap; man also has a part to play. Favour, just like an idea, flows to those who are worthy to receive it.  

Gen. 37:2 showed clearly one of those things Joseph did that made him attract God’ favour asides the fact that at a tender age of seventeen, he already had an intimate relationship with God as to know the plan of God for his own life through his dreams.

Joseph was also able to keep the fear of God of Israel with him even when all things seemed rosy for him in Potiphar’s house. He preferred to suffer for a sin he did not commit than to commit a sin he did not prefer.

The part we must play

 Like it’s been said, we surely have roles to play in attracting God’s favour and operating in it. Some of those parts we must play include but not limited to the following:

1.       Knowing and acknowledging God – God is the one that shows and gives favour to whoever He wills, His immediate concern therefore is for as many as have relationship with Him, because favour from God is like the bread of the children. Favour can only come from God and not from man (Gen. 39:21, Prov. 14:35).

2.       Asking and craving for God’s favour – It is very important to ask and indeed crave for God’s favour in all the phases of our life. God’s favour actually place people of God in an advantage position so that where some are struggling, the ones with God’s favour simply thrive. Every good gift from God however, starts from asking (Prov. 11:27).

3.       Recognising God’s favour at every point – Ability to recognise God’s favour at every point in life cannot be gainsaid. The presence of adversities does not always mean that God’s favour is absent. But if we are able to recognise that God’s favour is always with us at every point, it helps stay focused on God that whatever we are going through is just for a moment (Psalm 30:5).

4.       Optimising God’s favour – One major part we have to play as Christians is to optimise the favour of God upon our lives. One way by which we can do this is through our prayer and studying the word until we begin to see His favour optimised in all we do (Psalm 102:13)

5.       Appreciating and reverencing God’ favour – Finally, as the beneficiary of God’s favour, we must be full of appreciation and able to reference God at all time. On many occasions, we refuse to see the invisible hand of God that strengthened the human vessel and we start to praise the vessel instead. Whatever favour we receive, it first flows from God through the human vessel (Prov. 3:4, 1Sam. 2:26).

Benefits of operating in God’s favour

1.       Men are directed to show favour unto you – Gen. 39:6

2.       You experience accelerated promotion – Gen. 41:41 -44

3.       You are led to the path of effortless achievement – Psalm 37:23

4.       You are surrounded with people that will connect you to your next level – Gen. 41:9 - 13

5.       Your vision and dreams will all come to fulfilment – Gen. 42:6 - 9

                                                    PASTOR RAPHAEL ATODE

     

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ACTIVATING GOD’S FAVOUR (CONT’D)

Favour places you in a vantage position over and above the enemy, and the circumstances of life. It makes you negotiate from the position of strength.

When you walk in God’s favour, you walk in victory (you live as a victor, not as a victim).

The favour of God sets you apart from the crowd. However, not everyone walking on the face of the earth is living in the favour of God… (Luke 4:25-27).

Few tips on how to activate the favour of God

1. Labouring and growing in the Spirit

Labouring tirelessly in prayer and in the Word of God (Acts 6:4; 1 Thess. 5:17; Prov. 3:1-4).
Growing in the Spirit requires a conscious effort.

‘So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 3:19-20).

When your words begin to fall to the ground, you lose your spiritual authority and you no longer command dignity before men. Eventually, disfavour sets in.

Likewise, Jesus grew, waxed strong in spirit, and increased in wisdom, stature, and in favour with God and man... (Luke 2:40, 52).

Spiritual growth requires much craving for the Word.

As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).

2. Discovery by revelation

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord (Prov. 18:22).

Even the kingdom of heaven is discovered on the platform of revelation Matt. 13:44-46.
Revelation comes by seeking. He that seeks shall find…

Access to the secrets of the LORD brings favour upon one’s life (Job 29:1-7).
Divine secrets are hidden from the wise men of this age... they are hidden from carnal men, they are not surface-based, they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:7-14).

3. Diligence/Industry

The life of a diligent man automatically attracts divine favour (Prov. 11:27; 22:29).
(e.g. Joseph, David, Nehemiah, Apostle Paul, etc).

Furthermore, we attract and activate God’s favour upon our lives, by operating totally on God’s principles. The miracles we crave and enjoy, as good as they may be, are not as important as the principles of God's kingdom, which we must live by.

The truth is that, the Godly principles provide the platform through which the miraculous is made manifest...

PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELARESIDENT PASTOR

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ACTIVATING GOD’S FAVOUR

Favour could be defined as an act of benevolence or kindness, shown to someone in an unusual manner. A feeling or display of approval or preference towards someone. An advantage to the benefit of someone...

When you operate in God’s favour, even your enemies (detractors) will be at peace with you (Prov. 16:7).

When the king smiles, there is life; his favour refreshes like a spring rain (Proverbs 16:15).

The favour of God brings abundant life. It launches you into a realm of divine abundance.

The favour of God quickens one like the latter rain, it makes one to enjoy divine presence and makes available, the sweet counsels of the Holy Spirit…

The word ‘activate’ means, to make something active or operative. It also means, to start up a process or device, set it in motion (making it start working)…

The favour of God that had been deployed within you will be made manifest, and it will start working henceforth, in the name of Jesus Christ!

HOW CAN I ACTIVATE GOD’S FAVOUR?

Worship

Worship is done in a ‘higher place’. It requires that you go ‘a little further’, to break away from comfort zone. The place of worship is a place of death – to self. It’s a place of self-abasement. It implies yielding all that you are, have and represent, in total submission to God (Romans 12:1-2). You can’t take everyone there, only the ‘sons’, the truly begotten of the Father, can get there…

Abraham yielded completely to God’s mandate… (Gen. 22:5).

Obedience

It is absolute conformity to God’s command. It involves following a God-given instruction or executing a God-given assignment without any degree of variation (Gen. 6:13-22; Exodus 16:34; Exodus 40:16; Joshua 11:15).

Waiting for God's time

There is usually a time appointed by God for the manifestation of His glory.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven (Eccl. 3:1).

He has made everything beautiful in its time... (Eccl. 3:11).

Joseph had to wait for another ‘two full years’ for the predetermined counsel of God to be established in his life (Gen. 41:1).

I pray that the favour of God will be activated in your life henceforth, and will you in motion for the fulfilment of God’s purpose!

PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELA
RESIDENT PASTOR

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