The anointing and favor of God is priceless. Its value is worth more than gold. I’ve personally spent more hours crying out for the anointing than any other one thing. I simply can’t afford to show up without it. Many times living in obedience you have no idea what’s on the other side. You just say yes. The risks are high because the possibility of failure is always present. Would I make a fool out of myself or would miracles take place? After weighing the costs, you jump off the cliff because you would rather show up with God then playing is safe without Him! This place is where we’re all called to live. It’s the place of faith. It’s the place where we are shaped into the men and women of God that we’re called to be!
Growth isn’t always the easy path to take. It’s usually the road less traveled. Why? Because growth requires obedience. We’ve got to be obedient to the measure of revelation God has given us if we want more of it! And that’s why we get stuck spiritually. We want more revelation before we obey more, but God wants more obedience before He reveals more.
Noah is a great example. The Bible says Noah did everything that God commanded him to do. I’m sure it wasn’t the easiest task and many probably questioned his insanity during the process. However, the result of his obedience is still celebrated and spoken about today. Noah was a man that found favor in the eyes of the Lord!
FOUND FAVOR
The best definition of the word favor is “demonstrated delight.” The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.” It’s His favor that opens the door of opportunity. It’s His favor that turns opposition into support. It’s His favor that can help you land the promotion, make the list, or seal the deal. It’s also important to understand that favor doesn’t always remove difficulty, it does mean however there is a staying power throughout difficulty. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship. (2 Corinthians 6:4; Acts 14:22; 20:23; 1 Peter 2:19).
So how do you find favor? The short answer is obedience! It starts by surrendering our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Favor is a function of surrender.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalm 84:11 ESV
QUESTIONS:
1) How would you consider your growth in Christ to be? Great? Good? Needs improvement?
2) What steps have you taken to insure continuous growth in your faith? Sunday Gatherings? Small group participation? School Of Ministry? Etc.
3) What would be your next step of obedience to provoke that demand of greater anointing on your life?
