But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God... Exodus 32:11Since the beginning of 2012 I have sensed the words "Seek My favor" resonating in my spirit. The Lord longs to grant favor to His children. He is longing to give His children favor that touches every aspect of their lives. Now is the time to seek the favor of the Lord.
In January, I began seeking and declaring His favor (using Scripture) over my life and the lives of my husband and children. Since I began, we have seen the beginnings of breakthrough in almost every area of our lives and it continues to accelerate as we seek His favor.
When God grants us His favor, it overflows to give us favor with those people and circumstances that affect our lives. The favor that we are shown begins to cause people and situations to turn in our favor. His favor opens doors that previously remained stubbornly closed, allowing us to move forward. His favor brings us victory in the battles we have been facing and can cause those who have unjustly stood against us to turn and stand with us.
Favor With God and Man
Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. Nehemiah 1:11
It is the favor of the Lord that grants us success and favor with those who can help move us forward. We need the favor of the Lord in our personal relationships and in our working relationships. It is His favor that can promote you, allow your gifts to be noticed, allow an important contract to be signed, allow someone of influence to make a place for you. His favor allows you to be seen as He sees you. After all, God is your biggest advocate! As your Father, He always desires to share His heart for you with others.
I can understand this in my own limited way. I love to function as an advocate for my children. When I talk to someone about my kids I rarely hold back my enthusiasm, sometimes gushing how wonderful they are. I am not exaggerating when I speak of them like this; it is how I see them. My influence causes others to see them in the same light I see them, and at times doors have been opened for them because of it. This is how our Father is with His kids. He is happy to "brag about you"' to those who need to know how wonderful you are! His influence (favor) causes others to see you the way He sees you – and it may open doors for you. This is God's favor.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
We truly do live in the midst of an ongoing battle against an enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy. He is always scheming to keep us from favor and becoming established in all that God has for us. But as we seek the favor of the Lord we gain a strategy that the enemy cannot thwart. If the works of your hands need to be established, now is the time to seek His favor.
I want to invite you to enter into a twelve-day initiative that the Lord had me do as I began 2012. For twelve days you can pray over yourself and your family a Scripture regarding the favor of the Lord. You will declare and seek His favor in every aspect of your life and include your nation and His people. You can use this throughout the year to continue to pray.
Twelve Days of Declarations for 2012
Day 1: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord to rest upon the work of my hands, the work of my family's hands and the work of your people's hands as written in Psalm 90:17:
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands."
Day 2: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord that provides protection and safety over my life, my family, my household, and the Body of Christ as written in Psalm 5:12:
"Surely, LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield."
Day 3: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord to establish success in my life, my family's lives and in the Body of Christ in all that we do and before all people that we deal with, as written in Nehemiah 1:11:
"...Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."
Day 4: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over my prayers and requests that bring me the help that I need, the restoration that our land needs, and brings health and bounty back to the areas of desolation in my life and my land; as written in Isaiah 49:8:
"This is what the LORD says: 'In the time of My favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances...'"
Day 5: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over my life, my family and the Body of Christ, which removes our barrenness, our desolation and our wastelands, as spoken of in Daniel 9:17:
"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, look with favor on Your desolate sanctuary."
Day 6: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over my life, my family and the Body of Christ that removes all disgrace from us and from among the people as written in Luke 1:25:
"'The Lord has done this for me,' she said. 'In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.'"
Day 7: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over my life, my family and Your people that gives us ease, peace and kindness in the midst of circumstances beyond our control as You did for Ruth, through Boaz, in Ruth 2:13:
"'May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,' she said. 'You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant – though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.'"
Day 8: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord and Your presence to go with me, my family and the Body of Christ that provides grace for us even in the midst of our shortcomings as Moses prayed in Exodus 34:8-9:
Day 8: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord and Your presence to go with me, my family and the Body of Christ that provides grace for us even in the midst of our shortcomings as Moses prayed in Exodus 34:8-9:
"Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 'Lord,' he said, 'if I have found favor in Your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.'"
Day 9: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord that grants my requests and the requests of my family and Your people, the same way Joab did before the king in 2 Samuel 14:22:
"Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, 'Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request.'"
Day 10: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over my life, my family and the Body of Christ that delivers us from everyone and everything that is oppressing us, as Jehoahaz prayed in 2 Kings 13:4:
"Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD's favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel."
Day 11: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord that brings forth His compassion and restoration to our lives, just as King Manasseh experienced in 2 Chronicles 33:12-13:
"In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to Him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God."
Day 12: I seek and declare the favor of the Lord over every aspect of my life: Over my comings and goings, over my family and friends, over my city and nation, and over every moment of every day. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says:
"For He says, 'In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.'" I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
In closing, I want to leave you with this encouragement from 1 John 5:14-15:
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him."
Blessings and favor,
Kathi Pelton
