Friday, March 13, 2015

5 Ways to Live in Continual Favor: Part 2

Have you ever prayed and then did something thinking ... 

“Oh, great, now I blew my prayer request.  There’s no way God will answer that one.”? 

Well, that’s what the devil wants you to think.  As a matter of fact, he wants you to believe all those godly seeds you’ve been continually planting morning and night (like I mentioned in last week’s part 1) are destroyed.
Let me assure you, they are not.  God’s mercy allows us to step right back into His gracious favor. 

Welcome new friends this week from:
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New on DFBAlgeria; Bahrain; Barbados; Belarus; China; Egypt; Fiji; Kenya; Germany; Indonesia; Syria; Marina Islands; Mozambique; Rwanda; Lagos, Nigeria; Islamabad, Pakistan; Pokhara, Nepal; Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany; Lebanon; Switzerland.

USA Gibbstown, Marlton, NJ; Greeneville, TN.
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Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).
Visit News from FayQ & A or other sections.




Blessings in Continual Fear of the Lord
Continuing on our journey, believing what we believe, this one may cause your radar to sound, and I hope it does.  When the Bible talks to us about having a “fear of the Lord” it doesn’t mean we are to be afraid of God.  When we see this phrase in scripture it refers to the children of the Lord having a reverence and awe for who Jehovah is – GOD. 

People use the word “awesome” so much these days that they have destroyed the value of the meaning and to whom it belongs.  I never use that word for anyone or anything except when referring to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  There is no one like Him, so how can we use words that describe His greatness on anything or anyone but Him. 

“And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear (reverence) the LORD your God always (continually so it becomes habit).”  (Deuteronomy 14:23 NKJV)

Having a fear of the Lord comes with wisdom in knowing who He is, and recognizing that all blessings come from Him alone.  Revering God above everything else with your praise, blessings, offering and life will cause Him to dwell with you. 
When God’s in your house, He doesn’t come empty handed!

“…that all the people of the earth may know the Hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Joshua 4:24 NKJV)

Blessings in Continual Prayer
Throughout the Bible we read how people prayed and the Lord delivered them out of all their distresses.  How often do you pray?  Most people only pray when they are in a jam and need God to pull them out of their predicament.  They never even think to talk to Him daily let alone be in a continual conversation with Him, and then they wonder why God doesn’t swoop down like Superman to save them.

Our need to stay in a state of prayer isn’t because we are always afraid something is going to happen.  We are encouraged to be in communion with God so that when things do arise, we already have answers and we believe the Lord will do as He promised. 
Continual prayer boosts our belief life, because we are reminded of the goodness, grace and mercy of God even when we didn’t deserve it. What it really means is maintaining preparedness for our journey.

“He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.”
         (Psalm 106:10 NKJV)
          “Many times He regarded their affliction, but they rebelled in their       counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant,
and relented according to the multitude of His mercies.” 
(Psalm 106:43-45 NKJV) 

This is one of my husband’s favorite verses; it reminds us of how good our God is.  It is so powerful that the psalmist mentions it four times in Psalm 107:

“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of (ALL) their distresses.” (Psalm 107 NKJV)
How many distresses?  Not some, but all of them.

Blessings in Continual Rejoicing 

Have you ever been in a store where you see a “joy sucker” you want to avoid, so you slip into another aisle hoping they didn’t see you?  I know I’ve done it and so has my husband.  We scurry around the premises gasping so we don’t have that encounter with that “brother or sister” in Christ who wants to tell us about every bad thing that is happening in their life.  You don’t want to seem uncaring, but there are only twenty-four hours in a day!  I hope I’m never that person people are trying to avoid.   

What a downer to see a Christian in a bad mood over something that shows they have no faith.  How in the world can the Lord bless such a sour puss?  If we really believe what we say we believe about God’s Word, our outlook on things would dramatically change.

Instead of seeing our up and down moods, people would notice that when they see us we are in a continual joyful state.  Our situations would change and people would view us differently. They would actually want to be around us!  Wouldn’t that be nice?  

“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
 (2 Corinthians 6:10 NKJV)
“Rejoice in the Lord always.
 Again (continually) I will say, rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4 NKJV)

Saints should be continually joyful even when we are sorrowful, not because we ignore the pain, but we know the outcome is in God’s hands.  

If we truly believed we walk in the favor of God, our circumstances would be continually changing as our praise enters Heaven's gates.  Our habit of praising, sowing, praying and rejoicing would be a goal we strive to achieve as we reverence the Lord our Creator.

“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, therefore is not an act but a habit.”
Aristotle


This Week’s Challenge:
Continual Rejoicing

Consistency is vital for any successful venture, especially in pursuing Christ.  It's not something you can do once in a while, but has to become a lifestyle if we are to live what we say we actually believe.
To help us remember that our believing God is key to His blessings, we are going to learn to rejoice always, again and again and again.

For seven days we are going to sing scripture blessings unto the Lord as He has instructed.  God tells us to remind Him of His Word not because He needs to remember what He said, but so we remember what He has promised.
I’m sure you know many songs that contain passages of the Bible, but this week’s challenge is to memorize Philippines 4:4 through singing it to God in prayer (using the video's below).  In doing so, we will fulfill the last three items needed to walk in continual favor. 
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.”
 (Philippines 4:4 NKJV) 

When you are feeling discouraged or disheartened, remind yourself of what you believe and that continual favor from God comes through: 

Blessings in Continual Praise

Blessings in Continual Sowing

Blessings in Continual Fear of the Lord

Blessings in Continual Prayer

Blessings in Continual Rejoicing

This is Philippians 4:4. 
 Memorize it and you will have sung the Bible.

Until next time, continually focus on God’s promised favor.

“My Word is my favor.”
Jesus Christ

 What’s New This Week: Click on book or link.
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1167566&item_no=036632
A Handbook for Christian Living
by William Secker


Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Consistency  Fear of the Lord  Wisdom  John Wesley Quote  Rejoice Always
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.