Limiting God’s Favor: Part 1

The car refused to start and it’s raining like the days of Noah!  Finally getting it to turn over the delay caused everything to fall behind.

To top it off the washer overflowed, the cat threw up on the portable heater and I rushed to grab the new kitten as he danced in it thinking it was a “hot meal” prepared before his presence!  Oh God, why have you removed your favor from me?

“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?”

(Psalm 77:7 NKJV)

Being more dramatic the Evangelical Heritage Version for this passage is more accurate in matching emotion to emotion.  Take a look and imagine how this must look to God.

“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will He never again show favor?
 Has His mercy vanished to the end?

Has what He said failed for all generations?"

(Psalm 77:7-8 EHV)

Does that sound familiar? Maybe that’s not exactly how a bad day, week or month happens in your life, but it’s a good scenario of a page out of my book.  

Most of you know I absolutely love the rain.  However, sometimes it feels like everything I attempt to do to get ahead gets “rained on” and seems like nothing is moving forward to the good things God said He had planned for me.  Instead of thinking I’ve got to change my ways, I start questioning the Lord wondering what is He doing and why doesn't it involve me?

I’d venture to say that some of us have a great deal in common with one another in that department, along with a certain ruler we know as King David.  Throughout the psalms we read of when the king felt abandoned by God, and he urgently pleaded that His favor be restored.

“O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have

been displeased; Oh, restore us (favor) again!” (Psalm 60:1 NKJV)

“I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me

according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:58 NKJV)

There have been past times when I was in that position and prayed for God’s mercy (unmerited favor) as well, but sadly it didn’t come.  Can you relate?  The good news is that there was hope, and with the power of the Holy Spirit I made the necessary changes for releasing the favor of God.

Are you wondering why things just don’t seem to be bursting forth with getting ahead in your goals, dreams and vision?  Perhaps you have put the brakes on God’s favor by limiting the Holy Spirit with the way you think.

I’d like to talk to you today about some things that may be preventing you from receiving God’s favor, and what steps to take that might get you back on track with moving toward your heart’s desire.

Ticking off God

Did you know that Christians have a way of making God angry?  We think we’re being humble by not bringing all our problems and plans to the Lord because, “He’s too busy to hear my stuff and has bigger issues to deal with besides listening to petty things in my heart.”

In reality that “drivel” really ticks Him off, or as the Bible says, “provokes” Him to wrath.

Psalm 78:41 gives us an example of how God was angry with His people, because of their limited mindset as to what He could do for them. 

  

“Again and again they limited God, preventing Him from blessing them. Continually they turned back from Him and provoked the Holy One of Israel!” (TPT – The Passion Translation)

We actually have the ability to limit what God wants to do for us based on what we think, say, do or do not do.  It’s the truth!

Most people never reach their full potential because of their mindset.  They either think they’ll never achieve anything great, or they compare themselves with others and what they have done.  These “doubters” fail to remember the vision God put inside their heart and focus on the negative side of things.

My friends, you have to believe in the vision inside you before God can bless it.  If you don’t believe in your dreams why should anyone else?  When you change your thinking everything around you will begin to grow toward the dream.

Faith Comes by Hearing

Are you wondering, “How can I go from no vision to living the vision?”  That’s a good question and I’ve already touched on it when it comes to taking the limits off what God wants to do in and through us. 

There’s more to it besides letting go and letting God have His way.  In order for the dream/vision to come to pass you have to change something, and the first thing to change is your thinking.

Our mindset changes when our faith becomes renewed by God’s Word.  You’ve heard that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Faith builds as it is flooded by the voice of the Lord through listening to what He says on a subject.

After an accident at the place where I was teaching emotionally disturbed children, I began listening to inspirational preaching and teaching practically non-stop.  Having a lot to lose and believing God for my healing, I listened to everything on the subject and how it was God’s will for me to be healed.

This wasn’t just on Sunday’s but daily from 6:00 am until 1:00 pm I would soak in the Word, take notes and pray.  Whether it was on television (we had it then), CD or tapes, I listened to teaching from people I never heard before as well as some I had, investing in myself so that I could hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in my inner witness. 

Either God’s Word was true or this bible stuff wasn’t what I believed to be real after all.  I was committed to finding the truth about this book called the “Bible” and the Author of it.  I was hungry for guidance, knowledge and understanding so that God’s wisdom in my spirit came automatically.

As God’s Word became grafted into my spirit, it didn’t take long before my faith grew and grew.  Before I realized it favor and wisdom also came when I had to go to court, because my thoughts lined up with God’s.

“… and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh (in my case the judge), king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.” 
(Acts 7:10 NKJV)

Now Listen

Dr. Charles Stanley has a phrase that he continually uses through his messages.  When he’s about to make a life changing statement he makes sure his congregation is attentive to what’s about to come by saying, “Now listen!”

Daily listening to Bible teaching renews and transforms the entire brain literally causing things around us to change to His way.

The more I listened to sermons, teachings and scripture songs it became easier to stay on the same path with the Lord.  I could recognize when something didn’t line up with what God said in His Word and learned not to follow in that path that led away from what I really desired.

Be Renewed and You Will Transform

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 that the way our mind changes to think like God thinks so that blessings begin to flow into our lives, is to become a transformed creation.  Take a look at how The Passion Translation words this scripture reference.

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you,

 but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total

 reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s

 will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.”

(Romans 12:2 The Passion Translation TPT)

In other words, when we think the way our Creator thinks, we get the results like He did.  Why is that?  God never puts limits on what He can do.  He created us to do great things as well, and when our mind is transformed in His image stuff happens!

The daily hearing of God’s Word renewed my mind continually and caused me to move toward my dreams.  As I was being transformed my actions evolved around my vision, not my limitations.  

I began thinking, if this is of God, He will make a way.  All I had to do was keep doing things that lead me to my desires, even if it was only baby steps.

Our Weekly Challenge: 
Take off the Limits

Getting back on track for achieving what God has designed for us takes work, desire and belief that there is something worth the effort.  This week we’re going to take it slow, but still move toward getting the limitations of God’s favor removed from our lives.

I’d like you to begin with these two steps. They might not seem like much, but believe me when I say it won’t be as easy as you think to keep doing them on a continual basis.  Here we go, let's do this!

Step 1 – Start intentionally listening to motivational Bible teaching daily.

Be specific in who you select to listen to if you want your faith to grow.  Make sure that you literally hear the Word of God and intentionally put to action what you hear.

Step 2 – Change how you think about your life.

Start trusting God and what He says about you, your life and the plans He has reserved for the vision in your heart.  Believe that there really is limitless Daily Favor for your success already set aside and ready to be distributed as you seek direction from God.

Do you think you can do these things? I do, and with God’s help I know you can.  Believe in what God says about the wonderful life He has planned for you, and as you listen to His Word, the more He will reveal.

Come back for part 2 of Limiting God’s Favor, but in the meantime get excited about seeing your vision finally come to pass.  Change your thought patterns from “never” to openly confessing “today” I’ll start living a life without limitations on God’s favor!

 Faith Comes by Hearing by Josiah Ruff

Until next time, take off the limits for God’s favor!

I have more favor for you. Won’t you let Me give it?

-        Jesus Christ

What’s New This Week: Click on the link.

The Real Faith by Kenneth E Hagin

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.

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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.

Note: Emphasis may be given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God.

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues but is geared toward spiritual awareness.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.  

Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Unless noted, scripture reference in series was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.  Image credit:  Creative Common License if not specified.  What Is God Doing?  When God Gets Angry  New Mindset  Let's Do This

News from Fay, Where Faith and Favor Meet, Favor of God, Favor, Favored1, Daily Favor Blog, Limiting God's Favor: Part 1, God's Favor, Struggle with Believing, Believe, Trusting God, Kenneth E. Hagin, Josiah Ruff, Teaching Series, Weekly Challenge.