Agree with God…You have favor!

Another Java, Jammies, and Jesus entry….

Dear Friends,

Lately I’ve been struggling with this whole message of favor.  I mean, I know God put it on my heart, and has been continually, relentlessly causing me to understand favor, see favor, appropriate favor… and yet… there’s this voice that haunts me that says, “You’re making too big a thing about this favor…”, or “You’re being self serving,” or…. “Nobody really cares, Maryann… it’s just a message for you.”

And so, I went to the Lord about it today.  “What do you say,” I asked?  “What do you want me to do with this emphasis?  Is it important to the Body or is it just something to help me with long standing insecurities?”

Then during our Java, jammies, and Jesus time, I asked my husband what he thought.  And his answer was, “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel.” (Ps 16:7)

Hmmmm….. “Has He given you counsel, Maryann?”  Yes…. yes, He has.

And why is that not enough?  It should have been, but it wasn’t it.

God, however, in His favor and mercy, knew that…. so while checking out the calendar for our son’s school, (totally random activity!) I came across Bill Johnson’s (his school pastor) message entitled, “Favor like Jesus.”

Oh, wow.  Set up by God, again!!

Here is the link for those of you who would like to experience a Bill Johnson message:

Favor of Jesus

Anyway… around 30 minutes into the message, Bill gives an encouraging prophetic word to his church and viewing audience stating that over the next 10 years, God will be adding a supernatural power to our COVERT  ministry… the ministry of wisdom and discernment.

Businesses, schools, and the marketplace will all need God’s supernatural wisdom.  The world needs millions of Daniels positioned to dream dreams, interpret them, provide visions, and prophecies to those in need.

But… and here’s the really encouraging part to me…. those who are positioned in places of favor, who understand and know favor, who appropriate, release, and increase in favor, will be those who bless their spheres of influence with this amazing wisdom and discernment our Most High wants to give.

FAVOR IS A BIG DEAL!

And the other encouraging part to me…. in order to gain wisdom and discernment, we need to be in constant intimacy with God, abiding in His love, with Him having open access to our hearts and minds!

INTIMACY IS A BIG DEAL!

So, I see His work in me… and mine here… Intimacy with God is not about 5, 10 or even 30 minutes in the morning to get our day blessed or refueled, as helpful as that is!  It is the condition of our hearts – that always permissive, united, and conscious awareness of the presence of the Almighty, speaking continually to us, and us always open to hearing His soothing, and yet exciting voice.

I am renewed in my mission.  I am compelled to passionately pursue Him, His face, and His love for me, not just because of the marvelous peace it brings to my soul, but also because it is the link to bringing it to all He brings within my path.

Knowing He favors me has been life changing.  I actually feel good about myself, because I KNOW He feels good about me!  My confidence level has soared! My ability to know what to do in various situations has skyrocketed.  My anticipation of favorable outcomes no matter where I go or what I am involved with brings incredible joy.  It is an awesome way to live, and oh, am I grateful.

If you struggle with favor, with confidence in God and yourself, with moving forward in life with the things God has told you, please let me know.  If I can help, I would love to.  Intimacy increases your understanding of and appropriation of favor… it is so good, because He is!

I thank you all for sticking with me this past year…. I love you…