Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Christian Crier

Home
About

Home
Evangelical
God’s Favor: How Do I Obtain It?

God’s Favor: How Do I Obtain It?

Last updated on: February 18, 2014 at 5:35 pm by Jack Wellman

God’s Favor: How Do I Obtain It? 2014-02-18T17:35:11-06:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Everyone likes to be favored but how can a believer obtain God’s favor? What does the Bible have to say about being favored by God?

We All Need a Favor

Everyone needs a favor once in a while. There are friends, family, and co-workers that sometimes need a helping hand and we have done a favor for them and they may have done a favor for us to. There is no shortage of people helping people when it comes to doing favors for one another but what about God? How can a person obtain God’s favor? Does God only favor the believers? What does the Bible say about this?

God is searching for the humble but He is against the proud.

Bible Verses on God’s Favor

Psalm 51:12 “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

Who does God favor? It is only those who are righteous. Who can be righteous? Second Corinthians 5:21 says “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Genesis 39:3-4 “When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.”

When God is with the righteous, like Joseph, He often gives them success. This doesn’t mean that everyone who is righteous will prosper in this life, but most certainly in the life to come and He will favor those on the Day of His return and judgment (Rev 20:11-15).

Job 10:12 “You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.”

God is the Author of life and is also the preserver of life for Psalm 16:1 is a prayer that asks “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord I have no good apart from you.”

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

God’s anger is not a human kind of anger but a righteous anger but His favor will last, not only for a lifetime, but for all time because He has redeemed us from eternal death by the life of His only Son (John 3:16-17).

Isaiah 6:2b “But this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

God is actually looking to the humble and resisting the proud or prideful as James 4:6b says “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The translation for the word “opposes” is actually to “be at war” in the Greek and so God can be said to be at war with the proud but He gives grace to those who humble themselves and have a contrite spirit (Prov 29:23; Isaiah 57:15).

Conclusion

God is searching for the humble but He is against the proud. Second Chronicles 16:9a says “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” If a person really expects to find God’s favor, then listen to what Jesus says; “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)! You either believe Jesus or you don’t. He is either telling the truth or He is not. Since God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and He is not like mankind that he would lie, then we know Jesus is not only telling the truth, He is the truth (John 14:6) and there is eternal life in no other name in all the universe (Acts 4:12; 16:30-31).

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want to Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.

Previous Post

February 1, 2014

What Do Puritans Believe? What Is Their History?

Next Post

February 22, 2014 What is God’s Grace?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Bible say is better than gold?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wine Wisdom Strength Bread