Dec. 05, 2013–Decree #5. I am growing in favour with God and with people

favourJesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people. (Luke 2:52)

Let me first of all thank those of you who have been sharing other decrees that have been birthed from those that are part of the 13 Decrees in December Fast.

If you’d like others who are on the Fast to stand in agreement with your decrees, please feel free to post them. Just make sure that they agree with the word, nature and character of God and respect the privacy of those over whom you are making those decrees 🙂

Now, today’s decree….

There are seemingly impossible situations in which we absolutely cannot receive breakthroughs based on our own merit, best efforts or persuasion skills. We need FAVOUR.

It should not surprise you to learn that the word that is translated “favour” is also rendered at times as “grace.” Interestingly, one of the classic definitions of grace is “God’s unmerited favour.” 

Here are some Biblical examples of favour:

Joseph found favour with his master, Potiphar. Consider how incredible it would be for a slave, who was a foreigner to boot, to be made overseer of his boss’s house and be put in charge of “all that he had.” (Genesis 39:3-5). That’s what you call favour!
And again in verses 21-23 of the same chapter we are told that he found so much favour with the warden of the prison that he “put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.” Imagine that, a prisoner being in charge of all the prisoners! Doesn’t happen unless you have favour!

When the people of Israel left Egypt, “the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:36). The Egyptians handed over their silver, gold and fine clothing. How do you “strip the Egyptians of their wealth” as another translation puts it, without favour, eh?

Ruth the Moabite found favour in the eyes of Boaz (Ruth 2:10,13). This poor foreigner becomes the owner of the very same fields where she had been gleaning just a few short days earlier. That’s favour for you.

It was said repeatedly of Esther that she found favour, first with Hegai, the eunuch (2:9), then in the sight of all who saw her (2:15) and finally with the King—initially when she was chosen Queen (2:17) and again when she needed to plead for the lives of her people (5:2).

Similarly “God granted Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.” (Daniel 1:9).

The same words used to describe Jesus in Luke 2:52 were actually used first in reference to a famous Old Testament figure: “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favour with the Lord and with the people.” (I Samuel 2:26)

Small wonder then that in the Psalms, whenever someone needed God to bring them a breakthrough, they prayed, not for breakthrough, but for favour! Here is but one example: “Let your favour shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.” (Psalm 31:16)

I could go on with more examples, but we’ll stop right there for now.

In the book of Proverbs we are told that God’s favour is available to the humble (3:34), to those who seek wisdom (8:35) and “earnestly seek good.” (11:27). We are also told that “favour is better than silver or gold.” (22:1).

Now you can see why we are decreeing favour on Day 5 of the Fast. So, go ahead, get started right now: I AM GROWING IN FAVOUR WITH GOD AND WITH PEOPLE.

Now, start decreeing into particular situations in your life right now where there can be no breakthrough without favour with God and/or people.

Let me leave you with the New Living Translation of the Aaronic blessing in Deuteronomy 6:24-26:
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you HIS FAVOUR and give you His peace.

For more decrees on favour, I would highly recommend a compact book by Bob Buess called: Favor: The Road to Success (available as a Kindle download)