A Prayer for God’s Favor
By Meg Bucher
“Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.” Psalm 21:6 NIV
“Can I ask a huge favor of you?”
We’ve all been on both sides of the favor coin. Favor is defined as “something done or granted our of goodwill; a kind act.” Favors don’t require payback. They are nice things we do for each other, knowing we will one day need one in return. Parents hand our favors like free popsicles on a hot day. We freely give, because our Father has freely given to us.
Praying God’s favor over our lives is essential. His favor reaches far beyond what we visibly need in this world. God’s favor provides a comfort, a peace, in knowing we are cared for. Your presence, the NIV Study Bible defines, means God’s favor is “the supreme cause of joy because it is the greatest blessing and the wellspring of all other blessings.” (NIV Study Bible) Favors bless us when we need it. God’s favor blesses us before we realize our need. He goes before us and behind us, faithfully shielding us and leading us.
Joy is defined as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.” Scripture reminds us to “be joyful always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16.) May our prayer today be for the favor of God to reign joy -which is not circumstantially moved- down on our lives.
Father,
We praise You for this day, and Your purpose for it. Lord, you guide us always (Isaiah 58:11). You surround the righteous with Your favor as a shield. (Psalm 5:12) Lord, this day we pray You would shield us from sickness, isolation, anxiety, attack, and calamity. Bless our lives with Your favor, God. We want to experience Your joy, that which isn’t circumstantial. Joy that leads us faithfully through pain and marches alongside us in triumph.
Lord, we pray the blessing of Psalm 84:11 over our lives today: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Waken our hearts each day to seek You first, God. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, we come to You for forgiveness for our sins. Inspire us to turn and repent from anything which threatens to separate us from You. Search our hearts, God, and renew a right spirit in us. We pray for Your favor to reign down on our lives, our relationships and friendships, and spread like wildfire to everyone You have placed in our lives, from our spouses to our co-works, church family and those we pass in the grocery store aisles.
May Your favor, Lord God, rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us. (Psalm 90:17) We pray the words Paul wrote, Father, For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith- and this is not from our selves, it is a gift from You, God- not by works, so that none of us can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Inspire us to dig into Your Word and Your Truth each day, Father, so that we may see our world …our days …our lives …from Your perspective. Replace any cynicism in our hearts with the hope of Christ Jesus.
Help us to live our lives within Your love, Father God. Through the Spirit of the Lord in us through Christ, nudge us in the right direction, throughout each day. So many thoughts enter our minds daily, God, help call attention to the ones we need to plant and the others which we need to throw out. Be the voice of reason which helps us determine the difference between truth and lies.
Lord, we know even when we cannot see or feel Your blessings, You surround us with them. When we seek You, we will find You. Flip our perspective - allow us to feel the rhythm of Your movement in our lives and flowing through our hearts.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ as a freelance writer, blogger at Sunny&80, and author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” and “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise.” She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to stay at home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her passion to write. A member of Faith Church in Sandusky, OH, she serves her church family as a Bible study leader for women and teen girls. Meg is a Cleveland native and lifelong Browns fan, living by the shore of Lake Erie in Northern Ohio with her husband, two daughters and golden doodle.
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