Last year I saw the power, presence and favour of God at work in my life in the most incredible way. I have so many testimonies of God being there for me, keeping me safe, providing for me, opening doors for me, healing me, restoring me, bringing incredible people across my path, and so so much more. 2014, for me, was definitely a year of experiencing the favour of God.
As I sat down last week, at the end of what has been an incredible year, I thanked God for His favour that has so evidently been all over my life, and I also asked Him for more of His favour this year. Don't get me wrong, I have a whole list of areas I want to grow in this year and have also set myself some pretty big goals of things I personally want to accomplish and achieve. But, for me to live the exceedingly, abundant and above life that He has called me to live, I need His favour. I need strength in my spirit, I need a healthy body and soul, I need finances, I need the right relationships, I need Him to enlarge my capacity, to daily renew my mind, I need to know Him more. I need His favour.
I woke up on the morning of January 1st 2015 and specifically thanked God for His favour over my life this year. I declared that this would be a year where I see His favour even more than last year. I began to ask God for something specific for that day. I told Him what His favour would look like in my life that day and as I talked to Him that morning, I said, "you know God, it would be really good if you could do this for me today, and in this way". I left my request with Him and went about my day, hoping He would do what I had asked, but knowing that I would still trust Him if He didn't. About four hours later, God had come through for me with my earlier request, not only had He miraculously answered my prayer that morning, but He answered it in an Ephesians 3:20 kind of way, the way that only He can! Not only did I receive what I asked of Him, but it was even better than my prayer! Obviously, I was super excited. It's always wonderful when God answers a prayer, but even more wonderful when it is above and beyond what we even asked Him for! I started thanking Him for His favour. And smiling I said, "Wow, God, I didn't know you were going to do that!" I felt His response in my heart, "Leah, My thoughts are higher than your thoughts, My ways higher than your ways. You might think you know what My favour on your life looks, but you haven't seen anything yet. What I want to do in you and through you is far greater than you can even imagine".
God is so good and He desires to do us good. It got me thinking that we often ask God for something, that we might think is pretty big, but actually, we can limit God with our prayers. When we pray we are not talking to a dead, distant or dormant God, we are talking to a King who sits on the throne, the God who is alive, to the God who has overcome the evil of this world and has conquered death a hell. We talk to a God who can heal, rescue, restore and redeem. A God who is for us and not against us. A God who wants to give us the desires of our hearts. A God who created the universe with His own hands. A God who is stronger than any force that tries to destroy us, bigger than any fear that tries to control us and more powerful than anything that comes against us. THIS is our God. Why are we surprised when He answers our prayers? Why do we only ask Him for small things when He is able, and willing, to do big things?
My prayer is that we would dream big, and then dream even bigger. Expecting the best is good, but let's not just expect the best, why have the best when you can have the best of the best? Expect the impossible. Believe for the unattainable. Reach for the untouchable and believe for the supernatural. God wants to do wonders, in us and through us this year. The amount of wonders we see will be determined by our faith, our attitude, our persistence, our seeking, our trusting, our serving.
Have you every read Isaiah 61? I love that portion of scripture and it has been close to my heart since I was young. It has always challenged, inspired and encouraged me whenever I've read it. I was once in a performing arts group called "Isaiah 61", we would share the Gospel through song and dance, it was a lot of fun! ;-)
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that THE TIME OF THE LORD'S FAVOUR HAS COME..." (Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT)
The thing is, His favour, which He wants us to experience, is not just for us, but rather to flow through us and touch those we meet. The whole point of us experiencing the favour of God, redemption, and restoration, is to enable us to live lives where His love and grace freely flow from us to impact the lives of those around us. When I think of God's favour on me this coming year, I get excited. But, when I take that a step further and think of His favour on my life spilling out to impact others, well that makes me want to jump for joy. Which is why this year I am asking God for MORE of His favour. I am not on this planet to live a boring, play it safe, mediocre kind of life. I am here to live big, to live full, to live right, to live free and to proclaim to those who don't yet know, "THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE FAVOUR OF GOD", and so are you! :-)
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