Favor is not favoritism; it is God’s empowering grace given for kingdom purposes.

Over the past several weeks, we have followed the apostle Peter’s journey from failure to restoration, from an old identity to a new one, and from human weakness to a Spirit-empowered life and ministry. Peter became a great leader in the Church, but his transformation did not begin with a platform. It began with the restoring word of Jesus.

In John 21, after Peter had denied Him three times, Jesus restored Peter relationally, ministerially, and prophetically. Jesus commissioned him three times: “Feed My sheep.” That word declared God’s intention for Peter’s life. His failure would not define him; God’s word would.

When God gives us a word, He reveals what He sees and what He has determined. When we agree with His word, live by it, and declare it, it changes the atmosphere around us and the situations we face. Yet before mission can be embraced, identity must be secure.

Many people want to step out for God even while they are still unsure of who they are as sons and daughters of the Father. But ministry is not a means to earn respect, gain a platform, or get noticed. We serve with the assurance that we are loved and adopted into God’s family. Even before considering what God might do through us, we must know who we are to Him.
Peter learned this truth.

After Pentecost, he no longer hid in fear. Acts 2:14 says, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice…” (NKJV). Peter had a new identity, greater favor, new relationships, and new actions. The man who had once denied Jesus now stood publicly to proclaim Him.

That transformation brings us to an essential truth: favor is not favoritism. Favor is God’s empowering grace given for kingdom purposes. Each of us has a calling, with one or perhaps several purposes within it, and God gives grace and favor to those He can entrust with His purposes.

Favor Poured Out at Pentecost

In parts of Africa, reports have described as many as a million people professing faith in Christ in a single day—an illustration of the harvest possible in this generation.

Acts 2:40–47 tells us that those who gladly received Peter’s word were baptized, and three thousand souls were added to the Church. The believers then continued together in worship, fellowship, and generosity:

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking … praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
—Acts 2:46–47 NKJV

At Pentecost, God’s favor was poured out on Peter and the early Church. Empowered by a new identity and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke boldly. Thousands were convicted by the gospel and gave their lives to Jesus. Favor did not merely make Peter successful; it enabled him to influence people, advance the gospel, and help transform Jerusalem.

Favor is not merely a personal blessing. It is empowering grace that extends beyond our own lives.

The same Holy Spirit is still at work around the world. Humanity has grown from roughly four billion people in 1970 to more than eight billion today. Calling this a time of harvest is an understatement. Even if ours is not the generation in which the Lord returns—and no one knows the day or the hour—God surely desires to bring a great harvest among the billions alive today.

We hear of enormous gatherings in parts of Africa, including Nigeria, where vast numbers have professed faith in Christ. At the same time, believers in places such as Nigeria face severe persecution, and underground churches in Iran, China, and North Korea endure tremendous pressure. We must pray for them. Human regimes may resist the gospel, but Jesus remains Jesus. Even when we cannot reach people directly, we can pray for God’s power to break in and break out.

There will never be another Pentecost; that once-for-all event has already occurred. But there can be many outpourings of the Holy Spirit. More importantly, we do not have to wait for a future outpouring to allow the Spirit to consume us, use us, and empower us for God’s purposes today.

Imagine what could happen if the churches across Tucson—perhaps a thousand congregations—became so alive in Christ that they enjoyed favor with the entire community. Imagine a Church ablaze across the city, not merely going through the motions but living out the revelation that Jesus is in us and with us. Peter stood and raised his voice. That does not mean we must be loud or boastful, but we can be confident in Christ and be a godly influence wherever He has placed us.

What if critics, mockers, agnostics, atheists, and those who have left church life began to ask, “What is it about the Church?” What if, instead of ridicule, they saw light and love radiating from God’s people? When our gospel is expressed through love, restoration, and an invitation to the fullness of Christ—not through hate and division—people take notice. The gospel becomes infectious, and Jesus becomes desired rather than rejected.

We need sound doctrine and clear teaching, but the gospel must never be reduced to apologetics, mental arguments, or human reason. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. When we understand who we are in Christ and the Spirit’s power is released upon and through us, real change begins. My desire is not simply to give messages that teach, but to give messages through which God transforms.

We do not receive this power because we are perfect, but because Christ is perfect. We rely on the Spirit to form godly character in us and to release His gifts through us. I especially challenge the younger generation: get hungry. Do not be content merely to hear older believers describe how God moved in another era. Ask to see and experience the Holy Spirit’s power in your lifetime—the gifts of prophecy, healing, miracles, and words of knowledge. The same God still moves in power.

The early disciples were considered uneducated and untrained, yet others recognized they had been with Jesus and that their witness was turning the world upside down. Education is valuable—I have earned a doctorate and taught in seminaries—but it alone is not enough. We need the Word, the Spirit, and a people willing to pursue God together.

Prayer is the engine that birthed this church, as it has birthed every healthy church. Prayer meetings should be full, and new prayer gatherings should arise naturally from hungry hearts. Entertainment has its place; I enjoy a good television series, too. But the Church needs believers who want to pray together until heaven breaks in.

Favor Is Empowering Grace

The harvest arrives as people recognize that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

Acts 4:13 notes that the authorities recognized the disciples as uneducated and untrained men who had been with Jesus; Acts 17:6 records the accusation that these believers had “turned the world upside down.”

“A good man obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 12:2 NKJV). The word translated “obtains” conveys receiving or drawing something out from God. Favor is closely tied to the biblical concept of grace—God’s gracious help, blessing, enablement, and power. We could state the principle this way: a good person draws grace from the Lord.

Salvation itself is the unearned gift of grace; we cannot earn it (Ephesians 2:8–9). Yet God grants greater grace and favor to those who catch His heart and embrace His purposes. Favor is not a vague feeling of divine approval. It is God’s empowering grace at work in and through those who walk with Him.

If the Holy Spirit is the agent of grace, should we not desire more of His work in our lives?

Jesus taught that if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). We do not ask merely for a spiritual experience. We ask for more of the Spirit so we may receive empowering grace to accomplish God’s purposes on earth.

Favor increases through intimacy with God, obedience to Him, and faithfulness in what He has entrusted to us. As we walk faithfully, we develop a testimony of God, and our confidence grows as we remember His faithfulness.

Jesus Himself modeled this principle:

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
—Luke 2:52 NKJV

Jesus was fully God and fully human. Born of a virgin, He grew up in a household and was tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He lived in complete dependence on the Father and the Holy Spirit. As His followers, we should expect to grow in wisdom, spiritual maturity, grace, and favor. A kingdom-minded believer and a kingdom-minded Church should expect increase.

We can grow in our use of the Spirit’s gifts. For example, healthy prophecy is not the reckless announcement of doom and destruction or partisan predictions. According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, prophecy edifies, exhorts, and comforts. It builds people up in their gifts and callings, helps activate them for ministry, and gives them a clearer perspective on Christ. Some widely publicized prophetic claims around the 2020 election failed to meet that standard, but their failure does not erase the genuine gift. The Church needs a healthy, biblical understanding of prophecy.

At the same time, we cannot prophesy revival into existence. We can position ourselves to walk with God, hear His voice, and cooperate with heaven, but revival also holds a sovereign mystery. No amount of declaring or decreeing can manufacture it before God’s appointed time. Sometimes He begins moving among the most unlikely people and in the most unlikely places.

We should absolutely pray for revival, but if revival—or even the prayer for revival—becomes an idol, we miss the larger reality that Christ already dwells within us. I have seen revival in various parts of the world, and I deeply desire it here.

A week of walking in the mountains on vacation last week gave me time to wrestle again with this mysterious tension: God tells us that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2), so we must pray and seek His face; yet our prayers do not make us the agents of revival. He is.

Perhaps part of revival’s essence lies in the journey itself—sitting at the Father’s feet, enjoying His presence, and praying, “God, I love being with You. Move in my life, my family, and the families of this city. Let favor increase, and bring thousands to Christ.” From that posture of humility, striving falls away. We cooperate with heaven without pretending we control it.

Our church property offers a tangible reminder of favor. Purchasing it twenty-two years ago required God to open doors. Yet the story began much earlier. I would have loved to meet the people who planted a church on this site in 1956, led by a female pastor at a time when that was especially unusual. They bought a small piece of land where the old sanctuary and parking area now stand. Over time, the congregation acquired additional parcels—the back lot and the front lot—for about $25,000. They could not have foreseen everything future generations would need.

Years later, our congregation would build a new sanctuary here and use those added parcels for parking. Today, less than 2% of this roughly 2-acre site remains available for development. Those early believers made decisions whose full value would only become clear decades later. Sometimes God is doing something through our obedience that we cannot yet see because its purpose belongs to generations down the road.

What would it look like for you to cooperate intentionally with God and grow in wisdom, maturity, grace, and favor during this season of your life?

Favor Always Has a Purpose

Favor is not proof that we are better than others. It is evidence that God has entrusted us with a task. Throughout Scripture, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Mary, Peter, and the early Church received favor because they carried God’s heart and purposes for their generation.

Joseph is a powerful example. He was betrayed, enslaved, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Yet Scripture says:

“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
—Genesis 39:21 NKJV

Favor was present even when Joseph’s circumstances did not look promising. His coat symbolized favor and calling, but fulfilling that calling required preparation. God used every injustice and every season of waiting to mature Joseph for his assignment.

Joseph eventually told his brothers:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…to save many people alive.”
—Genesis 50:20 NKJV

What in your life might God be turning toward good, even though it once seemed entirely unfavorable?

God’s favor on Joseph was not merely for Joseph. It enabled him to preserve lives, sustain a nation, protect his family, and bless future generations. Likewise, the grace on your life is not only for you or even your immediate family. God gives favor to affect generations.

Our spiritual blessings are redemptive. God blesses us so His life, grace, and goodness can flow through us to others. Favor opens doors and enables us to stand in places where we may not seem naturally qualified. We may suddenly find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?” The answer is often, “But God.” Yet every open door must be stewarded with humility, faithfulness, and obedience.

The psalmist prayed:

“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.”
—Psalm 67:1–2 NKJV

God’s blessing has a missional purpose. His face shines on us so that His way may be known throughout the earth. His blessing empowers us to be a blessing to others.

Carolyn and I learned something about this as young missionaries. In our early thirties, we moved to Haiti with our infant daughter. I left my work as an electrical engineer, and Carolyn left her work as a software engineer. We walked away from good-paying jobs because we believed God had told us to go. Some relatives thought we were crazy, and the decision required real sacrifice. It took years before our finances began to turn around.

Looking back now, however, I see God’s kindness everywhere—even in simple, unexpected gifts, such as two free rounds of golf at a country club near Sedona on our recent trip. Those are not the purpose of favor, but they are reminders of a Father who knows how to bless His children. The order matters. Too often, we put the cart before the horse and say, “Give me the income and the comfortable life; then perhaps I will serve.” The better prayer is, “God, here I am. Use me.”

This is not a call to take a vow of poverty; it is a call to put God’s assignment ahead of our preferred conditions. As one brother once prayed, “Lord, let me be a coin in Your pocket, and spend me however You want.” That is the posture of surrendered favor.

So we must ask ourselves honestly: are we primarily seeking God’s favor for personal comfort and benefit, or seeking empowering grace to carry out His purposes and become a blessing to others?

Favor Does Not Eliminate Adversity

We can have God’s hand of blessing and favor on our lives and still face persecution, delay, opposition, and adversity. Favor is not the absence of hardship. In fact, hardship may increase—but God is greater.

Peter and John experienced this in Acts 4. After telling a lame man, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you,” they commanded him to rise and walk in Jesus’ name (Acts 3:6). The healing caused a stir. Peter and John were imprisoned and threatened for preaching the gospel and healing the sick—as though they were practicing medicine without a license!

When the two apostles were released, the Church did not merely ask God for comfort or protection. Instead, they prayed:

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word.”
—Acts 4:29 NKJV

God answered by shaking the place where they were gathered, filling them afresh with the Holy Spirit, and empowering them to speak His word boldly (Acts 4:23–31). God gives greater grace and power to those whose motivation is to advance His kingdom, proclaim the gospel, and disciple nations.

Peter later wrote:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour…But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
—1 Peter 5:8–10 NKJV

The Amplified Bible describes Him as “the God of all grace, who imparts His blessing and favor.”

The God of all grace restores, strengthens, confirms, and establishes us. He does not use hardship to destroy us but to prepare and mature us, making us what we ought to be in Christ.

Many of us discover new levels of grace after setbacks, trials, failures, and seasons of waiting. Like Joseph, we may find that favor is sometimes veiled by circumstances. A prison season does not mean God’s favor has left us. It may mean He is preparing us for the next door He intends to open.

Think of marinating meat. A good marinade tenderizes the meat and seasons it throughout. In a similar way, a difficult season can tenderize our hearts and season us with the grace, love, and humility of Christ. It is easy to smile at that picture after the fact; no one jokes about being “marinated” when the pain is most intense! Yet God can use it all, teaching us greater humility and dependence on Him.

Is there an area of your life where favor is hidden beneath adversity, delay, disappointment, or injustice? Joseph’s story invites you to ask what God may be preparing in that season.

Favor for the Church in This Hour

When waiting for an outpouring becomes discouraging, Jesus remains our sure anchor of hope (Hebrews 6:19).

I believe the global Church is entering an hour of unprecedented grace. That does not mean the road will be easy. In places like Nigeria, an extraordinary harvest and severe persecution can coexist. The enemy resists as the kingdom of light advances, yet the very scale of the harvest testifies that favor is at work.

The Lord looks on the body of Christ with love, acceptance, and grace. The Church is not perfect, and at times we are divided and even unattractive. Church history makes this plain. Yet Jesus has never abandoned His people. He is the perfect One who covers our imperfections.

We should pursue humility and truth, but we will not understand every doctrine perfectly. Perfect grace is not the same as perfect doctrine. Christians have disagreed for centuries, even over baptism. Some traditions baptize infants by sprinkling, while others insist that believers must be fully immersed. The debate continues, but there must be room in Christ’s family for those who have been sprinkled and those who have been dunked. Jesus is the One who said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Recognizing our limitations is not a license to compromise Scripture. It is an invitation to walk humbly and graciously, acknowledging that sincere believers may interpret some passages differently. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). We must shift our thinking from judgment to blessing, continuing to pray for God’s mercy on our nation while living with love, acceptance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

We are Christ’s ambassadors, called to bring light into darkness. We need grace and favor to confront the powers of darkness and reveal God’s goodness. The world needs a loving, confident, Spirit-filled Church that displays the richness of its inheritance in Christ.

The psalmist declared:

“You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come.”
—Psalm 102:13 NKJV

There are appointed seasons of greater grace and favor—seasons of revival, awakening, and spiritual harvest. In some parts of the world, the acceleration of people coming to Christ has been evident for years. I believe the harvest can come to America as well. We must hold on, continue to pray, and keep believing.

At the same time, we must not passively wait for God’s future move. Jesus is our sure anchor and the hope of our salvation. His Spirit is already within us. Because He is in us, we can rise now.

Stewarding Favor for Kingdom Purpose

Favor should never produce pride, entitlement, or passivity. It creates responsibility. Every relationship, opportunity, influence, resource, spiritual gift, and open door God gives us must be stewarded faithfully.

Moses prayed:

“Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.”
—Psalm 90:16–17 NKJV

We should ask God not only to bless our work but also to reveal the work He has appointed us to do. Favor is not merely about getting what we want. It is about being empowered to accomplish what God desires.

That appointed work takes many forms. Romans 12 describes gifts such as prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy. First Corinthians 12 describes gifts of the Holy Spirit, while Ephesians 4 describes ministry gifts given to equip the body. The gift of giving is just as important as healing or prophecy. God graces some people with the ability to generate and release resources for His purposes. The gift of administration also matters greatly. Whatever our gifting or natural propensity, we can ask God to let His face shine on us and to establish the work of our hands.

God has entrusted each person with a purpose and the local Church with a corporate mission. Even retirement does not cancel that calling. Retired believers still carry gifts, wisdom, prayer, and influence. Favor may also create new employment, unexpected provision, or additional income streams. In every season, God can use His people as His hands and feet—serving the poor in practical ways, setting captives free, praying for the sick, and proclaiming the gospel to those who do not know Christ.

What relationship, opportunity, spiritual gift, resource, or open door has God entrusted to you that now demands greater stewardship, humility, and faithfulness?

Favor Is Both an Inheritance and a Responsibility

God’s favor is not proof that we are better than others. It is proof that we have been entrusted with a purpose. Like Joseph, we may experience seasons when favor seems hidden beneath hardship, delay, or injustice. Yet no circumstance can remove what God has placed within and upon us.

In Christ, we have received a new identity, a living hope, and an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:3–4). Favor is part of that inheritance, but it is also a responsibility. Grace can be squandered or left dormant. Like the servant in Jesus’ parable who buried his talent instead of investing it, we can bury what God has entrusted to us (Matthew 25:14–30). God calls us to use it.

Let us therefore contend for more of God’s grace and favor—not for ourselves alone, but for our families, our church, our city, our nation, and the generations to come. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to breathe afresh upon His Church and grant us a new vision, so that we believe God is not finished with us. World events do not nullify His promise. Jesus said His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:33). It is an everlasting kingdom that continues to grow and advance.

May we see through God’s eyes, remain engaged with His purposes, and pray:

Lord, let Your favor rest upon us. Establish the work of our hands. Open the doors You have prepared, and grant us the grace, humility, wisdom, and courage to carry out Your purposes faithfully.

Impart Your grace to those seeking employment and to those preparing to take on a new assignment. Anoint those in retirement and continue to use their gifts. Provide unexpected streams of income where resources are scarce.

Make Your Church Your hands and feet in this hour—helping the poor, setting captives free, seeing the sick healed, and proclaiming the gospel to those who do not know Christ.

Breathe on Your Church. Grant us fresh eyes and renewed vision to believe You are not finished with us, with America, or with Your people around the world. Let us see the growth and advancement of Your kingdom and remain faithfully engaged in Your purposes.

In Jesus’ name, amen.