Series Theme: Walking in the Favor of God

Key Terms & Biblical Definitions

Grace (Charis / Chen) — Unmerited Favor
Grace is the unearned favor, kindness, and help of God. It is not something we can earn through our own goodness or works; it is freely given by God. Grace reminds us that God’s favor begins with who He is, not with what we have accomplished.

Mercy — Compassion Instead of Judgment
Mercy is God withholding the judgment or punishment we deserve and responding with compassion. A simple way to remember the difference is: grace gives us what we do not deserve, while mercy withholds what we do deserve.

Acceptance (Ratson) — Being Pleasing to God
Acceptance describes being pleasing, acceptable, or a delight before God. It carries the idea of God looking upon someone with pleasure or approval. Walking in God’s favor should therefore involve a desire to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Righteousness — Right Standing with God
Righteousness means being in right standing with God and aligned with His standard. We cannot produce true righteousness through our own works. Through faith in Christ, believers receive righteousness from God and are then called to live in a way that reflects that righteous position.

Favor — God’s Gracious Approval and Kindness
Favor is God’s gracious approval, kindness, and goodwill demonstrated toward a person. Favor may open doors, provide opportunities, bring protection, create influence, or cause others to respond positively toward us. However, biblical favor does not mean that life will always be easy or free from trials.

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Series Focus Scriptures

• Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

• Psalms 5:12  For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

• Psalms 90:17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

• Psalms 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

• 1 Samuel 2:26  And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

• 1 Samuel 16:22  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

• Acts 7:10  And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

• Daniel 1:9  Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

• Esther 2:15  Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

• Esther 2:17  And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

• Exodus 12:36  And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them [such things as they required]. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

• Genesis 39:21  But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

• Proverbs 12:2  A good [man] obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

• Proverbs 13:15  Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors [is] hard.

Wise thinking, common sense, and listening to instruction make a person well-liked and respected by both God and others. People who break rules, rebel against authority, or act deceitfully face a rough, painful, and destructive road. 

 

PART ONE — Understanding Favor: With God and With Man

What Is Favor?

Biblically, favor is God’s gracious kindness, acceptance, help, and influence operating in a person’s life according to His will and purpose. Favor is closely connected to grace: it is not something we can demand from God or purchase through good behavior. It is God choosing to show kindness, give access, provide help, open a door, protect, preserve, or place a person where His purpose can be fulfilled. The study resources describe favor as God’s gracious approval and kindness in action, and one resource helpfully distinguishes between the favor believers possess because they belong to Christ and the favor they learn to experience in everyday life through faithful living.

 

Favor is not merely getting what we want; biblical favor positions us to accomplish what God wants.

 

What Favor Is — and What It Is Not

• Favor is grace, not entitlement. We receive from God because of His goodness, not because He owes us.

• Favor is purpose-centered, not merely comfort-centered. Joseph had favor in Potiphar’s house and in prison before he ever reached the palace (Genesis 39:2–4, 21–23).

• Favor is not favoritism. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), yet He may assign different opportunities, responsibilities, and seasons to different people.

• Favor is not freedom from hardship. Noah, Joseph, Moses, David, Mary, and the early believers all experienced opposition while God’s hand was upon them.

• Favor is not a guarantee of money, position, or an easy life. Sometimes favor looks like strength to endure, wisdom to respond, protection in danger, or grace to complete an assignment.

 

Favor With God vs. Favor With Man

Luke 2:52 places both ideas in the same verse. Jesus grew “in favour with God and man.” Favor with God concerns our relationship with Him—His pleasure in obedience, His presence, grace, guidance, and enabling upon our lives. Favor with people concerns the goodwill, trust, access, credibility, cooperation, or opportunities that God may allow us to have with others.

 

The order matters. We should never trade favor with God for acceptance with people. Galatians 1:10 warns against living to please people at the expense of serving Christ. At the same time, Scripture does not teach us to be careless about our relationships. Proverbs 3:3–4 connects mercy and truth with finding favor and good understanding “in the sight of God and man.” We seek to please God first, and then we live with the kind of integrity, wisdom, humility, and love that can build trust with people.

 

Biblical Examples

 

Noah — Favor Can Preserve You for Purpose

Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Noah’s favor did not remove the flood; it gave him instruction, protection, and an assignment in the middle of judgment. Favor may not remove the storm around you, but it can give you what you need to obey God through it.

 

Joseph — Favor Can Remain on You in Unfavorable Places

Joseph is one of the clearest pictures of favor in Scripture. He was betrayed, sold, falsely accused, and imprisoned, yet Genesis 39 repeatedly says that the Lord was with him. He found favor with Potiphar and later with the keeper of the prison. Joseph’s circumstances changed several times, but God’s presence did not. His diligence and integrity also mattered: wherever Joseph was placed, he became trustworthy with responsibility. Eventually God used that season to bring him before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:37–41).

 

Moses — Favor Is Connected to God’s Presence

Moses did not simply ask for success. In Exodus 33:13 he prayed, “If now I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way.” He then declared that God’s presence was what distinguished His people (Exodus 33:15–16). Favor without God’s presence would be empty. A favored life is first a life that wants God Himself.

 

Samuel and Jesus — Favor Can Grow

First Samuel 2:26 says Samuel “grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.” Luke 2:52 uses similar language concerning Jesus. These verses show a pattern of growth: wisdom, maturity, faithfulness, character, and relationships develop over time. We should not reduce favor to a sudden breakthrough; favor can also be cultivated through a life that keeps growing before God.

 

Esther — Favor Can Give Access for an Assignment

Esther obtained favor with those around her and ultimately with the king (Esther 2:9, 15–17; 5:2). Yet the access was not merely for personal advancement. Her position became the means through which she could intercede for her people. God may give access because there is an assignment attached to it.

 

Part One Discussion / Personal Reflection

• When you hear the word favor, do you tend to think more about possessions and promotion, or about God’s presence and purpose? Why?

• Where have you experienced God’s help even though the situation itself was difficult?

• Is there an area where you are tempted to seek people’s approval at the expense of obedience to God?

• Which biblical picture of favor—Noah, Joseph, Moses, Samuel/Jesus, or Esther—best speaks to your present season?

 

Walking in Favor — Part Two How Do We Walk in Favor?

We cannot manipulate God into favor, and we should never treat favor like a formula. Yet Scripture does show attitudes and practices that position our lives in agreement with God’s will. The World Outreach study uses Joseph to emphasize the everyday side of favor: Joseph did not sit still waiting for promotion; he remained faithful, worked diligently, resisted temptation, and trusted God in every season. Walking in favor means living in a way that honors the God whose grace we have already received.

 

1. Seek God Before You Seek the Benefits

Moses connected favor with knowing God’s way and experiencing God’s presence (Exodus 33:13–17). Begin by asking, “Lord, what pleases You in this situation?” rather than only, “Lord, what can You give me?” Matthew 6:33 keeps the priority clear: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

 

2. Walk in Obedience and Integrity

Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife because he would not “sin against God” (Genesis 39:9). Integrity did not keep him from being falsely accused, but it kept his heart right before God. Favor is never permission to compromise. Proverbs 3:3–4 ties mercy and truth to favor with God and people. Be honest, dependable, kind, and consistent even when nobody is applauding.

 

3. Be Faithful With What Is in Your Hand

Joseph served well in every place he was assigned. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” One of the linked studies emphasizes this principle strongly: work as unto the Lord instead of performing only for human recognition. Favor often meets us while we are faithfully handling present responsibilities.

 

4. Grow in Wisdom and Character

Luke 2:52 joins favor with growth in wisdom and stature. Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), receive correction, develop your gifts, keep your word, manage your emotions, and learn how to deal with people. Spirituality should not become an excuse for poor preparation or irresponsible behavior.

 

5. Treat People With Grace

Favor with people is not manipulation; it grows naturally when our conduct reflects Christ. Proverbs 11:27 says that the one who diligently seeks good procures favor. Be respectful, serve without always needing recognition, forgive, show mercy, and do not burn bridges unnecessarily. Romans 12:18 says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

 

6. Pray for Favor, but Surrender the Outcome

Nehemiah prayed before asking the king for permission and resources (Nehemiah 1:11; 2:4–8). We can ask God for favor in interviews, relationships, ministry, school, work, business, and difficult conversations. But prayer for favor should always remain submitted to God’s wisdom. Sometimes a closed door is protection or redirection, not proof that God has abandoned us.

 

Walking in Favor — Part Two
Maintaining the Right Heart

 

7. Do Not Let Favor Produce Pride

When God opens a door, remember who opened it. Deuteronomy 8:17–18 warns against saying, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.” Favor should make us more grateful, not more entitled. Esther’s access to the king did not make her careless; it made her responsible for how she would use that access.

 

8. Stay Faithful When Favor Does Not Look Like Favor

Joseph’s prison season is an important correction to shallow ideas about favor. Genesis 39:21 says the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy while Joseph was still in prison. Do not measure God’s favor only by visible ease. A delay can contain preparation. A difficult assignment can contain development. A closed door can contain protection. Faith says, “God is with me here, so I will honor Him here.”

 

Practical Ways to Walk in Favor This Week

• Start the day with surrender: “Lord, order my steps and help me represent You well today.”

• Choose one area where your diligence needs to improve—punctuality, preparation, follow-through, attitude, stewardship, or communication.

• Ask God for wisdom before an important conversation instead of depending only on personality or persuasion.

• Look for one opportunity to show mercy, kindness, or service to someone who cannot repay you.

• Refuse compromise even if compromise appears to offer quicker access or approval.

• Keep a short “favor journal” for the next week: record moments of protection, provision, access, wisdom, help, encouragement, or unexpected kindness, and thank God for each one.

 

Signs That We May Be Misunderstanding Favor

• We become jealous when someone else is blessed.

• We think every open door must be from God or every closed door must be from the devil.

• We expect special treatment but neglect faithfulness and character.

• We value human approval more than obedience to God.

• We call material success “favor” while ignoring whether our choices honor God.

 

Part Two Discussion / Personal Reflection

• Which of the eight practices do you most need to strengthen right now?

• Are you being faithful in your present place, or are you so focused on the next door that you are neglecting this one?

• Have you ever discovered later that a closed door was actually God’s protection or redirection?

• If God gives you greater access, influence, resources, or visibility, who else should be helped by the favor on your life?