Maintaining the Favor of God in Your Life

Devotional

Day 1: Wine Turned to Water

Joseph sat in Potiphar’s prison, forgotten by the butler he helped. Yet God’s favor still marked him. Chains couldn’t stop divine purpose. When Pharaoh’s nightmare demanded interpretation, Joseph shaved, changed clothes, and testified: “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer.” Favor resurfaced because Joseph honored God in obscurity. [29:02]

God’s favor isn’t derailed by human forgetfulness. Joseph’s integrity in prison positioned him for palace promotion. The same God who stored up dreams for famine seasons stores grace for your hidden years.

You may feel overlooked in a job, relationship, or ministry. Yet small obediences today prepare you for sudden breakthroughs. What compromise have you tolerated that risks diluting your readiness for God’s next assignment?

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man… His master saw that the Lord was with him.”
(Genesis 39:2-3, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal areas where you’ve settled for human approval over His timing.
Challenge: Write down three past blessings God gave you during a “hidden season.”

Day 2: Fingers in the Belly Button

Young Samuel stirred in his bed, hearing a voice call his name. Three times he ran to Eli, thinking the priest needed help. Finally, Eli discerned: “It is the Lord.” Samuel returned to his cot, whispering, “Speak, for your servant hears.” The boy’s willingness to listen birthed a prophetic legacy. [34:38]

God still speaks to those postured to listen. Samuel’s story shows favor grows through humble attentiveness. Misplaced priorities or noise can drown divine whispers, but simplicity positions us to receive.

How cluttered is your spiritual hearing? Carve out ten minutes today to sit in silence. Turn off devices. Still your thoughts. What practical step will you take to prioritize listening over striving?

“And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’”
(1 Samuel 3:10, ESV)

Prayer: Confess distractions that drown God’s voice. Ask for Samuel’s alertness.
Challenge: Set a phone timer for 10 minutes of silence today—no speaking, just listening.

Day 3: Applause of Empty Thrones

Saul stood head-and-shoulders above Israel, anointed as king. Yet when women sang, “Saul has slain thousands, David tens of thousands,” jealousy consumed him. He hurled spears at David, prioritizing crowd approval over covenant purpose. The throne remained, but God’s favor departed. [58:44]

Favor flees when we crave human validation over divine assignment. Saul’s insecurity birthed paranoia, while David’s humility secured an eternal legacy. Whose praise fuels your choices?

Identify one decision this week where you prioritized people’s opinions over obedience. How can you recalibrate to seek heaven’s “well done” instead of earthly accolades?

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”
(1 Samuel 15:22-23, ESV)

Prayer: Repent of areas where you’ve sought human applause. Thank God for His affirming voice.
Challenge: Text one friend: “How have I pressured you to conform to my expectations recently?”

Day 4: Breaking Bread in Shadowed Rooms

The early church sold properties, shared meals, and prayed daily. Their unity wasn’t forced—it flowed from awe at God’s power. Miracles multiplied as they prioritized “the apostles’ teaching” over personal gain. Favor grew where self-interest died. [51:11]

Shared tables become altars. The Jerusalem believers didn’t strategize growth; they simply loved radically. Their surrender created space for God to add souls daily.

Who have you excluded from your inner circle because of comfort or convenience? Invite someone across generational, cultural, or theological lines to share a meal this week.

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”
(Acts 2:46, ESV)

Prayer: Intercede for someone you struggle to love. Ask God to give you their burdens.
Challenge: Invite a church member you rarely speak with to coffee or your dinner table.

Day 5: One More Push on the Pillars

Blinded and mocked, Samson gripped the temple pillars. His hair had regrown, but true strength came from desperation: “O Lord, please remember me. Strengthen me just once more.” One final surrender unleashed greater victory in death than in life. [01:08:38]

God’s favor isn’t a one-time deposit but a daily reliance. Samson’s flawed story proves even broken vessels can channel power when humility returns.

What “one more time” do you need to ask of God today? Stop negotiating with failure. Crumble pride. Grasp the pillars of prayer and beg for renewed strength.

“Then Samson called to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once.’”
(Judges 16:28, ESV)

Prayer: Cry out for one area where you’ve resigned to defeat.
Challenge: Write “ONE MORE TIME” on your mirror. Pray it aloud each morning this week.

Sermon Summary

Acts 2:42-47 sets the pattern. The early church continues steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers; “fear” settles on every soul; signs and wonders multiply; generosity erupts; praise rises; favor with all the people follows; and the Lord Himself adds to the church daily. The favor of God, not clever planning, carries the work.

The favor of God then shows a track record. Noah finds grace when wickedness is normal. Joseph carries favor through betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and prison, and still says, “It is not I,” giving all glory to God. His famine dream becomes a spiritual picture. In seasons of plenty, God’s people store truth and testimony so that famine in the word does not starve faith. Samuel grows in favor with God and with men because he learns to say, “Speak, Lord.” Different callings fill one house, but the same favor sustains it.

The favor of God can be obtained, and it can be lost. Eli’s indulgence of his sons costs him the ark and his life. Saul is truly anointed, yet pride and the need to be liked hollow him out and burn down his house. David refuses to strike the Lord’s anointed because an old anointing still matters to God. Samson’s strength collapses, not because hair is magic, but because his head rests in the enemy’s lap. Even so, grace gives him “one more time,” though not without cost.

Isaiah shows the turn that maintains favor. Chapter five says, “Woe to them.” Chapter six says, “Woe is me.” When the coal touches the lips, the heart is made clean. Uzziah then gives a road map: do what is right in the Lord’s sight, seek the Lord, and walk in His word. Seeking cannot stay in the sanctuary. It must go to the street. The early church does not ride the merry-go-round of routine. It moves. It prays together, breaks bread house to house, loosens its grip on possessions, and takes God to people.

Retaining favor means coming back under God’s umbrella when drift has happened. God has never failed. The applause of men fails souls. Heaven’s “well done” often silences earth’s clapping, and that is mercy. Holiness will look different, like John the Baptist eating wild honey and wearing camel hair, yet heaven calls that greatness. A mother’s steady prayer and a son’s “help me” show how God touches a life and turns wine back into water. Favor is not scarce. It keeps flowing where hearts keep asking, “Lord, do it one more time.”

Key Takeaways

1. Favor must be obtained, maintained, retained. God gladly places favor on a life, but favor is not a lifetime appointment boarded on autopilot. Hearts can drift, and choices can move a life outside God’s will. The good news is that repentance can bring a soul back under the umbrella of favor, where God delights to work “one more time.” [56:09]
2. Seeking God outruns seeking man’s applause. The itch to be liked will starve holiness and shrink courage. Heaven’s “well done” often requires saying and doing what cool rooms resist, yet that is where real authority lives. When the church prefers God’s smile to the crowd’s roar, grace stays near and power stays clean. [60:38]
3. Holiness requires different, public obedience. God’s people are meant to stand out, not blend in. Different choices, different loves, and different loyalties set a church apart, and the difference is not cosmetic but cross-shaped. That difference is often the very door through which favor enters a city. [39:27]
4. Prayer needs feet; act in faith. Prayer is oxygen, but mission needs lungs and legs. When petitions become practices, God’s presence moves from rooms to neighborhoods, from liturgy to lives. Obedience in motion keeps favor from evaporating into sentiment. [55:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:57] - Prayer and setup
[21:13] - Acts 2:42-47 read
[22:49] - Favor on the church theme
[25:11] - Noah and Joseph favored in hardship
[30:37] - Famine lesson and spiritual storehouses
[34:38] - Samuel’s call and favor
[39:27] - Stand out, not blend in
[44:07] - Samson: compromise and consequence
[48:07] - Uzziah’s way to keep favor
[52:16] - Merry-go-round religion warning
[55:24] - Put feet to the prayers
[56:09] - Retain favor after drifting
[57:51] - Choose heaven’s applause
[81:15] - Closing prayer and charge

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Observation Questions

What four practices did the early church prioritize in Acts 2:42, and how did these habits shape their community?
The sermon mentions that Joseph’s response to Pharaoh was, “It is not I” (Genesis 41:16). How did this attitude reflect his understanding of God’s role in his life? [29:42]
According to Isaiah 6:5 (referenced in the sermon), what shifted in Isaiah’s perspective when he encountered God’s holiness? [47:22]
What three actions did King Uzziah take to restore God’s favor in 2 Chronicles 26:4-5? [48:07]

Interpretation Questions

Why might the early church’s generosity and unity (Acts 2:44-45) have led to “favor with all the people” (v. 47)? How does this contrast with modern cultural values?
The sermon warns that Saul’s desire for human applause cost him God’s favor. Why is seeking approval from others incompatible with seeking God’s approval? [58:44]
Samson’s downfall began when he “laid his head in the lap of the enemy” (Judges 16). What does this metaphor reveal about the relationship between compromise and losing spiritual strength? [45:04]
How does Isaiah’s repentance (“Woe is me”) in Isaiah 6:5 model the humility required to retain God’s favor?

Application Questions

The early church “devoted themselves” to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Which of these four practices feels most challenging to prioritize in your current season? What practical step could you take this week to grow in that area?
The sermon warns against “laying your head in the enemy’s lap” through compromise. Is there a habit, relationship, or mindset you’ve rationalized that might be pulling you out from under God’s favor? [45:04]
Samuel responded to God’s call with, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). What distractions or fears make it hard for you to listen for God’s voice? How could you create space to say, “Speak, Lord,” this week? [34:38]
Joseph stored grain during plenty to survive famine (Genesis 41). What “spiritual storehouses” (prayer routines, scripture memorization, etc.) do you need to build now to prepare for future trials? [30:37]
The sermon urges believers to “put feet to prayers” by acting in faith. Is there a specific situation where you’ve prayed but hesitated to take action? What step of obedience is God asking you to take? [55:24]
Isaiah’s repentance (Isaiah 6:5) started with acknowledging his own sin, not others’. Is there an area where you’ve blamed circumstances or people instead of confessing your own need for cleansing? How can you turn this into a “Woe is me” moment?
The sermon closes with the plea, “Lord, do it one more time.” What breakthrough, healing, or restoration do you need to ask God for “one more time” with fresh faith? [01:08:38]

Sermon Clips

But isn't it sad that the church will go around and around and around just doing things over and over and over again expecting different results, only to find ourselves just as hopeless and empty as we have been in days gone by. We are wasting our time and our energy and efforts if something doesn't change directions. It doesn't change direction. The definition of insanity is simply keep doing the same thing over and over again and hope you get a different result. [00:54:22] (28 seconds)

You see, in Isaiah's day, in Isaiah chapter five, there are five, there are six, I'm excuse me, there are six woes that are given by God to Isaiah. Woah. Woah. Woah. But by the time Isaiah chapter six rolls around, Isaiah didn't see the woes of the people anymore. He saw the woes within himself. In chapter five, it was woe to what's going on in the world around him. But by chapter six, when he stood before God's glorious presence, it was woe unto me for I am the man of unclean lips. [00:47:00] (39 seconds)

It can get lost, but it doesn't mean it can't be found again. Just because we may at times in our spiritual journey lose our way, doesn't mean we can't get back in the way. Called straight. How many people, even if it's not in this house, maybe they're watching a lot or maybe it's people, you know, how many people maybe on their spiritual journey of life at times have veered. But the lord found them and he brought them back on the right path, the straight and narrow. [00:56:09] (36 seconds)

Just like Jesus said later in the New Testament, they come out from among them and be separate. It says, God God wanted a separate people. Even today in the hour in which we live in, the church is not supposed to look like the rest of the world. It is supposed to have a different look to them. It is supposed to look different. And if we don't look different, then we're not walking in the will of the Lord. We are supposed to stand out, not blend in. [00:39:03] (25 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

How does one maintain the favor of God?

How can one regain lost favor with God?

Why choose the applause of heaven over man?