Royals: Living in the Realm of God's FavorSample

Expanding Our Capacity for Favor

Let’s consider Esther’s selfless decision to go before the king (Esther 4:9-17). The moment she chose selflessness, an expression of love and fruit of the spirit (1 Corinthians 13:1; Galatians 5:22), thereby expanding her capacity to experience favor. When we are self-centered or selfish, we limit our capacity to handle the favor needed to liberate others and do the impossible. God’s commandment of love requires us to step outside our bubble and live beyond the realm of “me, myself, and I.”

Do you want to experience unusual favor? Hold God and others in mind. Esther held God and others in mind. Esther’s mindfulness of God is revealed in her call for a fast, and her mindfulness of others is revealed in her “If I Perish, I perish” decision (Esther 4:15-17). Her mindfulness of God empowered her to be mindful of others. In other words, Esther was able to love others to the point of giving her own life because she loved God— taking us back to what we learned earlier in this plan, favor begins with loving God, and it is sustained by growing in love with God.

How can fasting increase our capacity for favor?

We do not know the details of Esther’s fast, but we know fasting involves humbling oneself, praying, and studying God's Word to hear from God and inquire God's will concerning different issues (Daniel 9:3; Acts 13:3). Fasting is an intentional expression of humility that elevates our spiritual sensitivity and increases our capacity to receive divine direction (Psalm 69:10; Ezra 8:21). The key here is humility, and there is a connection between humility and favor. Proverbs 3:34 (AMP) says, “Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].”

Esther's fast was for spiritual purposes—to provoke unusual favor and enhance her capacity to download divine strategies to change an unjust law and defeat the enemy of her people, God’s people. Jesus said, "when you fast", not "if you fast" (Matthew 6:16-18; Luke 5:35). Thus, fasting is necessary for the believer to see and experience the unusual. The kind of favor Esther experienced after fasting was unusual. We can have the same experience by doing what she did. Remember, the scripture was written for our learning (Romans 15:4).

If we want to experience unusual favor or live in the realm of favor, we must grow in love with God, be mindful of others, and humble ourselves before God.

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