"For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield" (Ps. 5:12 NKJV).

If you are a born-again child of God, this Scripture is talking to you!

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that because of Jesus' sacrifice we have been made the righteousness of God in him.

Through the blood of Jesus we have been made right with God—the barrier and separation that once existed because of sin have been done away with, and we have obtained right-standing with our heavenly Father!

So, when the Bible declares that the Lord will bless "the righteous" with favor, it means you and me!

In Webster's dictionary the definition of favor includes: "friendly or kind regard; good will; approval; liking; unfair partiality; favoritism"; "attractiveness"; "to be partial to; prefer"; "to help; assist"; "to do a kindness for;" "endorsing."

To be favored means: "regarded or treated with favor"; "provided with advantages"; "specially priviledged."

Just think about that! God wants to give you special privileges. The favor of God will cause people to go out of their way to bless you without even knowing why they're doing it. And the more you are blessed, the more you can be a blessing.

Supernatural Favor
God's supernatural favor flowing in your life is not based on your background, looks, or personality. His favor is based on the Word of God and believing what it says about you.

Favor can break through any barriers set before you, and it is available to every child of God.

When you believe and activate your faith for God's favor, it will work for you. Someone may not particularly like you or your personality, but that doesn't matter. You're believing in God's ability to influence them, and His favor on your life is supernatural. In other words it supersedes natural circumstances.

Genesis 12:2 in The Amplified Bible says:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make you name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].

This scripture clearly shows that God wants to bless you with supernatural favor. He wants you to be blessed and to make you a blessing to everyone you meet.

Daniel's Example
We can see this kind of favor operating in the life of Daniel. He and all the Israelites were prisoners in Babylon. For reasons that can't be explained naturally, though, he had favor with the leaders of the land.

"Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (Dan. 1:9).

In other accounts we learn that Daniel had so much favor with the leaders of the land, he was elevated to prestigious positions in the Babylonian kingdom. Even though the circumstances were stacked against him, Daniel eventually became the prime minister of Babylon.

Why did good things happen to Daniel? Because of God's favor.

Daniel loved and trusted God and expected things to turn out well for him. As a matter of fact, the book of Ephesians says there is special favor for those who sincerely love Jesus: "Grace [favor] be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity" (Eph. 6:24 NKJV).

You can be just like Daniel. Call yourself a success. Expect promotion to come your way. See yourself highly favored, with good things happening in your behalf. Confess it. Believe for the impossible! God's supernatural favor will work for you.

How To Activate Favor in Your Life
One way to reap a harvest of God's favor in your life is to sow favor. Make sure that you are helping someone else and showing favor to them. As it is said, "What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you."

Any time you plant a seed—weather it is in finances, friendship, favor or any other area—that seed leaves your hand but it doesn't leave your life. It is working in the supernatural realm, bringing you a harvest in that same area.

It's important to sow favor in order to reap it in your own life.

Source: The Favor Factor by Kate McVeigh
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers