Can Athletes have Favor and Anointing?
I have been searching for the truth in both these questions for over a month. During my time seeking the Lord and His will for our team this upcoming season, I felt God spoke to me clearly about His favor. Because many have focused on prosperity gospel, some choose to avoid talking about or dwelling on the favor of God, instead focusing on His grace and mercy. For some reason that really bothered me.
The favor of God is mentioned throughout the Bible in regards to God’s faithfulness. It began early with people like Noah and Moses. The two people that specifically caught my attention was Mary, who was highly favored, and most importantly Jesus who grew in favor. If Jesus grew in favor, then I want to grow in favor.
As I began researching favor, I found that in the Hebrew favor had several meanings. At times favor is used interchangeably with grace and mercy, while other times it is used as a synonym for blessing. There were also times that favor was used in Kingdom terminology which referred to a person having favor in a King’s eyes, resulting in extreme blessing with people such as Ruth.
I was asked multiple times. How do you define favor? I appreciate those asking me this, because it made me think about how do I actually define favor. I was not certain, I just knew from over 50 years of life, I was so thankful of everything God had done for me and considered it all favor. Yes, I could call it amazing grace or unmerited mercy, but many times it was best described as God’s favor.
Another thing that I understand clearly is that you don’t earn favor, but instead favor is a gift specifically given from a loving Father whenever He chooses and to whomever He chooses. Someone mentioned that favor isn’t fair. That may be the most accurate statement I found while seeking on this journey. Those still on fire for God after years of serving Him all knew that favor exist and had so often shown up from above whenever they needed it.
There are a few times in the Bible that people asked God for Favor. One that stuck out to me was when Jacob was wrestling with an angel and refused to let go until he was promised the favor of God. Does that make it ok to ask God for favor? The Bible says that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him with all their heart.
Favor is not winning, fame, or fortune. That is most likely the biggest fallacy when discussing favor in people’s lives. However, favor can show up in any fashion God so chooses. Favor in the Bible was seen through healing the sick, releasing someone from prison, and God protecting men from a fiery furnace or a Lion’s den. Favor is not magic, luck, or coincidence. Favor is God being a loving Father and Him knowing exactly how it will impact a person at any point in time.
As I studied favor, I became more and more aware to the fact that I would never stop desiring God’s favor at work in my life. Yes, I know humility, grace, mercy, and serving others are all powerful. The principle of lowering yourself allowing Jesus to shine more is always a wise route to take, but somewhere in the very middle of doing that is favor.
How many times did favor get God’s people out of trouble or save them from certain destruction? As Stephen asked God to forgive his murderers while they stoned him to death, something so powerful that the Bible says Jesus arose to His feet in heaven. Where was the favor of God in that? Was Jesus demonstrating favor when John the Baptist was being beheaded and Jesus did nothing except tell everyone that His cousin was the greatest prophet of them all. John the Baptist and ten of the disciples of Jesus were martyred for boldly spreading the Gospel of Jesus. I know it is difficult for us to see favor in this, but if we could only see them now as they received a reward far greater than we can even imagine. That same unmeasurable reward awaits all who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
As I sought to learn more about the favor of God, He seemed to throw another word at me. That word was anointing. To me it seemed like a first cousin to the word favor, but with a stronger spiritual connection. I also began seeing a strong connection between anointing and the Holy Spirit’s presence on or now in people.
As David was anointed King by Samuel, the Holy Spirit came on him and never left. Jesus was anointed as King, Prophet, High Priest, and the Son of God. Acts 10:38 specifically says that Jesus of Nazareth was specifically anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and power. Following that anointing, Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Yes, the Bible says people that are under the power of the devil. Why would you want to be a slave of Satan, when you can have the Power of God in you!
I studied how they anointed someone such as a priest in the linage of Aaron. They would pour oil over them separating them and marking them for what I would call the favor of God.
All of my searching on anointing brought me back to how I defined anointing as well. Today, I believe I have been giving clarity on how I define favor and anointing.
My definition of God’s favor is simply the Hand of God.
The hand of God on my life is worth working, serving, and fighting for daily. Without the hand of God on our life, we can do nothing worthy of bringing Him Glory. Do I obey and do the very best I can even before I hear from God? I try, but even if I am not seeing favor or feeling an anointing on my life, I will still praise my Lord and Savior. Why because He has already been so good to me, that I could never repay Him for dying on the cross and forgiving my sins. Praise Him in the Pit, Praise Him on the Mountain! Seek Him in a dry season, Seek Him during the rain!
We don’t go by feelings, we go by facts, and from what I read, favor and anointing follow those who are after the Heart and Hand of God on their lives. This is worthy of daily walking with Jesus, seeking and worshipping Him with all we have within.
It is always a matter of Lordship. Anything that we allow to come between us and Jesus is our problem. If that is fame, riches, pride, or identity, then we must fix ourselves and refocus on Jesus. I will repeat this once again. The focus is never on gaining favor or serving in order to increase the favor or anointing in our lives.
Favor and anointing is not like an allowance from you parents, they are gifts!
In Mark 10, after telling the young rich ruler to give away his wealth and come follow Him, Jesus tells his disciples, “You shall receive 100 times as much in this life” but he also adds “with persecutions.”
The more breakthrough you get, the more opposition you get.
For a short time, we are to work, sacrifice, and gather the Harvest, with no selfish desire of personal gain. The powerful truth is when you have that mindset, focus, and a heart completely set on being God’s hands and feet, then the favor, the anointing, and the Hand of God follow.
I heard it described as Kingdom Abundance (Gen 27:28). We will always have more than enough to fulfill God’s will in our life. He commanded us to dream, imagine, go, disciple, decree, and to walk in His Glory. He provided us with gifts and talents to accomplish mighty things for Him. We are to be witnesses and examples for others to see. He tells us to never fear, but instead to be bold, strong, and courageous. Dreams are not meant to make us anxious. We are to be fearless favored anointed warriors.
Going to leave you with a surplus of promises today.
And God is able to make all grace (every Favor and earthly blessing) come in abundance to you, so that you may always (under all circumstances, regardless of the need) have complete sufficiency in everything (being completely self-sufficient in Him) and have an abundance of every good work and act of charity. – 2 Cor 9:8 in short… We are made to abound so that we are able to help others when needs come.
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. – Ecclesiastes11:4
Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. – Proverbs 20:4
Give thanks to God – He is good and His love never quits. – 1 Chronicles 16:34
When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Lord raises up a standard over them. Isaiah 59:19. The enemy is not coming in like a flood. The Lord comes in like a flood to save us!