Two Weeks of Praying Grace预览

Your Bubble of Favor 

...to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6 NASB)

God’s glorious grace has been freely bestowed upon you in Jesus, His beloved Son.

The phrase “freely bestowed” is the Greek word charitoo. It has the same root as the words charis and charisma—which are usually translated “grace”—and it appears in only one other place in the entire New Testament. When the angelic messenger first appeared to Mary to let her know she was about to conceive the Messiah, he greeted her by calling her charitoo (see Luke 1:28)!

What does this unusual Greek word mean? Charitoo means “compassed, or surrounded, with favor.” Paul declares that if you are in the Beloved, then you are constantly encircled by God’s favor, just as Mary the mother of Jesus was when she was selected for the greatest honor ever extended to a human being.

Wherever you go, whatever circumstances you find yourself in, you go in a bubble of favor—predisposing people to listen to you, like you, receive you, and bless you. The psalmist David had the concept of charitoo in mind when he wrote:

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12 NIV).

Some will read this promise and immediately disqualify themselves. They instantly think, I’m not righteous. Of course, for anyone in Christ, that simply isn’t true. In Jesus, we have been made righteous with His righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). You don’t get any more qualified for favor than that!

In Jesus Christ, you are charitoo—surrounded and shielded by an abundance of God’s favor through the wonder of His grace. His favor goes in front of you before you even enter a room. It remains behind, working for you after you leave. You live in a bubble of God’s favor.

Prayer of Declaration:

Father, Your grace is glorious and has been freely bestowed upon me in Your beloved Son. I thank You that I qualify to be surrounded by Your favor as with a shield because I have been made righteous with Jesus’ righteousness.

I declare that Your favor is all around me. Wherever I go today, whatever circumstances I find myself in, I go in a bubble of favor. People are predisposed to listen to me, like me, receive me, and bless me. I will walk today in the quiet confidence that comes from the assurance that Your favor encircles me.