Introduction

“Greetings, favoured one!”

This angel’s address to Mary is also a personal greeting from heavenly Father’s heart straight to you. You are his favoured one, his beloved.

Living in this gutsy reality will encourage your whole being. It is freeing, uplifting, empowering, and releasing.

Significantly, an experience of Father God’s favour will have you imparting a different flavour in all areas of your life: a favoured and kingdom-flavoured view of yourself, your relationships, finances, work, and yes, church!

Favour is not so much a quick shower we take in order to get clean. Rather, it is a long soak in a warm bath. It will cleanse you, revitalise you, de-stress you, and give you space to focus on the favour that is already yours. It will lead you into a deep place of rest.

The invitation, then, is for you to read one of these brief chapters each day. They are short enough to be read over a cup of coffee or breakfast first thing in the morning. Pore over one before you hop in the car or go to the gym, so you can ponder along the way. Or perhaps families might read one together after dinner or couples may reflect over one before turning off the light at night.

Why favour?

Well, it’s all about the tiny dots!

While reading Luke’s gospel in my newly purchased slimline NRSV bible in 2004, I placed a little dot in the margin every time I came across the word favour. By the time I was halfway through chapter four, there were nine separate references!

That was compelling enough to have me pondering from then till now. These daily snippets are the fruit of that contemplating.

The reality is, many of us don’t know how greatly favoured we are.

This book is written to change that. My prayer is that these sketches will take you into a deep encounter with the Father who loves you; an engagement that will release you into a life of rest, trust, joy, influence, and impact.