*SCHOOL OF HAPPINESS | I AM HAPPY. I AM FAVOURED. I AM BLESSED | TUESDAY 21-03-2023*

 *SCHOOL OF HAPPINESS | I AM HAPPY. I AM FAVOURED. I AM BLESSED | TUESDAY 21-03-2023*

● *Esther 5:1* "Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house."

● *Esther 5:2* "And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter."

*FACT 1 | FAVOUR IS A GARMENT*

● *Esther 5:1* ... Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel ...

● *Favour is a spiritual garment* marking the covenant son of God for distinction and bringing him under special focus and attention.

● As soon as Esther put on her the garment of favour, strange things started happening to her.

*FACT 2 | Favour beautifies*

● Verse 1 says … when the king saw her … she obtained favour..

● I underline “saw Esther”

● I declare and I decree that divine favour will be seen on your face and visible in your life in the Name Of Jesus Christ!

● Hear me and hear me well … You don’t know what happens in the heart of men when they see your countenance. When you lack favour, just your countenance makes others to reject you. You are not welcomed. 

● What do I mean? I mean that favour makes your face shine, look good. Divine favour affects and changes the way people look at you.

● Do you know that there are demonic veils the devil can put on your face without you knowing and make others to depart from you?

● Let us read 

*2 Corinthians 3:15-18*, "But even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is on their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. But we all, with open face ( = with a face without veil / without mask …) beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.

● May any demonic veil or demonic plaster placed on your face hindering divine favour to be reflected on you be destroyed in the Name Of Jesus Christ!

● Friend, learn to always pray for your face that it should reflect favour, not disfavor; glory, not shame in the Name Of Jesus Christ !

*FACT 3 - Favour distinguishes and makes exceptional*

● *Esther 5:2* "And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing … that she obtained favor in his sight …"

● In this text, Esther was standing ( she was not bent down, she was not heartbroken,…) and she found favor…

● To stand means: 

 Knowing who you are

 Knowing what you carry

 Taking responsibilities

● *Romans 5:2* "Through Christ we can approach God and STAND IN HIS FAVOR. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God."

● Hear this wisdom … Before a child knows how to walk, he must learn how to stand.

● In life, how you walk depends on where you stand. 

● I command you in the Name Of Jesus Christ…

- Stand not on people’s accusation, stand on God’s justification. 

- Stand as an accepted one, not a rejected one

- Stand as a loved one

- Stand as a king/ queen, not as a slave

- Stand as a forgiven one, not as a forsaken

● *John 8:9*… despite the accusations, stand on the Lord and move forward …

*FACT 4 - Favor breaks protocol*

• The king broke his own protocol and Esther became an exception to the law 

• When you carry divine favor, protocols will be broken for you

*FACT 5 - Favor makes the heart available*

• *Esther 5:8* If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.

• You see? The king broke his own protocol to the extent that whatever she was asking the king, she was granted 

• When the heart is available, everything will be available.

• *Proverbs 21:1* The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will.

*THINGS TO KNOW* 

- When you don't have favor over someone, his heart will not be available for you

- When people struggle to invest in you, you need favor 

- When your voice is not listened to, you need favor

• *Acts 16:14* And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul.

● It takes divine favour for someone to open his heart to you and for you! It takes divine favour for someone to listen to you or to give you his/her attention!

● Let us read a Shocking Scripture

● *Genesis 21:14* And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

● *Genesis 21:15* And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

● *Genesis 21:19* And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

● In The Scriptures Above, Abraham gave Hagar a bottle of water only. We all know that Abraham was a rich man. He had gold, cattle, silver and money. 

● But see... What did he give to her? A bottle of water only. Why ? Not because he didn’t have. But because she didn’t have favour in his sight. 

● Take note that people will give to you not because they have but because you have found favour in their sight. 

● Take also note that the bottle of water from Abraham finished. But God opened Hagar's eyes to see the well of water.

• What does it mean? It means that What God can give you is far beyond what men can give you.

• Therefore, have your eyes on God, not on men.

● *What was the secret of Esther?*

*1. She was a woman committed to pray and fasting, not for herself but for others* 

*Proverbs 21:1* The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will.

● If you want to touch the heart of people, go to God because he has their heart 

*2. She was submitted to the instructions of Mordecai her uncle but also her spiritual authority*.

• *Esther 2:20* Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.

• *Exodus 12:35/36* And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; … Exodus 12:36 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians … 

*3. She was humble*

• *James 4:6* But he gives more grace. Why he said, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

• It takes humility to see favor

*Pastor TD KASUKU*