Have you ever worked hard and still feel like you are not getting ahead?
Maybe you’ve watched others get promoted while you stayed in the same position. Maybe you’ve applied for opportunities that never materialised. Maybe you’ve done everything right and still felt invisible.
If that’s where you are right now, this article, “Praying for Divine Favour”, is for you.
Here’s the truth: when God favours you, people automatically favour you. His favour opens doors of opportunity that no human effort could unlock.
“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield.” — Psalm 5:12 (NKJV)
In our previous articles, we’ve covered why your prayers feel unanswered, how to pray in God’s will, and how to persist in prayer. Now it’s time to apply everything you’ve learned to another critical area: praying for divine favour.
Let’s look at three powerful steps to walk in God’s blessing, and then we’ll pray together. This is what praying for divine favour looks like in action.
Biblical Examples of God’s Favour
The Bible is filled with examples of ordinary people who found extraordinary favour with God, and because of that, found favour with men.
Esther
Dozens of beautiful women were gathered from India to Ethiopia, but only Esther found favour before Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women.
“Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.” — Esther 2:9 (NKJV)
Esther did not compete or manipulate. God favoured her. And that favour brought her to the throne.
David
Everything David did pleased the people. 2 Samuel 3:36 records that “whatever the king did pleased all the people.” This was not political skill. It was the favour of God.
Joseph
Potiphar realised that God was “giving Joseph success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3). When Joseph was imprisoned unjustly, “the Lord made him a favourite of the prison warden” (Genesis 39:21). And when he stood before Pharaoh, the king declared: “Can we find anyone else like this man?” (Genesis 41:38).
Joseph went from slave to prime minister—not by climbing, but by being favoured. This is why praying for divine favour is important.
Benefits of God’s Favour
Here are two powerful benefits of walking in God’s favour.
1. Advancement and Promotion
“They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” — Psalm 84:7 (NKJV)
God’s favour creates opportunities for you to advance and grow as a person.
- Joseph went from slave to prime minister.
- Esther became queen.
- Mordecai went from a gatekeeper to the king’s prime minister.
- David went from tending sheep to becoming king.
When God favours you, promotion comes—not by your striving, but by His hand. This is one of the reasons praying for divine favour is so powerful.
2. Success
“The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.” — Genesis 39:2-3 (NLT)
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” — Psalm 1:3 (NKJV)
Jacob is another example. Even though Laban kept changing his wages, Jacob continued to succeed until he became greater than Laban (Genesis 30).
David succeeded in everything Saul asked him to do, even when Saul sent him on dangerous missions hoping he would fail:
“David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.” — 1 Samuel 18:14 (NLT)
Nehemiah prayed that God would grant him “success today by making the king favourable to him” (Nehemiah 1:11). With God’s favour, Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls in just fifty-two days, despite constant threats from his enemies.
When God favours you, success follows—not because you are perfect, but because He is with you. This is what praying for divine favour can lead to.
Personal Testimony
I went from a reporter with no experience to a director in four years because of God’s favour.
Here is what my career path looked like:
Reporter → Head of Content Hub → Head of Operations → Senior Editor → Editor-in-Chief → Director of Content
All of this happened between 2015 and 2019. My boss favoured me. The work I did and the ideas I suggested pleased him. When opportunities came, he nominated me. When he eventually resigned, he nominated me for his role.
In May 2019, my boss resigned from his role as editor-in-chief. I was worried about what the future would hold. I had no idea who his replacement would be. I surrendered my worry to God and waited to see what would happen.
One day, to my surprise, my boss pulled me into a corner and told me he was nominating me to take his position. I was shocked. I had never even dreamed of this because I was not a career journalist. I had not prayed for this promotion. I had not campaigned for it. God favoured me simply because He wanted to.
What God did for me, He can do for you. Praying for divine favour can grant you access to this as well.
Prayer Points for Divine Favour
Use these prayer points as a guide. Personalise them. Pray them in your own words, from your own heart.
Prayer Point 1: Ask for God’s Favour
Father, You said You will have mercy on whom You will have mercy, and compassion on whom You will have compassion. Lord, surround me with Your favour. Favour me as You favoured Joseph, David, Esther, Mordecai, Jacob, and Nehemiah. In Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point 2: Find Favour Before People
Father, as Jesus, Joseph, Samuel, and David found favour before people because You favoured them, let me also find favour before people in my workplace, business, career, school, or application. Let me find favour. In Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point 3: Open Doors of Promotion
Father, Your favour creates opportunities for promotion and success. It promoted Joseph, David, Esther, and Mordecai. Father, let Your favour open doors of promotion and make me successful in my career, business, and everything I do. In Jesus’ name.
I Pray With You
Father, You are the one who lifts people from the dust and sets them among princes. Surround Your child with Your favour. Let them find favour before people. Open doors that no one can shut. Promote them. Succeed them. Let them be a living testimony that Your favour changes everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
You now know how to pray for divine favour and walk in God’s blessing.
But favour is just one area where you need God’s intervention. There are other areas—business, ministry, family, and more.
Next, we will learn how to pray for divine provision.
➡️ Read Next: Praying for Divine Provision – A Scriptural Prayer Guide
But here’s the thing: praying for divine favour is essential—but having a complete prayer guide for every situation makes all the difference. Everything you’ve learned in this series is exactly what I unpack in my book, Praying Right—from the foundation of prayer to a complete scriptural prayer guide for every situation you face.
Stop hoping your prayers work. Start knowing they do.
Get your copy of Praying Right here and start praying with confidence today.