Week 1, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Run to Daddy

  Some forms of worship only release their sweetest fragrance to God when offered from the fires of trial and adversity.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 25  

It is taught by some in the modern church that believers can expect an easy road in life if they will only have faith. It is good—even absolutely necessary—for true believers to believe and have faith in God. But the Christ of the Bible has never said “Life should be a breeze!”

Christians— good Christians —sometimes go bankrupt. Christians get cancer. Christians lose their jobs. Trials and adversity are real, even for believers—perhaps especially for believers. They touch every one of us and they hurt (and they usually have nothing to do with our faith level).

So how do you handle adversity in your life? Do you gripe and complain, saying, “Oh, woe is me!” Do you challenge or question God? “Why are You letting this happen to me?” Or have you learned to view trials as an opportunity to grow and to draw closer to your heavenly Father?

Children who get a cut or a scrape run to Mommy or Daddy for comfort—somehow their comforting and reassuring kisses make life better. The pain offers yet another opportunity to exchange love and deepen the bonds of unconditional love between children and parents.

In the same way, trials and hard times should propel us into our Father's arms. Rather than run from Him, we must run to Him and find comfort, strength and direction in His presence. Our faith is in Him, in His abiding love, and in His Word; not in the false expectation that all trouble and adversity will leave our lives.

Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” He also gave us this great promise: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” You are on assignment in enemy territory, and trials and adversity are part of living in a fallen world. As God walks through the hard times with you, the problems serve as purifying fires burning away your impurities and strengthening you for service— if you embrace the process of growth. Your trials tend to either make you or break you—it all depends on your response.

Paul and Silas were thrown into the Philippian prison, with their feet in stocks and their backs bruised and bleeding from wrongful beatings. They could have moaned and groaned, but at the midnight hour they were too busy “praying and singing hymns to God”! They transformed their pain into praise and their stripes into songs of joy. The jubilant worship birthed in the midst of fierce tribulation became a sweet fragrance in the nostrils of God. The presence of the Father arrived with such force that it shook the earth and brought deliverance to His worshipers. The sweet fragrance of their worship even affected the lives of the jailer and his family and changed their lives forever.

Athletes know that in order to grow stronger their muscles must be stressed and stretched in exercise so even stronger tissue will generate. This principle of “no pain, no gain” even applies to the Christian life. We cannot grow without pain and resistance.

God uses the trials and hardships of life to draw us closer to Him and to develop greater maturity in us so we can go on to greater things. Willing worship in times of tribulation becomes the sweet fragrance that brings God near.

It's easy to praise God when things go well. Have you learned to worship Him in hard times as well? Your trials and adversity are fresh opportunities to praise and worship God—and to experience new growth. When life hurts, don't run away— run to Daddy!

Week 1, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Be Prepared

      Protocol of the Palace #1
Never underestimate the potential of one encounter.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 26  

This Ethiopian's encounter with Philip lasted a matter of hours; perhaps only a matter of minutes. Yet that one encounter changed his destiny because in that encounter he met Jesus Christ. It is possible that that single divine appointment profoundly influenced the spiritual destiny of his people. Ethiopia has a Christian tradition that stretches back almost 2000 years, and many scholars believe it all began with this one encounter with Philip the Evangelist.

First impressions are lasting impressions . You only have one chance to make a good first impression, so prepare yourself.

No one in their right mind tries to “wing it” without preparation when going to a job interview, a first date, or when making presentations at work or in school. No, we try to prepare in advance. We do our best to put every detail and element in place for maximum impact.

Nobody likes to be embarrassed or humiliated, so we try to be at our best for significant events in our lives. If you were invited to meet the King or Queen of another nation, would you just walk in to meet royalty totally unprepared?

The Bible tells us Esther prepared herself intensively for an entire year for her one encounter with the king. She faced certain disaster otherwise. Even one slip-up or accidental error in protocol could have cost Esther her life. She would have missed her destiny and her people would have perished.

Esther had no idea about the divine appointment that lay ahead for her. Nevertheless, she diligently prepared herself; because she had heard the rumors. Never underestimate the potential of one encounter with the king.

The protocols of royalty seem totally foreign to those who live in democratic societies. Yet the protocols for meeting modern heads of state are similar in many ways. In the summer of 2005, a national champion women's lacrosse team was offered the honor to meet President Bush in the White House and have their picture taken with him. A minor controversy arose when four of college women wore “flip-flops” to the meeting. A number of observers suggested to the national media that flip-flops were inappropriate footwear when meeting formally with the President of the United States .

Regardless of your opinion about the “flip-flop flap,” we know that certain protocols do apply when meeting people in authority—particularly heads of state.

Why are preparation and protocol so important? You should n ever underestimate the potential of one encounter.

The Ethiopian official on his way home from Jerusalem had no idea that one encounter would soon change his life. Even so, he was still prepared for it. First, he had worshiped God in Jerusalem . Second, he had faithfully read and studied the Scriptures—in this case, he was trying to understand Isaiah's prophetic portrait of the Messiah who would come. God was attracted by his worship and honest hunger for truth, and He sent Philip to explain the gospel to him.

Life is full of strategic encounters and divine appointments . Too many of us miss our moment because we aren't looking for Him in every opportunity, or we fail to prepare.

Don't miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by being too lazy or too shortsighted to prepare? Even one encounter with the right person may change your life! On the other hand, you never know when you will become the “Philip” God sends to change the life of another in one divine encounter!

Never underestimate the potential of one encounter! Don't take the events and “coincidences” of life for granted. Prepare for your tomorrow by immersing yourself today in the fragrant perfume of worship, in prayer and careful attention to God's Word. Be prepared for every strategic encounter and divine appointment that God brings into your life. Be prepared!

Week 1, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

What Do You Want?

Whatever impresses you attracts you. Whatever you pursue becomes your purpose.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 28

He who dies with the most toys— still dies .

What do you want out of life? What attracts you, and drives you to get up and get going every day?

Are you living for your family, for fame, money, or a bigger house? Or are you living for the honor and glory of the King of kings?

Egypt's “Great Pyramid of Giza” is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It's immense mass and precision of construction still impresses us today. An early Pharoah of Egypt built the Great Pyramid over 4500 years ago as his personal tomb, and it remained the tallest man-made structure in the world until the 19 th century.

The pharaohs had vast stores of gold, jewels and other priceless treasures buried with them to provide for their needs in the afterlife.

The Great Pyramid was supposedly the greatest of all of the Egyptian tombs, so when Western explorers painstakingly unearth the tomb centuries later, they expected to find a “king's ransom” of wealth. They actually found nothing . Even the mummy case containing the embalmed body of Pharoah Khufu was gone. Unknown grave robbers had long since stripped the burial chamber bare of gold, jewels, and precious treasures.

Even mighty Pharaoh couldn't take his wealth with him! Anonymous thieves stripped his grave of everything, leaving only an empty and outwardly impressive tomb for a dead king whose body had long since turned to dust.

Most people spend their lives chasing things that do not last. They waste their most productive years pursuing wealth, pleasure and fame—only to reach the end of their lives with nothing to show for it all.

What good are riches, possessions or fame if you have nothing waiting in the hereafter ? It has been said that “you will never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” The writer of Ecclesiastes said, “ As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which h e may carry away in his hand.” Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Most people have it backwards. They pursue things and possessions thinking they are building security for themselves and their families. Jesus described a man who built bigger barns to hold all his grain so he could relax in luxury. But when God required his soul, he was not ready.

We find true security in seeking the kingdom of God. Seek the things of the Spirit and everything else will be supplied. Be careful about what you allow to impress you. Whatever impresses you attracts you. Strong attraction produces persistent pursuit. And whatever you pursue becomes your purpose.

Pursue the King, let Him become your purpose. This way you gain His kingdom and everything that goes with it . Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Pursue the King and He will give you everything else you need.

Jim Elliott, a missionary martyred in the jungles of South America in 1956, said, “ He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. ” The choice is yours. Will you spend your life pursuing things of the world that pass away, or will you pursue the King and His kingdom, which never passes away?

Week 1, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Bread? Or the Bread -giver?

Protocol of the Palace #2
Seek the heart of the King, not the splendor of His kingdom.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 31

What does it mean to pursue the King ?

It means wanting to know Him , not just hang around Him.

Have you met people whose sole purpose in life was to get as close as possible to people of power and influence? Their goal was to see what they could get from their association with the rich and powerful—they couldn't care less about really knowing them. The only sought the prestige or personal benefits won by saying, “I'm on the inside track” or “I'm in the loop.”

Jesus also had His share of “hangers-on.” He was surrounded by people who followed Him seeking only what He could do for them, not for who He was. They “hung out” with Him only for what they could get from Him.

This attitude even showed up in His own inner circle. James and John, the “sons of thunder,” boldly asked Jesus of they could sit on His right and left hand in glory. This made the other disciples angry. (Probably because they hadn't thought of it first!) Jesus taught them that the measure of true greatness in the kingdom of God is found only in the heart and attitude of servanthood .

People who always jockey for position aren't interested in serving but in being served. Christians who do this really know nothing of the heart of the King. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

In John 6:26-29, on the day after Jesus fed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, the same crowd had followed Him to Capernaum. Jesus bluntly confronted them about their attitude. “…you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you…”

He was talking to the people who weren't there because they loved Him or believed He was Messiah but because they wanted another free meal! They wanted to see Him do more amazing things and bask in the aura of His popularity so they could say, “Hey, I'm with Him !”

Jesus plainly told them He was the “Bread of life” and removed any illusion about what it meant to be “with Him.” It wasn't about a free ride or a free lunch. He called them to a life of faith and commitment to Him leading to everlasting life. Unfortunately, all they wanted was free bread.

“ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” They weren't interested in knowing the Bread-giver, they wanted free bread and the splendor of the spotlight. When its luster faded so did they.

If you're serious about pursuing the King, then seek to know Him. Seek His heart and love Him for who He is , not for what He can do for you. Become like Him, begin to think as He thinks, love as He loves and do as He does. Hang on His every word for the sheer joy of just being with Him! When you are with the King, nothing else matters!

Are you seeking the heart of the King or merely the splendor of His kingdom? Do you love Him for who He is or for what He can do for you? There is one way to know. Ask yourself: If I lost everything and all I had left was my relationship with the King, would that be enough?

Would you be satisfied? What are you after? Bread? Or the Bread-giver?

Week 1, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Press in Deeper

Protocol of the Palace #3
One day of favor can be worth a lifetime of labor!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 36

“Would you do me a favor?”

How often do you hear this question? How often do you pose this question to others? Probably nearly every day in one form or another. The very form of the question tells us a lot about favor .

When you ask someone for a favor your request is based on relationship , not on merit. A favor is granted to you not because you have somehow “earned” the right to receive it, but because of a relationship that exists between you and the one granting the request. It is relationship and not “right” that makes you confident that your request will be granted.

The Bible often interchanges the word grace for favor . In fact, grace is often defined as “God's unmerited favor” . We know that God gives His grace freely to all who ask in faith. When we come to Him in repentance He forgives us of our sins and accepts us into His kingdom. This is not because we deserve it or have earned it, but because He chooses to do so . This is God's favor.

Most people in the world who hold any kind of religious belief or practice religious rituals spend their lives working to earn the favor of their “god” (however they perceive him), or to earn a higher position when they somehow “evolve” in the next life.

Unfortunately, many who describe themselves as “Christian” have fallen into the same trap. Here's the problem: You cannot earn God's favor. He must give it. And even then it is at His sole discretion .

A lifetime of religious “labor” may yield legalism and self-righteous religious pride, but little else. As the apostle Paul wrote, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works , lest anyone should boast.”

The Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders of Jesus' day thought they were God's “favorites” because of their rigorous attention to the letter of the Law. What God wanted all along was for them to seek His heart , but their hearts were far from Him. As long as they were satisfied in their own self-righteousness, they would never know the true favor of God.

David was Israel's greatest king, but he knew that his success was due to God's favor, not to his own merit or goodness. In Psalm 30 he wrote: “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.' Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong…”
Favor trumps works . The story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis is one of the Bible's most beautiful examples of God's favor. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph served ably and with integrity in the household of Potiphar, Pharaoh's captain of the guard. Then a false accusation of rape sent Joseph to prison for several miserable years.

During that time spent in dungeon-like conditions, God was preparing Joseph for his moment. When Joseph's moment before the king finally arrived by divine intervention, he found favor in the eyes of Pharaoh (as well as in the eyes of God, his heavenly King).

In one moment Joseph was transformed from slave-turned-prison inmate to Pharaoh's second-in-command! For Joseph, one day of favor was worth more than a lifetime of labor .

Joseph could easily have spent the rest of his life laboring faithfully as a lowly slave to a secondary Egyptian official. Yet God's favor was upon him, and that made all the difference. God honored Joseph's faithfulness to man, but in the end it was God's favor , not Joseph's labor, that elevated him!

God's grace is His unmerited favor freely given to all who ask. There is also, however, a deeper level of God's favor that is more selective. It cannot be earned but is available to anyone who will “pay the price” or go to the “trouble” to seek and know the heart of God. God freely gave you His grace for salvation. But if you would really know Him , then you must make the choice to press in to know God's heart . It is an open invitation.

As a Christian, you don't have to earn God's favor—you already have it! You are a beneficiary of His grace—His unmerited favor freely given . And He loves you with an everlasting love. Greater favor and deeper intimacy with Him await you. Be willing to make it your goal to press in and pursue the heart of God rather than simply enjoying the benefits of His grace. Press in deeper!

Week 1, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Be All that You Can Be

You are chosen for potential but kept because of passion.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 37

Everybody has potential.

Within each of us lies the potential for success or failure, good or evil. That is how God created us. Fortunately failure does not disqualify us from enjoying the love and favor of God.

Often we fail to realize our full potential because we don't understand the full range of what God has placed within us. As a race we have been falling short of our potential ever since Adam and Eve came up short in the Garden of Eden. The story of the entire Bible is the record of God's plan and efforts to reverse that failure. God could have written us off and started over. But He didn't. He loved us. He created us in His image. That's a lot of potential and He is determined to see us fulfill it.

God's grace and favor bases our fellowship with Him on relationship and not on anything we do or fail to do. We all have failed to fulfill our God-given potential, but God never gives up on us! He keeps right on working patiently with us, picking us up when we fall, lovingly helping us to try again.

Our relationship with God does not stand or fall based on how well we succeed . There is no minimum standard of “performance” we must meet to gain His approval and acceptance. God already accepts us beyond any doubt, on the basis of what His Son Jesus did on the cross. Paul stated it this way: “ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

What dreams and desires has God planted in your heart? He wants to see you achieve them or He wouldn't have placed them there. As He did with Esther, God has a unique and special destiny for you; He has something in mind that only you can do. It doesn't matter how many times you have failed. God's plan and destiny for you never change. No matter where you are in your life, He can help you become what He has always wanted you to be.

Sound scary? Take heart from this promise: “You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

God chose you for the potential He placed in you. But He keeps you because of His passionate love for you. He loves us so much that He can't stand to have us out of His sight! This means He will never abandon you. He will never give up on you. He will never rest until He elevates you into the fullness of the person He created you to be. Don't settle for less than the best. Be all that you can be!

Week 1, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Is the King in Residence?

The King's palace without the King is just a big empty house.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 38

Imagine the shock and fear prompted in the disciples at Jesus' announcement that the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. They thought nothing could be more cataclysmic to their world than the destruction of the Temple . Looks can be deceiving, and sometimes we are too easily impressed by the wrong things. God looks at things differently than we do.

The Temple that Jesus and His disciples knew, was a grand enlargement and renovation of the second temple built. Four years later, this grand Temple was destroyed by the Romans along with the entire city of Jerusalem —just as Jesus had foretold.

This temple, like the second temple it was based on had no ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place . For centuries the ark had represented to the Jews the literal presence of God in the temple. Great and impressive rituals and formal observances took place at the Temple every day. But few of those involved were aware that the Master of the house was not in residence. We gain some sense of the spirit of the place in the Gospel accounts of Jesus driving out the moneychangers for turning the “house of prayer” into a “den of thieves.”

We must come to realize the same truth that the disciples had to learn: the presence of the King is not found in buildings of stone and mortar but in the hearts of His children! Paul said, “ God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” The important thing is not the building or its trappings, luxury or elegance. The important thing is the presence of the King. It is the presence of the King that makes the house a palace. Apart from His presence, the house might as well be a shack. In fact, even the simplest, shabbiest, drabbest shack becomes a beautiful palace if the presence of the King is there.

The true palace of the King is wherever the King is in residence. As Christians, each of us is the King's palace because He resides in us through the Holy Spirit. Paul says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. In this sense at least, we take the King with us wherever we go. This is the difference between being the King's concubine and being His bride . As I wrote in Finding Favor with the King , “Concubines may have had an experience with the King. His bride would have the King!” (p. 38)

As Christians, we do not simply experience the King. We have the King as a living daily presence within us! We are His holy Bride! And no matter where we are, we are in a palace because we are with Him!

Week 2, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Intimate but Not Familiar

You cannot worship what you dethrone!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 41

Intimacy does not necessarily mean familiarity.

Those closest to the King will never presume familiarity with Him. Instead, they will exalt, honor, revere and worship Him more than those who are farther away. Why? Because the King's intimates know Him for who He really is. And that knowledge leaves them awestruck!

Worship fosters intimacy. But those who truly worship never take their intimacy with the King lightly. Even as his wife, Esther did not presume to approach King Xerxes uninvited or unannounced. She could have been executed. This is why her decision to go to him on the behalf of her threatened people was such a courageous act. Esther understood the awesome power and authority of her husband. She willingly risked her own life and future to intercede for her people.

Parents and children share an intimate relationship. Yet at the same time a certain “distance” exists between them. I love it when my daughters call me “Daddy.” No one else in the world but them have that privilege. My girls enjoy an exclusive relationship with me. Yet that title “Daddy” preserves a certain distance between us. They are my daughters; I am their father. They are intimate with me but not familiar.

In the same way God loves us and invites us into intimacy with Him. But there will always be a certain “distance” between He and us. The more intimate we become with the King the less familiar we will be with Him. As we grow in the knowledge of who He is, we will better understand the reverence and awe and worship that are due Him.

Isaiah discovered this as he honored and worshiped God. But it took a vision of the Lord on His throne for Isaiah to see Him as He truly is. And that vision overwhelmed him. In a moment, Isaiah's perspective changed as to who God is. He saw His power, majesty, glory and holiness. And his response? He worshiped.

You cannot worship what you dethrone. The old saying “familiarity breeds contempt” is true. The more we get to know someone, the more freedom we feel to treat him or her casually. Familiarity cuts the lofty down to size. It takes a person off the pedestal in our eyes.

Some churches and Christians affect a casual familiarity toward God that is completely unbiblical. Those who appear the most familiar with God are actually the least intimate with Him. Their very familiarity reveals that their view of God is too small and limited. Otherwise, they would know better.

As children of God we have the right to be intimate with Him. At the same time there is a definite and infinite “otherness” about God that is utterly supernatural. And that otherness deserves our honor, our respect, our reverence, our love and our worship. The King invites you into His inner chamber. Go ahead! Be intimate! Just don't be familiar!

Week 2, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

RSVP (Part 1)

Protocol of the Palace #4
Worship is the protocol that protects the King and qualifies the visitor.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 42

“Formal attire required: evening gown; black tie. RSVP.”

Have you ever received an invitation like that? There is a protocol to attending. You've been invited, but to get inside you must be properly dressed.

In Jesus' parable of the wedding, one guest is thrown out because he was not wearing a wedding garment. The implication, of course is that everyone else was properly dressed for the occasion. This man stood out because he was out of place.

The proper “attire” for admittance to the presence of the King is worship . True worship is possible only for those who are in relationship with the King. A king relates to the subjects and citizens of his realm differently than he does to visitors from outside. Worship, then, is based on relationship. Relationship provides access, but foreigners are stopped at the door.

Also, worship is the protocol that protects the King. How do you protect the King of kings? Certainly it does not mean providing physical security as with an earthly king. But there are other ways…

First, we can protect His reputation. We are ambassadors for Christ. As His ambassadors we are charged to speak His Word openly, honestly and accurately, “rightly dividing the word of truth.” Just as with an ambassador of any earthly realm, we represent our King and our word should be His Word. If we say we represent the King and then speak contrary to His Word, we impugn His reputation.

Second, we can protect His name. As children of God we carry the family name. WE protect that name by living according to His standards rather than the standards of the world. This means living honestly, with the highest standard of character and moral and ethical integrity. If we live contrary to the standards of our Father and His house, we bring dishonor on His name.

Third, we can protect His glory. We do this by giving Him praise at all times. Also by publicly and privately acknowledging Him in all our ways, trusting Him to direct our paths. God has said that He will not give His glory to another. Whenever we take for ourselves credit that is due Him, we steal His glory.

Week 2, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

RSVP (Part 2)

Protocol of the Palace #4
Worship is the protocol that protects the King and qualifies the visitor.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 42

“Do you have an appointment?” “Please have a seat. Mr. ______will be with you shortly. ”

Protocols are a part of life. We face them every day in one form or another. From security checkpoints to reception areas, standards and procedures are in operation to screen callers, clients or visitors. This is not only for protection. It is also to help ensure that people with legitimate business get where they need to go and that others are either redirected or turned away.

Just as worship is the protocol that protects the King, it is also the protocol that qualifies the visitor. Remember that worship is based on relationship. In Jesus' parable of the wedding, the king spots a guest who has no wedding garment. The wedding garment was a sign of relationship. It was proof that the guest had been invited and had the right to be there. Somehow an interloper had gotten inside. A “gate-crasher” had invaded the party. When he was unable to answer the king's challenge, he was evicted.

Relationship gives us the right of access to the King. Worship is the garment that gets us through the door.

Part of the protocol for qualifying visitors is the protocol of waiting. As I wrote in Finding Favor with the King (p. 42), waiting is worship . Many of us don't handle waiting very well. This is especially true when we have been praying for something for a while and God seems to be silent. Our fast-paced, microwave-speed, instant-everything society has conditioned us to expect immediate gratification of any desire. Sometimes God lets us wait so that we can learn patience. At other times He delays His answer because He is preparing to give us something better.

Waiting on the Lord rearranges our priorities and reorients our perspective to those of the King. It also gauges how hungry we are for Him. Many would-be visitors to the King's presence disqualify themselves by being unwilling to wait. If their request for an audience is not answered promptly, they leave. They're either too busy or not hungry enough to hang around. And so they miss their opportunity. When their turn finally comes, they are already gone.

Don't let impatience cause you to forfeit your opportunity to see the King. Content yourself with waiting on Him. If you wait long enough your patience will be well rewarded. You will be drawn into an intimacy with the King that is experienced by very few. “ Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Week 2, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Divine GPS

There is a roadmap to God's presence…and love stamps your visa.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 43

Where am I? How do I get where I want to go?

Have you ever gotten lost trying to get to a particular destination in an unfamiliar part of town? Or trying to find a new address in the dark? Or missing an exit during a road trip?

Navigation in the physical world has always been a challenge for man. Over the centuries our skills in this area have grown more and more sophisticated. Today they are nothing short of phenomenal.

One of the most remarkable devices to appear in the technological explosion of the last thirty years is the “GPS” (Global Positioning System). With the help of an array of satellites, this device can pinpoint our location anywhere in the world with an accuracy error of no more than a few feet.

Despite our incredible capabilities in navigation in the natural world, mankind as a whole still stumbles around in the darkness trying to navigate in the spiritual realm. How do I find God? That is the universal question of man.

God Himself has made the way clear. The Bible is the roadmap . It points us in the right direction—to Jesus. The cross is the tollgate , where the love of God stamps our entry visa. Jesus has already paid the toll—with His blood. Faith is the access ramp that places us onto the highway of eternal life. Worship is the rest area where we can wait and rest in God's presence and renew our strength for the continuing journey.

The human race runs itself ragged trying to find God. People pray elaborate prayers, chant mantras and perform sacrifices and rituals in an effort to win favor from the god of their own making. Meanwhile, the one true God has made the way clear.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus invited all who “labor and are heavy laden” to come to Him, take up His yoke and receive rest for their souls. Jesus' yoke is easy because it is the yoke of grace not of works-based salvation. His burden is light because it is the burden of joyful discipleship and obedience not of guilt and fear.

How do you navigate in the darkness? Dispel the darkness with the Light of the world! Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” He is the Light that fills our lives. This is the light that all who stumble in the darkness need to see shining in us.

Week 2, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

No Strings Attached

Praise takes you into God's courts.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 46

When was the last time you thanked God for something He gave you or did for you? This morning? Yesterday? Last week? Last month? Giving thanks to God daily is always appropriate because God is always giving. An unthankful heart is a poison to your spirit. Over time it will make you bitter, cynical and broken. It may even make you physically sick. Thankfulness, on the other hand, will fill you with joy and cause your spirit and body to prosper. A thankful heart is a cheerful heart. The Bible says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” So take a look around. See what God has done. If you can't find something in your life to thank God for, you're not looking hard enough!

Thanksgiving is a form of worship. When you thank God you acknowledge Him as your Source and Provider of all things. You also express your gratitude for what He has done. Yet thanksgiving, as wonderful and appropriate as it is, is not the highest level of worship. That place belongs to praise. As Psalm 100 says, thanksgiving gets you through the gate. Praise carries you all the way into the King's inner court.

What's the difference? Thanksgiving acknowledges God for what He has done. Praise acknowledges God for who He is. So many times our worship is diluted with worldly desires and selfish motives. We worship because we want something from God. God is so gracious, however, that he often honors and blesses us anyway, even when our motivation is not what it should be.

Praise is worship with no strings attached. We come into the King's court with no agenda. Our only motive is to be with Him and enjoy His presence.

When was the last time you truly praised God? How long has it been since you simply acknowledged Him for who He is, with no other motive? Praise will reorient your thinking. It will give you a whole new perspective. When you are in the King's court you will see things the way He does.

We all have times when we don't feel like praying. Times when it's hard to feel thankful. Those are the times when it is most important of all to praise God. You can literally praise your way into a thankful and joyful heart. Try it!

Do you want to draw God near? Then praise Him, no agenda - no strings attached - no ulterior motive, just praise Him. David the psalmist wrote, “B ut You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel .” God always turns His ear to undiluted words of love from His children. Let your praise go up and He will draw you into His inner court!

Week 2, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

How Far Will You Go?

Protocol of the Palace #4
The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 49

Are you a leader or a follower? Do you like blazing new trails? Or are you more comfortable a well-defined path? Do you regard difficulties as challenges or as setbacks? Are you the kind of person who will keep pressing in to get what you’re after? How far will you go to realize your dreams?

A disciple is one whose dream is to be like Jesus.

Don’t confuse being a Christian with being a disciple. Every believer is a Christian but not every believer is a disciple. Disciples are believers who are committed to going deeper and deeper with the Lord—as deep as they can go. Most believers are content just to be saved. They’re just happy to have their ticket to heaven. The demands of the deeper life in Christ don’t really attract them.

And with good reason: those demands are high. In Luke 14:25-33 Jesus sets out the demands of discipleship in such terms as bearing a cross, counting the cost and forsaking all. Not for the faint of heart!

The deeper things of the Spirit are reserved for those who are willing and determined to press in and claim them—to plunge headlong into the wellspring of the very heart of God!

Paul was this kind of person. He was a trailblazer: “…I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation…” And he was willing to pay any price to touch the heart of Christ: “…I…count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” He understood that this would require single-minded determination: “…one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

You don’t have to be a trailblazer to be a disciple. You don’t have to be a natural leader. All you need is an abandoned love for Jesus and a heart that yearns to be like Him. It’s what Jesus calls hungering and thirsting for righteousness—and He promises satisfaction.

The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people. Why? Because few people are willing to pay the price of moving deeper. The demands of learning the protocols are too high. What about you? Are you willing? Let me challenge you, as I wrote in Finding Favor with the King (p. 49): “Go where few dare—into the lap of the King.” The cost is high but the reward is worth it. How far will you go?

Week 2, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Just Ask?

Position and petition often shout their demands, but passion need only whisper.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 50

Access is everything.

Have you ever noticed how people are always trying to get the ear of the important and the powerful? How they jockey for position in hopes of gaining the advantage over a rival?

Worldly wisdom says that the way to get ahead in life is by outworking, outwitting or out-shouting the other guy. This is not the way things operate in the palace of the King. The King's ear is not reached by shouting demands from a position of “legal” access. His ear is tuned instead for the whispered request of a passionate lover. Passion trumps position.

A religious mindset believes that God must be coaxed through persuasion or force of argument. Those who know the King know better. Someone said that prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying hold of His willingness . Relationship is the key. Relationship trumps religion.

Relationship gives a level of access that no legal claim could ever hope to match. An old Scottish proverb says, “A pennyweight o' love is worth a pound o' law.” Those who are comfortable in their love relationship with the King know that they don't have to plead or beg or shout louder than someone else. All they have to do is ask .

Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” What could be simpler? There is nothing here about shouting – nothing about a legal claim or demand – nothing about an attention-getting demonstration. Just ask, seek and knock. Jesus goes on in verse 10 to say that the Father willingly gives “good things to those who ask Him.”

The King loves to give gifts to His children. Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He also gave us this promise: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

There is more power in the whispered word of a passionate lover than in the loudest legal claim. Nothing stirs the heart of the King like the quiet voice of one of His own spoken in love.

Do you want to draw the ear of the King? Relationship gives you access and access is everything. His heart is already inclined toward you. Don't beg or plead. Don't shout or demand. Simply speak from a heart of passionate love and He will answer. Just ask!

Week 3, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Protocol of Humility

  How do you move from “powerless” to “powerful”? Learn the protocol of the palace!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 53  

If you want to succeed, you've got to play by the rules.

Only those who master protocol will wield power and influence. And the secret to mastering protocol is learning to play by the rules. Here's one of the rules: Everything in the palace is set up to advance and fulfill the will of the King! The King's palace is no place for personal agendas. Power in the palace resides with those who are totally committed to doing the King's will and attending to the welfare of His kingdom.

As I wrote in Finding Favor with the King (p. 53), “Jesus Christ, our high priest, has torn the veil that separates us from God's presence. Now we can enter His presence through a new and living way (or ‘protocol')—through the blood of Jesus and through his finished work.” This is the path from powerless to powerful.

Our next step is to understand where our power comes from. We have no power of our own. Just like an electrical appliance has power only when it is plugged into an outlet, we have power only when we are connected to Christ. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Acts 1:8 says that we receive power from the Holy Spirit. This power is not our own. Nor do we receive it for our benefit or blessing alone. The Lord gives us power so that we can be His witnesses and bless others in His name.

The posture of power in the King's palace is humility . Esther found herself in a place of great power and influence. Yet she did not use her power to advance her own wealth and prestige. Instead, she put her life on the line and used her influence to save her people.

The truly powerful do not use their power to show off or to impress people. Jesus never performed a miracle on demand. He never used His power and influence for His own ends but only to accomplish the will of His Father. Practice the protocol of humility.

Week 3, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Love: the Heart of Worship

  There are some who love Him simply because He is.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 56 

Nothing warms the hearts of parents more than to receive the pure, undiluted love of their children. Every time any of my daughters flashed her “I love you, Daddy” smile at me, my heart simply melted. There's something about the innocent, unaffected love of a child that makes a parent willing to do almost anything for her.

God is much the same way. He loves to give good things to His children. Giving is His nature and He gives lavishly. But God especially loves it when we come to Him and spend time with Him not because we want something but simply because we love Him and want to be with Him.

In the eyes of the world, love usually comes with conditions: “I'll love you if …” or “I'll love you when …” or “I love you because …” Love with no strings attached and no ulterior motive is a rare commodity in the world. I'm talking about unconditional love, the kind of love that says, “I love you… period .” This is the kind of love that God shows toward us. It is also the kind of love He is looking for from us in return.

The Westminster Catechism, one of the classic historical confessions of the church, says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” How do we glorify God? By doing what He created us to do. And He created us to love Him . Loving God is more important than all the various things we “do” that we sometimes call “church.” Loving God is the heart of worship .

Few Christians ever reach this level of worship for God. Usually our love for God extends as far as our gratitude for what He has done for us. The real challenge is to keep pressing upward into the rarefied atmosphere of those who love God simply for who He is, totally apart from anything He has done. Loving and worshiping God at the level of thanksgiving for blessings and favor is okay. But there is a deeper level—the level of praise and adoration—available for those who dare to press into it. This is the level where the deepest intimacy and fellowship with God occurs. This is the level of true friendship with God.

Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength means loving Him with everything you are every moment of the day. It means abandoning yourself to a radical, reckless, passionate love for Him. A love in which your greatest happiness comes in simply being in His presence.

Are you up to the challenge? Take the plunge. Come back to the heart of worship. With everything you are, love God simply for who He is!

Week 3, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

God's Open House

  The protocol of worship will usher an uninvited interloper into a “throne zone” experience.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 57 

God hates dividing lines.

Isn't it great that God doesn't run His kingdom the way many of us run our churches? Otherwise, very few of us would get in! One of the great sins of the church through the ages is the placing of manmade restrictions on who can come in—restrictions that God never sanctioned or commanded. Churches have divided over racial lines, ethnic lines, socio-economic lines, educational lines and just about any other line you could name.

God hates dividing lines, especially when they keep people away from Him. When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. Open access of man to God was now available. That's why when true revival breaks out manmade walls come down so that anyone who wishes may come in and drink from the fountain of life.

In 1901 William Seymour, a preacher hungry for the things of the Spirit, wanted to learn about the new Pentecostal outpourings that were taking place at Charles Parham's Bible school. Being black, Seymour was not allowed inside the building. So he sat on the steps outside and listened through the window. And God touched him. Five years later William Seymour was the catalyst God used to spark the Azusa Street revival. William Seymour: uninvited by man but welcomed by God!

The self-righteous Pharisee in Jesus' parable undoubtedly believed that the tax collector had no business even being in the Temple . After all, the house of God was no place for the likes of him! On the contrary: God wants His house open to all who desire to enter! God has said, “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” To the Pharisee, the tax collector was an uninvited interloper. To God, he was a beloved and welcome son, a prodigal returning home.

Jesus said that the Pharisee went home that day unchanged. He was so full of himself that there was no room for God. The Pharisee, despite his vast knowledge of the law, had never learned the protocol of worship. Therefore, he never made it into the presence of God.

The tax collector, on the other hand, followed the proper protocol of worship. He entered in a spirit of humility and repentance: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” This gained him access to the King. Jesus said he went home “justified.”

What about you? No matter who you are, the King welcomes you. No matter where you've been or what you've done, the King says, “Come to Me.” Don't let the false rules or misguided perceptions of men keep you from your “throne-zone” experience with the King. Practice the protocols of humility and worship. You will discover that the door to the King's throne room is always open!

Week 3, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Let God Turn You Around

  He can alter your destiny and change your reputation.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 59 

Your destiny is not fixed.

Do you sometimes feel that through poor choices you have squandered your opportunities to live the life you once dreamed of? Is your life full of guilt and regret? Do you sometimes wish you could turn the clock back and start over?

Unfortunately, you can't relive your past. But your past does not have to determine your future . Turn your future over to God and He can turn it around. He can alter your destiny and change your reputation. Just consider Jacob, the “deceiver,” who cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright. Later, however, he wrestled with God, who changed his name to Israel , “prince of God,” and who made him the father of the nation that bore his name.

Then there's Moses, a murderer and fugitive in the desert whose destiny was altered at a burning bush. His encounter with God changed him into a deliverer who freed a nation from slavery.

God is in the destiny-altering and reputation-changing business. Just look at Saul. On his way to Damascus to arrest followers of Christ, he met the Lord on the road. Blinded temporarily by the encounter, Saul rested at the home of a man named Judas. In the meantime, God instructed Ananias to go to Saul and restore his sight, saying, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel .”

Saul thought his destiny was to rid the land of the Jesus-followers. God altered his destiny and his reputation. As Paul, he became one of the most potent forces in spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire in the first century. When they saw how he was boldly preaching the faith he once tried to destroy, they glorified God because of him.

What God did for Paul and all these others He can do for you. Do you feel like you have messed up your life? God can straighten things out and set you on the right road. There is no sin so great that God's grace is not greater still. No hole so deep that God's love cannot reach you and pull you out. Remember that one day of favor can be worth more than a lifetime of labor. At the same time, one day of favor can change a lifetime of mistakes, bad choices and missed opportunities .

Don't let the shame or discouragement of your past rob you of your future. Turn to the One who can alter your destiny and change your reputation. Let God turn you around!

Week 3, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Are You One of God's Favorites?

  God is no respecter of persons, but He does play favorites.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 60  

Are you one of God's favorites?

God is no respecter of persons. His invitation to intimacy is open to anyone and everyone. Not everyone, however, will accept the invitation. Many people dream of intimacy with the King. For most of them it will remain only a dream. In the final analysis they are unwilling to learn the protocol of worship that will make their dream come true. Or they feel unworthy and assume that such intimacy is beyond their reach.

Worthiness has nothing to do with it. None of us are worthy to enter the presence of the King. The blood of Jesus makes us worthy. Because of Jesus' finished work on the cross, we can enter into intimacy with our heavenly Father. All we have to do is learn the protocol of the palace.

As Creator, God loves all people equally. He does, however, have a relationship with those who become His spiritual children through faith in Christ. But even among believers there are those who press in further to become His special favorites. This is not because God loves them more than He loves others. It is because they have gone to the trouble to learn what He favors.

God's favorites are those who have determined to make Him their absolute top priority. They are the ones who have freely chosen to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. With this choice they have forsaken all else in order to have Him. They have abandoned themselves to God and to the knowing of His heart and mind. These are the ones for whom God will move heaven and earth.

Are you one of them? You can be!

David was one of them. Psalm 89 describes God's covenant with David. God promised David that He would establish his seed forever and build up his throne to all generations. He promised to give David success in his family lineage and victory over his enemies. What was it about David that gained him such favor with God?

The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. In other words, David was a God-chaser. David's greatest desire was to know God and do His will. He walked in daily fellowship with God. David loved God with a passion and worshiped Him with radical and reckless abandon. This made David one of God's “favorites.”

God is no respecter of persons, but He does play favorites. And you can be one of His favorites . Learn the protocol of worship. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Let go of anything in your life that could challenge God for first place or hinder your pursuit of Him. Press in and accept God's invitation to intimacy. Become one of God's favorites!

Week 3, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Let Your Light Shine

  Worship is how you handle yourself in the presence of the King.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 61 

Are you one of God's favorites?

Worship is a lifestyle.

Once you have entered the King's inner chamber and enjoyed the intimacy of His presence you will never be the same again. The world looks different from the King's perspective. It will change the way you behave, and may cause you to be “ruined for the ordinary.”

Esther prepared for an entire year for her one night with the king. She had no guarantee that she would see him again after that one encounter. Yet no matter the outcome, she would never be ‘just a peasant girl from a conquered nation' again. From that day forward she walked, talked and carried herself like the queen she had become. Esther prepared carefully and diligently for one night with the king. But her queenly demeanor became a lifestyle .

For the King's favorites worship is not something that happens just in church on Sunday, or when we spend time alone in God's presence. Once we learn the protocol of the palace—the protocol of intimate worship—it becomes (or should become) our way of life. Everywhere we go we will carry ourselves like the King's intimates. This does not mean we will act arrogantly or boast of our position. It does mean that we will live in such a way as to reflect the heart and character of the King . We will act like His children no matter where we are or what our circumstances.

Because the King abides in us through His Holy Spirit, we carry His presence with us wherever we go. Therefore, every moment of every day becomes an opportunity and a reason for worship. Worship is how we handle ourselves in the presence of the King. Worship is not what we do; it is who we are! We are worshipers by nature. As the King's intimates and favorites, our entire lives should be a continuing act of worship!

In Matthew 5 Jesus described the character of the King's children. He said that they are poor in spirit, mournful (over the sin of the world), meek (gentle), hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart and peacemakers. He also said they are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. In short, they exhibit the character of their father, the King. Summing it all up, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” That's what a lifestyle of worship is all about.

As children of the King, everything we do or say reflects on His name and character, either for good or bad. Ask yourself: Is my daily life a continuing act of worship? Do my words and behavior draw people to the King or drive them away?

Let your life become an ongoing offering of worship to your King. Let Him spill over onto the lives of others. Let your light shine!

Week 3, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Inside Track

Influence flows from intimacy, and access comes from relationship.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 65  

Relationship will give you access that petitioners only dream of.

John F. Kennedy is one of the few American presidents to have young children in the White House. One well-known photograph shows President Kennedy in the Oval Office meeting with his advisers. Everything in the picture looked businesslike and professional—except for the face of little “John-John” peering out from under his daddy's desk. Serious matters of state were discussed on a daily basis. High levels of security and tight protocols protected the president from everyday intrusions. Yet little John Jr. always had ready access to his father, the most powerful man in the western world.

Many dream of access to the rich and powerful but few achieve it. Those who do, usually spend years preparing and positioning themselves for it. Relationship trumps both preparation and position. It also affords intimate access that even gifted and talented “outsiders” can only envy.

In John 15:12 Jesus states; “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” “Friend” is a different level of relationship than servant. To be called “friend”, you are known and chosen. Our friendship with Jesus appoints us access into a level of intimacy unknown to those who have no relationship with Him.

Jesus is more than just our friend, however; He is also our Elder Brother. The Bible says that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. This means we are “kin.” Our relationship as “family” gives us access that no one outside the family enjoys. This is why Jesus taught in parables to the crowds but explained his teachings in detail to His disciples. It is also why He promised them that anything they asked of the Father in His name they would receive. Their relationship with Him gave them an “inside track” to His heart and mind.

If you are in Christ, the same is true for you. You already have the relationship that gives you intimate access to Jesus. This intimacy gives you great influence in the courts of heaven. Stay close to the inner courts. Press in to receive the fullness of intimacy that is yours for the asking. Worship of your King and Get on the inside track!

Week 4, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Paradise of His Presence

Intimacy with Christ is more powerful than petitions legally presented.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 66  

Love trumps legalism.

Our American judicial system is based on the principle that every legitimate claimant is entitled to his day in court. In the courts of heaven however, we have no such right. Because of our sin, we have no legal standing before God. We have no legitimate claim that we can make on His blessings or favor. The only basis we have for standing before God is His grace . The only hope we have of being accepted by God is on the basis of Jesus' completed work on the cross. Legal claims will never get us into the King's throne room. Intimacy with Christ based on a faith relationship with Him will .

The thief on the cross understood this intuitively. No legal petition in the world would have removed him from that cross. Not only was he suffering the judgment of Rome for his crimes, he also faced the coming judgment of God for his sins.

In such a desperate situation, he did the only thing he could do. He asked for mercy from the only Person who could give it to him: the Man hanging on the cross next to him. Can you imagine the faith of this thief asking a dying man to remember him when He came into His kingdom? In a last-minute genuine act of faith, the thief appealed for grace and mercy—and received them. His faith overrode all legal considerations and gained him instant intimacy with the Lord and access to the kingdom of heaven.

Even in the last hours of his life, this thief recognized Jesus for who He was and made his repentant request. Humility and repentance, faith and love are protocols that gain the immediate ear of the King. His appeal permitted him what no legal petition could ever have accomplished. He found forgiveness and the promise of eternal fellowship in the presence of the Lord.

Like the thief on the cross, our access to the Father is based not on any legal claim but on the intimacy we have with Christ through our faith relationship with Him. Intimacy brings us closer to the heart of God than any amount of claiming our “rights” as children of God. Don't settle for just standing on your rights. Move in closer. Draw near to God in love and He will draw near to you. Like the thief on the cross you will discover that you too can be with Him today in the Paradise of His presence!

Week 4, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Your Heart's Desire

When you seek His face , your heavenly Father sees your face and interrupts the business of heaven to bend down and inquire about your needs!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 66-67  

Nothing attracts God's attention like the face of one of His beloved children.

God is by nature a face-to-face God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed daily face-to-face contact with their Creator. After their disobedience, they hid from His face in fear.

Ever since then no human being has seen God's face directly. The Bible says that God “spoke to Moses face-to-face, as a man speaks to his friend.” This face-to-face encounter was not in a physical sense. When Moses asked to see God's glory, God told him: “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live.” Instead, God placed Moses in the cleft of a rock, covered him with His hand until He had passed by and then allowed Moses to see His back.

The closest thing to seeing God face-to-face was to see Jesus in the flesh. When Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father,” Jesus replied, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” The day will come when all of us who are children of God will see Him face to face. Then we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

Until then the Lord invites and encourages us to seek His face in prayer and encounter intimate communion with Him. Like the loving Father He is, He delights to see our faces. And when we seek His face in prayer and worship He hastens to bend His ear to our voice. When we love Him, He dotes on us. Jesus said that the Father is pleased to give us the kingdom. Paul said that God, who willingly gave up His Son for us, will also freely give us all things.

David understood this fatherly, giving nature of God. That is why he said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple… When You said, ‘Seek My face,” My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.'”

David was a man after God's own heart. In love he sought—and found—the face of God. Follow David's example. Your heavenly Father is always looking, eagerly desiring to see your face. Seek His face and He will interrupt the business of heaven to listen to you. Delight yourself in Him and He will give you your heart's desire!

Week 4, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Take a Timeout

      Relationship is cultured, not automatic.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 68  

Some things can't be rushed. Building a strong relationship is one of them.

The only way to really get to know someone is by spending time with that person - lots of time. Sustained separation will cause a once close relationship to fade into a distant memory. A close and intimate relationship can be sustained only by close and intimate contact on a regular basis. This is true of any human relationship.

It is also true of our relationship with God. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to start taking your relationship with God for granted? To allow the urgent demands of the day and the routine pressures of life to push aside your intimate moments with the King? When things are going well it is easy to let your relationship with God slip into "autopilot." Before long you begin to presume on that relationship. You start thinking, “God is always there if I need Him.” But when a crisis comes and you really do need Him, you often find that your communication tools have become rusty through disuse.

Indeed, God is always there, but a strong relationship is cultured over time. It is not automatic. We find this principle illustrated over and over in the Bible. Enoch is a good example. Genesis says that “Enoch walked with God three hundred years… and he was not, because God took him.” Did you notice that? Enoch walked with God for 300 years ! He took the time to cultivate his relationship with God and God rewarded him by bringing Enoch into His presence permanently. Enoch is one of only two humans who have ever bypassed death. (Elijah is the other one.)

Hebrews 11:5 says that Enoch's testimony is that he “pleased God.” The next verse states that without faith it is impossible to please God but that God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him .”

Do you want to be close to God? Then take the time to cultivate your relationship. Diligently seek the Lord. God desires an intimate relationship with you more than you do. He will not force you, but He will try to draw you near. His Spirit will nudge you and prompt you. But the choice of how close and intimate with God you become is yours alone. It all depends on how hungry you are and how determined you are to press in. You can't get close to God “on-the-fly.” What's your rush? Slow down . Take the time to walk with Him every day. Your patient, faithful investment of time will bring in a rich return of intimacy with the King. Take a timeout!

Week 4, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Be All That You Can Be

     The only way to gain access to the things of God's kingdom is through relationship with the King.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 69  

You cannot access what you do not possess.

There are many pretenders; spiritual “wannabes” who try to scheme their way into the King's throne room. Rather than learn the protocols of the court, they try to sneak in by hook or by crook. Outwardly, they may appear quite “spiritual”, but inside there is nothing there. They are like the Pharisees that Jesus described as whitewashed tombs: outwardly beautiful and righteous, but inwardly full of dead men's bones and hypocrisy.

Paul described this kind of person as “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” After all, you can't exercise the power of the King unless you know the King. In Acts 19 the seven sons of Sceva tried to exorcise a demon using secondhand faith, appealing to the demon in the name of “Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The demon answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” Then the demon attacked them, wounded them, and chased them away. These men did not really know Jesus. All they wanted to do was enhance their reputation as professional exorcists.

Access to the full resources of God's kingdom is available to all who walk with Him in an ongoing love relationship. Jesus told his disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The Holy Spirit is God's “down payment”; His stamp of ownership on us. The Spirit's presence in our lives proves that we are in relationship with him and guarantees that all of God's promises to us will be fulfilled.

In Jeremiah chapter 31 God promises a new covenant by which His people will be identified: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel ... I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people... They all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them...” Covenant gives formal expression to an existing relationship and imbues it with legal authority. We can speak in His name, exercise His authority and appropriate His power and His gifts in carrying out His will.

Week 4, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Power of a Whisper

  Whispered words from the place of intimacy can be more powerful than shouted petitions from the court.
Finding Favor with the King, p.71 

There is great power in a simple whisper.

Experienced classroom teachers have long known that a whisper is the most effective way to regain the attention of an unruly class. Why? When someone whispers we listen closely because we think that otherwise we may miss hearing something important.

The whisper is powerful also because it is the voice of intimacy. Spouses in an intimate setting do not need to shout or even to speak in normal tones. A whisper is sufficient for sharing thoughts and feelings intended for no one's ears but their own.

God loves the soft hush of a whispered voice. In fact, it is His preferred method of speaking, particularly to His children; all who share an intimate relationship with Him. That is why it is important for us to develop the discipline of silence as part of our worship. Sometimes God speaks to us in a whisper and we must be quiet if we are to hear Him. Once, when God spoke to Elijah, His coming was preceded by a strong wind, an earthquake and a fire, but He was not found in any of these. Afterward, He spoke to Elijah in a “still small voice.” In Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The prophet Habakkuk declares: “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

God likes to speak to us in soft tones. It stands to reason then that He prefers us to speak to Him in the same way. When we are on intimate terms with the Lord, there is no need for us to shout. All we have to do is whisper. This is what Jesus had in mind in Matthew chapter 6 when He taught His disciples about prayer. James said, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” And most of that effective prayer rises to the Father through the whispered words of His children spoken from the secret place. Whispered words of intimacy always carry more weight with God then do shouted petitions.

The power behind prayer is the power of intimacy. It is the power of a whisper!

Week 4, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Future is Yours

Words whispered from the pillow of royal intimacy can literally rearrange the future.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 71  

Your destiny is not fixed.

In Christ your eternal destiny is sure and secure but the course of your life on earth is not predetermined. The choices you make every day influence your future. Some people insist that there is no such thing as free choice, that we have no real control over our lives.

God's Word says otherwise. The Bible is full of people making choices and receiving the consequences of those choices, for either good or bad. The rich young ruler, seeking eternal life, chose to keep his wealth instead, and went away sorrowful. The thief on the cross chose to trust in Jesus and His coming kingdom and received the promise of Paradise . The choices each of these individuals made affected their destiny.

It is the same with you and me. We shape our destiny by the decisions we make every day. At the same time a lifetime of poor choices can be redeemed by the whispered voice of intimacy in the secret place of communion with the Father. Your destiny is not fixed. Your past does not predetermine your future. Through worship, prayer and an intimate relationship with the Lord, you can change your destiny and the destinies of your family, city, nation and even the world.

God has said, “Come now, and let us reason together...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Jesus promised: “...if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Before the Israelites entered the promised land God set out before them the choice of life through love and obedience or death through disobedience ( Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

You do have a choice. You can change your destiny. In Christ you are already a child of the King. Your eternity with Him is assured. Your future on earth has yet to be written. Speak to the King from the place of intimacy. Let Him rearrange your future. The future is yours!

Week 4, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

In Spirit and Truth

Worship your way into a place of intimacy. One well-placed whisper could change your life!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 72  

Worship is the doorway to God's heart.

Humans are worshipers by nature. God made us that way. In the beginning worship was simple and intuitive. Adam and Eve walked in unbroken fellowship with God. Those created acknowledged and honored their Creator, just as the Creator intended.

Sin complicated this simple picture. Separated from God because of sin, mankind lost the knowledge of both the object and the “how-to” of our worship. We know intuitively that worship brings us into the heart of God. But we no longer know what constitutes true worship. This is why so many people around the world “worship” so many different gods in so many different ways.

When the Samaritan woman raised the issue of worship with Jesus at the well, she asked ‘what is the “right” way to worship God?' She thought worship involved a specific physical place such as a temple or a mountain. Jesus told her that true worship involves not the physical position of the body but the spiritual position of the heart . He said, “...the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem , worship the Father... But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

To worship God in spirit and truth is to worship God in accordance with His nature, His heart and His will. This means approaching God with humbleness of spirit and purity of heart. Humility and purity are the protocols of true worship. They are also therefore characteristic of those who have attained intimacy with the Father.

If you want to reach the heart of God you must worship your way to intimacy. The Pharisees of Jesus' day thought they could work their way to God. They believed that their good deeds and careful attention to the law gave them an inside track to God's favor. In truth, however, they did not know God at all. This is why Jesus, quoting Hosea 6:6, said to them: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

That day at Jacob's well the Samaritan woman discovered who Jesus was and learned the meaning of true worship. Her new understanding led to a new intimacy with God that changed her life forever. You can do the same. Worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Worship your way to intimacy! It will change your life.

Week 5, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Rise to Your Potential

     They weren't looking for perfection. They were looking for potential!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 75  

You have the potential for greatness.

Do you see yourself as a prince or princess in the making? How about your family and friends? Your next-door neighbor? The homeless person down the street? The annoying colleague at work that you just can't seem to get along with? Do you think of these people as potential “royalty” in God's kingdom? God created the human race to exercise dominion over the created order - to rule with Him as co-regents of the physical realm. We are all potential princes and princesses.

In the world, we tend to judge by appearances. We are too easily impressed by human credentials and too quick to write off those who fail to measure up to our standards. God operates by a different standard. He judges not by appearance or by present condition but by potential .

Consider the apostles of Jesus. Judging from human standards, it would be hard to imagine a less likely group of people to be entrusted with God's work. Jesus called Andrew, Simon, James and John to be His disciples. These four fishermen were simple, earthy laborers - not the type most of us would think of as messengers of God's good news. Yet Jesus saw them as more than just fishermen. He saw them as “fishers of men.” And that is just what they became.

Matthew was a tax collector. As a “collaborator” with the hated Roman occupation government, he was considered a traitor by his own people. Jesus looked beyond who Matthew was and saw who he could become. As a disciple, Matthew went from writing tax accounts to writing a gospel account of Jesus.

When King Xerxes' emissaries went searching for a new queen they were not looking for perfection. No woman in the kingdom would be “ready-made” for the king's presence. They were looking for potential. They sought young maidens who could grow beyond their present circumstances and be made “fit for a king.”

In the same way, none of us are “fit” for the King. But He can make us “fit.” No matter who you are, where you have been or what you have done, you can still become the person God created you to be. He knows the potential that He has placed inside you. He stands ready to mold and shape you into that person—if you will let Him.

Don't settle for less than God's best for you. Let Him raise you to the level of the potential He has placed in you. Let Him prepare you for life in the palace.

Week 5, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Don't Fret the Process!

The only way to be transformed and conformed into an acceptable bride for the king was to submit to the protocols of the palace—including soaking in the oil!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 78  

If you want to see the King, you've got to be clean.

No one enters a royal court unwashed, wearing dirty clothes. To do so would be an insult to the king. Esther spent an entire year in cleansing and beautifying treatments preparing herself for one night with King Xerxes. Joseph was summoned from prison to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Before appearing in the king's presence Joseph shaved and changed his clothes. Even the king's urgent summons waited until Joseph was presentable.

In the same way, not one of us can enter the presence of the King of kings unprepared. The stench of our sin makes us unpresentable before a Holy God. This is why we need the cleansing of the blood of Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. These elements remove both the stain and the stench of our sin. The soiled garments of our old sinful nature are removed and we are clothed in the spotless garment of the righteousness of Christ. Only then are we presentable; fit to enter God's presence.

Cleansing must come before anointing. The anointing oil will merely mingle with the dirt if the dirt is not removed first. Jesus made this clear to His disciples (and to us) with an unforgettable example. After the Last Supper, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist, took a basin of water and began to wash His disciples' feet. Foot washing was a task assigned to the most menial of house servants. Peter thought it inappropriate for his Lord to perform such a lowly job. “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!' Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.'

As Peter learned, we must let Jesus wash us and make us clean or else we have no part with Him. He cleanses us not with water but with His precious blood. After cleansing comes the anointing with His Holy Spirit. This process often takes time, a necessary period of waiting and preparation. Before He ascended, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high.” What did they do in the meantime? “They worshiped Him , and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God .”

Cleansing and anointing are protocols of the King's palace. Worship allows us to soak in that anointing oil. It prepares us for His presence. Attaining the King's presence is well worth the wait. Don't fret the process!

Week 5, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Wait On the Lord

     Sometimes the King makes you wait just to purify the outcome.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 80  

Waiting for something good is never easy.

We have been so conditioned to instant gratification that we quickly become impatient with any delay in receiving what we desire. If it does not come right away we begin scheming and searching out other tactics to get what we want. Unfortunately, we often try to do the same thing in our spiritual lives.

Waiting is an inevitable and even indispensable part of our lives as Christians. Throughout the Bible, God promises to hear and answer our prayers. Why then does He often make us wait? Sometimes the King makes us wait just to purify the outcome.

God sometimes makes us wait in order to purify our motives . Many times we present our requests to God without thinking through our reasons for asking. Our request may not be in our best interest. It may not conform to God's will. God may have something even better in store for us. All of these are reasons why God may delay His answer.

The more we wait on the Lord, the more opportunity we have to examine our motives are out of a desire for Him and not His blessing (or hand). Sometimes God makes us wait because He wants us to become so hungry for Him that we can hardly stand it. The psalmist wrote, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of wickedness.” His motive was pure. All he wanted was to be in God's presence.

God sometimes waits so we are forced to depend on Him. He wants to leave no doubt in anyone's mind, that what has been done is due to Him and Him alone. The children of Israel endured 450 years of slavery and waited through 10 plagues before leaving Egypt . Just so that everyone would know that it was God who delivered them. Gideon waited while God pared down his army from 32,000 to 300 men. That way, when they defeated the Midianite army, they would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had given them victory.

Waiting on the Lord is not always easy – but it can strengthen your faith. It is one of the spiritual disciplines that characterize mature disciples of Christ. Seek a spirit of patient expectation, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning.”

Are you hungry for the King's presence? Do you long for His glory to be refueled on the earth? Don't give up! Keep seeking His face and He will answer in due time. Wait on the Lord!

Week 5, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Seek the King's Heart

     If you would become a queen, you must first court the king.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 82 

If you want to be happy, seek the heart of the King!

Week 5, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

More Than Skin Deep

     To be welcome in the palace you must learn how to “walk the walk and talk the talk."
Finding Favor with the King, p. 83 

Talk is cheap. True character comes from the heart.

The Broadway musical My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a coarse, low-class girl who is taught to walk and talk like a lady. Her first test comes when she attends a horse race and mingles with the “upper crust” of British society. In both her demeanor and her speech Eliza appears to be a prim and proper lady of refinement and culture. No one is the wiser regarding her true origins - until the race begins. Caught up in the excitement of the race, Eliza's shallow veneer of refinement falls away and she reverts to her old manner of speech and behavior. Her newly learned refinement is only skin deep.

In the King's court it is not enough to have merely a superficial façade of “proper” language and behavior. The protocols and culture of the King must soak and permeate every pore of our bodies. Esther spent an entire year immersed in learning both the body language and the verbal language of the king's court. Unlike Eliza Doolittle, Esther's refinement was not skin deep. It filled her through and through until she became the queenly person she was trained to be. Her physical beauty was enhanced by a beauty of character. Esther's “walk” backed up her “talk.”

Paul mirrored this idea when he wrote, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Not even a whiff of corrupt human flesh is acceptable in the King's presence. That is why we can never approach God on our own. The stench of our sinful flesh will bar our entrance. Only the cleansing blood of Jesus and the anointing of His Spirit open the way for us.

Those most welcome in the intimate circles of the King live by the protocols and speak fluently the language of the palace. In other words, they both “walk the walk” and “talk the talk.” Through worship and daily obedience they continually soak in the anointing oil of the Spirit. As a result, their lives give off the fragrant aroma of the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness” and “self-control.” This is both the character and the language —the walk and the talk —of those who frequent the innermost recesses of the King's house.

God is no respecter of persons but He does play favorites. And His favorites are those who humbly and out of love for Him surrender their own will to take on His character and speak His language.

Do you want to be welcome in the King's palace? Do you want to be one of His favorites? Then cultivate His character. Learn to speak His language. Make them more than skin deep. Let them soak into every fiber of your being!

Week 5, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Gifts Are For Giving

     The whole purpose of the anointing is to prepare us for the King's presence.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 85 

Gifts are for giving.

The film Pay It Forward tells the story of how one young boy's act of kindness touches the lives of a succession of people. One kind deed leads to another as each recipient “pays it forward” to someone else.

Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Yet often we act as though His gifts are for our exclusive benefit and enjoyment. The Spirit's anointing makes us fit to be in the King's presence. He gives us gifts so we can give them away. To hoard a gift or to seek one for our own profit is to prostitute its purpose.

When Philip preached the gospel in the city of Samaria , one of his converts was a man named Simon who had previously practiced sorcery in the city. Simon had amazed many people with his magic. After Peter and John arrived in the city and imparted the Holy Spirit to the new believers, it was Simon's turn to be amazed. He offered them money if they would give him the same power of imparting the Holy Spirit. Peter justly condemned Simon for his greed and selfishness and for thinking that “the gift of God could be purchased with money!”

In contrast to Simon's attitude, Paul said, “ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all .” Our spiritual gifts are not for ourselves but for others . Paul says we are all members of the body of Christ. Each member is important. When we work together in selfless giving, the body is complete and fully functioning. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Give freely of your gifts!

We become like the one we spend the most time with. When we spend time in the presence of God we will become giving people because He is a giving God. The anointing of the Holy Spirit prepares us for the King's presence because it makes us more like Him.

Don't despise the Spirit's anointing by ignoring or denying it. Don't misuse it by prostituting it for your own selfish purposes. Let the anointing do its work in your life by preparing you for the King's presence and making you like Him. Don't hoard your gifts. Gifts are for giving!

Week 5, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Wait for the Best

     Don't flirt with lower lovers—save yourself for the King.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 86 

Wait for the best .

In recent years the nationwide “True Love Waits” campaign has inspired thousands of young people to pledge to remain sexually pure until marriage. Sexual purity is a major moral and social issue in our culture today. Aside from preventing unwed pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases, abstinence also spares young people the moral guilt associated with inappropriate sexual activity.

Paul said, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” We have physical, moral and spiritual reasons to remain sexually pure. It is important to save ourselves for the marriage partner to whom we will commit ourselves for life.

As Christians, we are also to save ourselves for our King. In this sense, however, we are not talking about sexual purity but spiritual purity. We are to love and commit ourselves to God alone. He deserves and demands our undivided faithfulness. This is what Paul is saying in the next couple of verses: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's .”

Throughout the Bible, and particularly in the Old Testament, unfaithfulness to God is called spiritual adultery . Being spiritually unfaithful is as great an offense to God as being sexually unfaithful is to a spouse. God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Jesus provided additional insight when He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Everywhere you go you are surrounded by voices and influences that tempt you to trade your faithfulness to God for some lesser pleasures. These may appear quite alluring and appealing at the time, but don't be fooled. Whenever you “flirt with lower lovers” you end up disappointed because they never deliver what they promise. You were created for the King, He alone will satisfy your deepest longings and desires.

Don't trade your future joy and fulfillment for lesser pleasures now. Wait for the best. Save yourself for the King. Commit yourself completely to the Lord who loves you and gave Himself for you. The world will entice you with many things but only the King will satisfy. Don't settle for lower lovers. Wait for the best!

Week 6, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Get Serious!

Do you realize the King of Kings wants to get serious with you? He wants to take your relationship to the next level.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 87  

How serious are you about God?

Do you desire Him more than anything in this world? Does the longing for an intimate walk with Him burn like a fire in your soul? Are you ready to do whatever it takes to be close to Him? To give up whatever may be required in order to gain Him?

I am not talking about salvation here. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior you are already saved. You already possess eternal life. I am talking about moving up to the next level, the level of discipleship where you make the Lord your all in all. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Notice the sequence: self-denial, cross-bearing and obedience to Christ. In self-denial we lay aside our own will and plans in favor of His. By cross bearing we identify with Christ daily in His life, death, resurrection and ministry. Obedience means we go where He leads and do what He directs.

The King of Kings was serious enough about you to die for you. How serious are you about Him? He wants to lift you higher. But are you willing to go? The path to the next level goes down before it goes up. Humility comes before exaltation. James wrote, “Submit therefore to God...Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

Paul was committed, more than anything else he wanted to know Christ. This is why he testified: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul went down in order to be lifted up. But he always kept the end in sight. He let nothing distract him from his goal: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Are you pursuing the upward call of God? That is where the greatest intimacy is found. Going to the next level means greater sacrifice and greater suffering. But it also means greater blessings and greater glories. When Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain with Him, they saw Him transfigured . They saw Jesus as He really was. And afterwards, they never saw the world in quite the same way again. Jesus took them to a higher level.

What about you? Do you want the Lord to take you to the next level? Go down in order to be lifted up! Get serious!

Week 6, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Trust Your Teacher!

Listen to the King's chamberlain.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 90  

Are you teachable?

Do you recognize the limitations of your own knowledge and expertise? Do you welcome and even seek out the instruction of a knowledgeable teacher? Or are you the type who plunges blindly and stubbornly on, rejecting counsel, and preferring to proceed by trial and error?

Humility is one of the protocols for approaching the King - and one of the characteristics of humility is a teachable spirit. Esther was teachable. Her humble spirit opened the way for her elevation from peasant girl to queen. She knew that she had no clue how to please and win the affection and favor of the king. Knowing this she turned to someone who did know—Hegai, the king's chamberlain.

Hegai knew King Xerxes better than anyone else in the palace. He knew the king's preferences - perhaps better than the king did himself. Hegai had knowledge and experience that Esther trusted. Esther's teachable spirit elevated her to a position above all the other virgins in the harem and won the heart of the king.

Like Esther, you have a chamberlain - a Teacher to instruct you in the heart, mind and ways of the King. Jesus promised His disciples, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth... But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things , and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. He testifies of Jesus. He “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” With “groanings which cannot be uttered” He intercedes for us “according to the will of God.” He opens your spirits to receive revelation and to understand the Scriptures. He abides in you and gives you unbroken access to the King. He teaches you how to worship. He fills you, gives you spiritual gifts and empowers you for the King's service.

If you want to find favor with the King, humble yourself as Esther did. Listen to the King's chamberlain. Hegai, was merely a human servant of King Xerxes. The Holy Spirit is divine, and knows the heart and mind of the King because He and the King are one. Don't let pride or an unteachable spirit keep you from getting close to the King. The Holy Spirit is a thoroughly reliable and trustworthy Guide. Trust your Teacher!

Week 6, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Which Are You?

God has this incredible idea that church is about Him.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 94 

If God decided not to show up at your church next Sunday, would anyone notice?

Would He be missed? Would the congregation immediately enter a time of corporate soul-searching and prayer to find out what was wrong? Or would you be able to go merrily on your way as if nothing had happened?

Many churches continue their routine business week after week completely unaware that the Master of the house is not even there. It is like attending a party and having a great time but never even seeing or speaking to the host.

This was the problem of the church in Sardis . Christ, the Master of the house, had no words of commendation for Sardis because He found nothing commendable there. He told them, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” No doubt the church in Sardis was very busy. They probably had a full range of ministries and services to their community. Undoubtedly their worship was proper and correct and perhaps even lively and entertaining. They had a good reputation and may even have had money and prestige in the city.

The church in Sardis had the form of godliness; the appearance of life. They thought they were alive and well - the rest of the city thought they were alive and well. Their only problem was that the Holy Spirit had departed and they never saw Him go. They were dead and didn't even know it!

Contrast this with the church in Smyrna , which received no condemnation from the Lord; only commendation. Of this congregation Jesus said simply, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)...” Whatever the Smyrnan Christians lacked in material wealth they made up for in spiritual riches. They may have been poor in the things that the world values but they were rich where it counted—they had the King!

Where does your church fit? Sardis ? Smyrna ? Or somewhere in between? Even more important, where do you fit? God has this incredible idea that church is about Him. Yet so often we try to make it about us . We try to turn church into our own private “bless–me” club. Our entire focus centers on how many chills, thrills and goose bumps we get and on how well we are entertained. Rarely do we even think to ask what our King wants.

It doesn't matter how big your church is or how rich. It doesn't matter how many programs and ministries you have. It doesn't matter how exciting your worship is or how eloquent your pastor. Without the King you have nothing!

Don't settle for artificial worship and dead formalism either for yourself or for your church. You have a choice: Sardis or Smyrna . Which are you? Which do you want to be?

Week 6, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Mirror Your Model

Seek out someone who has already been to the inner chambers.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 98 

The best way to learn anything is to see it modeled.

If you want to go somewhere you have never been before, find someone who has already been there. Someone who can tell you where the pitfalls and false turns are, so you can stay on track. Someone whose brain you can pick; whose knowledge and experience you can take advantage of.

Trial and error is okay, sometimes even essential. After all, failure can be a great teacher for someone willing to learn. How much better, though, to shadow someone who has already walked that road. Someone who can say, “Been there, tried that, it didn't work. Here's what you do.” Failure is a good teacher but experience is even better.

Joshua learned early on the importance of a good mentor. He was a man who wore many hats. Joshua was Moses' personal servant and assistant. He was also Moses' designated successor.

Moses had already been in the inner chambers. Joshua shadowed Moses wherever he went, serving his needs, carrying out his instructions and trying to learn everything he could from the great leader. One of the things Joshua picked up from Moses was a deep hunger for God. He knew that any successor to Moses would have to be more than a warrior and an administrator. Above all else he would have to be a man of God who was totally committed to God's will and ways.

Joshua learned how to get close to God by first spending time with Moses, God's friend. Joshua was in training. He was already skilled as a soldier and a leader. Now he was being trained in the presence of God. To get to that place of intimacy he walked beside someone who had been there before him. By the time Moses died, Joshua was ready to take his place. Joshua knew the inner chambers of the King because his mentor had already been there.

Who do you know and trust that has been where you want to go and could help you get there? Who can show you how to attain the inner chambers of the King? Find that person, and if he or she is willing, stay close at hand and learn everything you can. Let that person model the intimate God-life for you. Then, mirror your model!

Week 6, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

It's Not About You

Refuse to prostitute the King's riches for private advantage.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 99 

It's not about you.

It's not about any human individual and never has been. From the beginning it has always been about God. All of creation exists by His command and His Word alone sustains it. We humans live by and for God's pleasure and purpose. He created us to house and display His glory.

Yet sometimes we are so quick to take credit for the spiritual graces and gifts in our lives as if they are of our own making. We can presume on our relationship with God - and act as though the riches He shares with us are for our own personal pleasure and advantage.

God loves each of us as individuals but His purpose is always larger than the individual. He bestows His gifts for the good and growth of all His people. We have no right to prostitute those riches for our personal use alone.

It is easy to become seduced by the praise or acclaim others may shower on us because of our gifts or abilities. Rather than take credit for them we should offer them back to the Lord as a sacrifice of praise and gratitude. Paul said that we should offer ourselves as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is [our] reasonable service.” As living sacrifices we claim nothing for ourselves but give ourselves totally to our King.

Rather than boast about our gifts and access, Paul says we should not think more highly of ourselves then we ought but to think soberly. We are to use the gifts and riches we receive from the King for the good of the body of Christ—our fellow believers. Every word in Romans 12:1-18 places the focus of our attention on others rather than ourselves. Paul says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another .” Lest we develop too lofty a regard for ourselves Paul says, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”

There is no place in the body of Christ for self-seeking or self-promotion. The church has only one Head, and it is not you or me. It is Christ. Nothing we have is our own. We brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it. All we have belongs to Christ and we must use it for His glory and His alone.

Don't prostitute the King's riches for your own selfish aims. It's not about you. Give yourself to God as an act of abandoned worship. As a living sacrifice.

Week 6, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Live to Please the King

We don't succeed by doing what we please.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 100  

What you want is not important; what the King wants is all-important.

Which song best describes your life: the old gospel hymn “Have Thine Own Way , Lord” or the Sinatra tune “I Did It My Way”? Do you deliberately seek God's will daily as the guiding principle of your life - taking joy in obeying His Word? Or do you always insist on doing things your own way?

Ever since the Garden of Eden, humans have stubbornly and rebelliously insisted on charting our own course. The Bible calls this sin. And sin is repulsive to God, a stench in His nostrils. David wrote, “ The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” Paul echoed the same thought when he wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Defying God in favor of our own way is always wrong, always fruitless, and ultimately it will lead to disaster. This is what King Saul discovered when he failed to follow God's instructions to wipe the Amalekites out completely. Instead of doing what he was told, Saul spared the Amalekite king as well as the best of the Amalekites' livestock and goods as spoil for the people. This prompted the Lord to declare to Samuel, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned his back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.”

When Saul claimed that he had spared the livestock for making a sacrifice to the Lord, Samuel replied, “ Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice , and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft , and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry . Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

God takes disobedience seriously. He places rebellion and stubbornness in the same category as witchcraft and idolatry. Saul's life displayed an independent streak, a spirit of rebellion that eventually cost him everything, including his life. First Samuel 13:14 reveals that God had already sought out “ a man after His own heart,” to replace Saul as king. This, of course, was David.

Who are you most like? Saul, obstinately digging in your heels and saying, “I'll do it my way!” or David, passionately pursuing the heart of God? You will never succeed by doing what you please. The path to success, joy and intimacy is found in obedience. Don't live to please yourself. Live to please the King!

Week 6, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Take the Next Step

God is no respecter of persons, but He will do some things for some people that He won't do for others.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 103 

Blood is thicker than water .

We all do things for family that we won't do for anybody else. Familial love trumps all other bonds. Family members have a certain claim to our favor just because they are family. At the same time, we usually act more quickly for someone we know well and have a close relationship with than for someone who is more distant.

When some Pharisees asked Jesus for a “sign,” He refused. Why would a man who widely and openly performed many signs like healing the sick and even raising the dead refuse the Pharisees' request? These Pharisees were not “family.” They had no interest in Jesus for who He was or what He could do. They were looking for a reason to accuse Him.

Favor comes to those who are willing to draw near. If you want to see God working in your life you must have more than just a passing acquaintance with Him. The closer you are to God the more His favor will cover you. Favor grows out of relationship. The church, the body of Christ is also the family of God. Even within this family God will do for some what He won't do for others. This is not favoritism but favor .

The Father loves all His children equally but His favor rests on some more than on others. Why? Favor is not a matter of earning privileges. In Christ we all have the same privileges and the same access to the Father. Favor is a matter of choosing freely to learn what pleases the King and what His desires are and adjusting our lives and desires accordingly. It comes from drawing near to God not because we want something from Him but because we love Him and genuinely desire to please Him and become like Him. In other words, favor grows from delighting ourselves in the Lord.

We were created to take pleasure in our relationship with God. When we delight in Him—when we truly desire Him above all others—this is when His favor rests upon us. God loves all His children but His favor rests on those who are willing to take the next step of learning what He wants, adjust their lives accordingly and delight themselves in Him.

How about you? Do you want to become one of the favored? Then adjust your life around the King's desires. Take the next step!

Week 7, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Tailor-Made for His Righteousness

Our King does not alter the robe of righteousness to fit the person. He alters the person to fit the robe of righteousness!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 108  

God's standards are nonnegotiable.

The Lord does not water down His requirements for anyone. He does not “change the rules” from one person to the next. God is unchanging. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Everyone must come to God the same way: through repentance and faith in Christ. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

Many people try to strike a personal bargain with the Lord on their own terms. They never stop to think that God is under no obligation to deal with them at all. He does so because of His grace. Others treat the Word of God like a cafeteria line, picking out only what they want and leaving the rest. Neither of these approaches gains any ground with God. We must come on His terms or not at all.

God through His spirit will raise us up to the level of His standards. We must be righteous before we can enter the presence of the King. But we have no righteousness of our own. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, we receive the righteousness of Christ. We become new creatures fitted for His righteousness. This new creation reconciles us to God and imparts to us the ministry of reconciliation.

How does this transformation take place? Paul sums it up this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Our King does not alter His robe of righteousness to fit us. He alters us to fit His robe of righteousness. In Christ we put off the old man and put on the new man. Isaiah says to exchange “The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

If you are in Christ, He has given you His robe of righteousness. Don't worry that it won't fit. It will. He is changing you . You are being tailor-made for His righteousness!

Week 7, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Focus on the King!

Ignore man's opinion; seek the King's face.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 109  

When you are focused on the King, nothing else matters.

It's truly amazing how the things of the world that cause us so much anxiety shrink to insignificance when our eyes are on the King! Poet Helen Lemmel expressed it this way: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.” The beauty and glory of our Lord's face outshine any splendor that this world can offer.

As Jesus was leaving the city of Jericho a blind beggar named Bartimaeus cried out to Him in a loud voice, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many in the crowd told him to be quiet. They probably thought that Jesus was too busy or too important to be bothered by the likes of someone such as Bartimaeus. So much for man's opinion!

Bartimaeus did not care what others thought. He was determined to get to Jesus and receive his sight. He cried as loud and as long as it took to get Jesus to hear his cry and call him over. When Jesus asked what he wanted, Bartimaeus replied, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Jesus granted his request and Bartimaeus immediately began following Jesus down the road.

If Bartimaeus had heeded the opinion of the crowd, he would never have received his sight. He would have died a blind beggar. But his spiritual eyes were focused on Jesus and the opinions of others meant nothing.

People will not always understand your passion for the King. They will caution you against becoming a “holy roller” or a “Jesus freak.” Don't listen to them. Fear of other people's opinions will rob you of your blessings more than you will ever know. Don't let them intimidate you from seeking His face. Their opinions don't count. The King's opinion does . Keep your focus where it needs to be. Focus on the King!

Week 7, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Focus on the King!

God's Favorite Things
Finding Favor with the King, p. 110  

Do you know God's favorite things?

At the top of His list are His children. Even among His beloved children, however, God has His favorites. They are the ones who commit themselves to make His favorite things their favorite things. As a child of the King you already have the fullness of His love. If you can learn what He favors, you can become a favorite.

What does the King favor? The prophet Micah gives us a clue: “ He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Three of God's favorite things are justice , mercy and humility .

Justice is one of the great concerns of God in the Bible. The Mosaic Law is full of provisions designed to guarantee fair and equitable treatment for all people, especially the weak and powerless in society who have no one to protect them. God is just and His favorites among His children are those who are just as committed as He is to justice for everyone.

Mercy is precious because it is such a rare commodity in our world. It is much easier to be judgmental of others than to extend mercy. Judgment can be given from a distance but mercy means we have to become personally involved. Mercy has a reciprocal quality; if you give it out it comes back to you. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” The King is merciful and His favorites are merciful also.

Humility is a passkey to the King's inner chambers. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Humility is another word for “poor in spirit.” The more we know how needy we are the more we will take our greatest satisfaction in the King.

Do you want to be one of Gods favorites? Then fall in love with justice, mercy and humility— God's favorite things!

Week 7, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

To Live is Christ

Our burning passion must be to fulfill our life purpose in God.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 114 

Why are you here?

God is a purposeful God. Everything He does permeates purpose. He has created you with a purpose in mind. What is it? What are you passionate about? Why did God put you here on this earth? Millions of people never find the answers to these questions. Some resign themselves to a mediocre life, some claim there is no purpose to life. God's Word says otherwise. We were created for a purpose and we find that purpose in relationship to the King.

Eric Liddell, Scottish missionary to China and Olympic gold-medal-winning runner said, “I believe God made me for a purpose; for China . But He also made me fast . And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Eric Liddell knew his life purpose and pursued it with all his heart—even to his death in a Japanese internment camp in China in 1945. Paul knew his life purpose also—and it consumed every moment of his life. He even saw his imprisonment as serving to help further the spread of the gospel. Paul did not care whether he lived or died as long as he was faithful to Christ.

God does have a purpose for your life. Your destiny may not lie on the mission field or in any other area of “professional” ministry. God's purpose for your life may lie in the business world, in the arts, in education or on the homefront, raising children and building a strong family. Whatever your purpose may be, find it and pursue it with gusto! God is not playing games with you. He is not trying to keep you in the dark about your life purpose. He wants you to find it and fulfill it. That is why He created you. People with purpose live life with passion.

What is your purpose? What is your passion? Find them both in relationship with the King. To live is Christ!

Week 7, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Move the Heart of God

If you move the heart of God, you move the hand of God. One nod from God and your destiny is altered.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 114 

Your intercession can move the heart of God!

Ever since leaving Egypt the Israelites had done little more than complain and rebel. They had tried Moses' patience (and God's!) more than once. Now, on the verge of crossing into the Promised Land, they rebelled again.

Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies Moses had sent to scout the land, were ready to enter immediately and take the land God had promised. The other ten spies, however, threw cold water on the whole affair. They thought the task was impossible. Unfortunately, the Israelites listened to the ten instead of the two. In direct violation of God's command, they refused to cross the Jordan .

It was the last straw for God. He was ready to destroy the people for their rebellion. Then Moses stepped in and spoke on their behalf. He reminded God of His patience, mercy, and forgiving nature.

Incredibly, God relented: “ Then the Lord said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word .'” Moses' intercession moved God's heart and God moved His hand. Instead of destroying the people God made them wander in the desert for forty years until every member of that rebellious generation died, except Joshua and Caleb.

You might think that Moses being a “friend of God,” had special sway with Him. The truth is, in Christ we all can have this same access and the same “sway” with God. It is part of our inheritance as His children. James said, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

The King listens to those who get close to His heart. He turns His ear especially in their direction. When He smells the fragrance of humility and hears the passionate language of abandoned worship, He moves quickly to respond.

What is on your heart that seems impossible to you? What passionate longing for yourself or for a loved one seems too distant to even hope for? Don't give up hope! In Christ you have access to the Father's heart. Humility and worship will usher you right into His presence. He is waiting, even longing to hear from you. You can move the heart of God!

Week 7, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Fifteen Minutes—or Forever?

Favor comes in two flavors.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 115 

Why settle for fifteen minutes of favor when you can have it forever?

Andy Warhol, 20 th -century American pop artist, once said, “In the future everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” His “fifteen minutes of fame” has become a byword in Western popular culture. Many people in our society are obsessed with fame and celebrity. Fame is fleeting - yet many people consume their lives pursuing it. They expend enormous amounts of time, energy and money trying to capture the praise, admiration and favor of other people. Yet they give no thought or effort into seeking to please God.

Man-pleasing is a “natural” trait for fallen, sinful human beings. We all want to be liked. While obtaining the favor of men may bring immediate gratification, those rewards are short-lived and temporary. Jesus warned us about getting caught up in seeking the praise and favor of men while neglecting God. He said if your motive was to impress man, then their praise would be the only reward you would receive.

God's favor is much more important—and much more lasting. Jesus said, “W hen you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly .” Of course, it is impossible to earn God's favor. He gives it as an act of grace. Our approach to good works reveals the condition of our heart. As long as we seek to please men we can never please God. Once we set our heart on pleasing God, however, pleasing men becomes unimportant.

Favor comes in two flavors. First is the fleeting flavor of man's favor, which is sweet and delicious at first but goes bland very quickly. Then there is God's favor, which is sweeter still and never loses its flavor. In fact, the longer it goes the sweeter it grows. The choice, of course, is yours. Which will it be? Fifteen minutes—or forever?

Week 7, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Pursue the King's Purpose

Continued favor flows to those who understand purpose.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 116 

Understanding your purpose in God is the first step to blessing, favor and fulfillment .

Why does God's favor seem to rest on some people more than others? They have learned that their life purpose is to serve the King's purpose. Personal agendas have no place in the King's court. To serve any other purpose is to be in conflict with the King.

Jesus said that He came to serve , not to be served, and to give His life to ransom many. This was His Father's will and Jesus lived to do the will of His Father. The Father's purpose and the Son's purpose were the same. This is why Jesus enjoyed continual favor, He understood His purpose and gave Himself completely to it: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”

God gives us His resources for use in accomplishing His purpose. However, He entrusts them only to those who understand His purpose and are personally committed to it. Understanding purpose leads to walking in it and walking in purpose leads to blessing and favor. Or at least it should . Too often we stop short of walking in God's purpose. Instead, we squander our gifts and resources pursuing our own selfish ends. Then we wonder why God turns His favor elsewhere.

Psalm 1 says that blessing comes to those who walk in the purpose of God—who delight and meditate in His law day and night. “[They] shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season , Whose leaf shall not wither , And whatever [they do] shall prosper .” This is a description of continual favor !

God's favor rests on those who will live for His purpose and no other. Do you want to flow in the King's favor? Then pursue the King's purpose!

Week 8, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Favor is for Dying

Favor is not the highest accomplishment of life—the fulfillment of divine purpose is!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 119  

God's favor on your life is not for you. It's for Him.

Why do you want the favor of the Lord on your life? Is it for His mission or yours?

Jesus was on His Father's mission. He made that clear with every word and every action. The Father's favor rested on Jesus not just so Jesus could do good deeds and heal people, but so that He could fulfill His Father's purpose. And the Father's purpose was for Jesus to die. Jesus said: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain .” Jesus' death was necessary for life to flow. He had to die in order to reap a harvest of redeemed souls for His Father's kingdom.

Like Jesus, we are called to die . God's favor is for dying. He gives us His favor so that we can offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Favor is not the highest accomplishment in life. Fulfilling God's purpose is . And God's purpose is that we die—to sin, fear and personal agendas—so that we may live in Christ. When we live in Christ we become partners with Him in helping reconcile a lost world to Father God.

Paul said that we should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This is the only way we can fulfill our life purpose in God. And it is the ultimate reason why God places His favor on us. When Esther approached the king unsummoned, to appeal for her people, she was already as good as dead. By law she could have been executed. But Esther had already died to self-will and personal ambition because she was alive to a higher purpose—saving her people from annihilation. This was also God's purpose. And when Esther aligned herself with God's purpose, His purpose was fulfilled and life flowed.

Do you want to walk in the purposes of God? Do you want His favor to rest on you? Then be prepared to die. Favor is for dying!

Week 8, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Get Ready to Rise

Whenever God gets ready to elevate you, He must first introduce an enemy.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 119  

Enemies come in many forms .

Some are blatant, openly opposing you at every turn. Others are more subtle and devious, appearing as “angels of light” to entice you away from focusing on God's purpose. Your enemy may not even be a person. It may be a disease that threatens to take your health or even your life. It may be a financial reversal that pushes you to the edge of bankruptcy. Whether large or small, human or otherwise, enemies have one thing in common— they threaten to destroy your destiny .

The appearance of an enemy brings your life to a crisis point. You can either capitulate from fear and be destroyed—or you can face your enemy in the power of God and overcome. No enemy can harass you unless God allows it. And if God allows it, He has a reason. God's purpose is to bring you to maturity. If you are facing an enemy, take courage. God is preparing to elevate you. He is getting ready to take you to a new level.

Every athlete knows that bodily strength and stamina develop fastest against resistance. “No pain, no gain.” It is the same with our spirit. Resistance forces us to lose our mental and spiritual “flab”; to lay aside every encumbrance and get into “fighting trim.” The presence of an enemy propels us into depending on God for strength and victory instead of our own resources.

It says in Hebrews, “… let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” No chastening or resistance is pleasant at the time, but “afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Facing enemies prepares us for elevation.

Your enemies only look big. From God's perspective they are nothing. Once you learn to see them that way they won't seem so intimidating. Do enemies and opposition press on you from all sides? Hang in there. God is preparing to move you higher. Get ready to rise!

Week 8, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Don't Sabotage Your Destiny

What you don't eradicate when you are strong will come back to attack you when you are weak.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 125 

Ignored problems only get worse.

It often seems easier to defer a problem rather than deal with it. But that is usually asking for trouble. Ignore a low oil pressure indicator in your car long enough and you may have to replace the engine. Ignore that suspicious lump under your skin for too long and you may have runaway cancer that is extremely difficult to stop. As hard as it seems sometimes, the best way to handle a problem is to take care of it now . Otherwise it will come back and bite you.

The Israelites ignored a big problem for so long that they never got free of it. After conquering the land of Canaan , they failed to completely eradicate or evict all the pagan people in the land. They ignored the lingering presence of enemies in the land. Among these were the Philistines, who produced Goliath, and the Amalekites, from whom descended Haman, the murderous enemy of Esther and her people.

You may be in worship or prayer or some other season of spiritual renewal and strength when God begins dealing with you about an issue in your life. It may be an issue of pride or forgiveness. It may involve an addiction or a secret sin or moral problem. Whatever the issue, the time to resolve it is when God brings it up. If God has revealed it, He wants to take care of it right then . Unless you take care of that issue from that position of strength, it will hibernate for a time. Then, when you least expect it—when you are weak or especially prone to temptation—it will suddenly rear up meaner and stronger than before.

Don't keep shooting yourself in the foot. Don't keep setting yourself up for continued frustration, defeat and spiritual mediocrity. As painful as it may be, deal with the issues in your life immediately as the Spirit of God brings you under conviction. Otherwise you will keep fighting—and losing—the same battles over and over again.

Deal with the problem now. Don't sabotage your destiny!

Week 8, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Break the Cycle

Deal with your enemy now or your children will have to face your enemy tomorrow.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 126 

Everybody is dysfunctional.

Sin has so corrupted our nature and our thinking that we do not understand what “normal” is. Therefore we must look to Christ. He is the standard by which “normal” must be measured. In Him we see mankind as God intended us to be. Jesus succeeded where Adam failed. His victory over every enemy set the stage for our own victory.

Paul wrote, “ But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” In the end, Christ, as a faithful Son, will deliver the kingdom to His Father. Until then, “He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

The problem with dysfunction is that it is self-perpetuating. Our dysfunction tends to be reborn in our children, often in magnified form. Let's face it; we pass our hang-ups on to our kids. Unless the cycle is broken somewhere, it will continue to the third and fourth generation and beyond.

Whatever the dysfunctional issues in your life and that of your family, you can break the cycle . The generational curse can end with you. Christ has already defeated every enemy. In Him you can interrupt the pattern of dysfunction that is crippling you. You can break the cycle and leave your children with a legacy of life instead of death, success instead of failure, victory instead of defeat and fulfilled destiny instead of frustrated dreams.

You don't have to stay mired in the self-defeating thought and behavior patterns of the past. In Christ you can be set free. And if you become free, chances are your children will too. Don't burden them with a generational curse. Break the cycle! Today!

Week 8, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

More than a Conqueror

The size of your enemy is a measure of the size of God's confidence in your ability to overcome.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 130 

God sees potential everybody else misses.

Take David for example. Who would have thought that a shepherd boy from Bethlehem could bring down a professional soldier nearly twice his height? Or, for that matter, could become a king who would lead his nation to greatness? God did . When God looked at David He looked beyond the shepherd and saw the heart of a warrior and a king. God knew the potential for greatness that was in David. After all, He had put it there.

Not even Jesse, David's father, recognized the potential in his youngest son. When Samuel arrived to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king of Israel , Jesse did not even call David in from the fields to be in the lineup. One by one the Lord rejected David's older brothers, saying, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Finally, David was called before Samuel. “And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!'”

Not long after this God began to elevate David toward his destiny. He brought David face-to-face with a formidable enemy. With the soldiers of two opposing armies as witnesses, David brought down Goliath with a single stone from his sling. David succeeded because he knew where his power came from. Just before this battle he told King Saul, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” God was confident of David's ability to overcome because He knew that David would not trust in his own strength.

God sees great potential in you too. God knows what you can handle because He knows what He has placed inside you. The more you align your life to God's purpose the more He will begin moving you toward your destiny.

Remember that new levels bring new devils. Don't fear the obstacles and challenges that lie before you. Don't fret over the apparent size and strength of your enemies. They merely reflect God's confidence in your ability to overcome— in His power . Trust the Lord. He will match your character and strength to the challenges you face. He will make you more than a conqueror!

Week 8, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Come Boldly to the Throne

Preparation trumps permission in the presence of the King.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 134 

God eagerly awaits your visit!

Have you ever looked forward with excited anticipation to the visit of a friend or relative? You can hardly wait to see the face and hear the voice of this person who means so much to you. That is the way God feels about you . You are His child, His beloved son or daughter and He looks upon you with delighted eyes. He loves you more than you can know and loves it when you visit.

Is this how you think of God? Do you see Him as a loving Father, welcoming, even eagerly desiring your fellowship? Or do you see Him as a hard-to-please taskmaster, distant and unapproachable? Unfortunately, this latter view of God is a view much of the church taught for centuries. Some churches still look at God this way. They believe that God is someone you must have special permission to see. Like Haman in Esther's day they exercise strict control over who has access to the King.

You don't have to seek permission to see the King. He has already granted permission and will never rescind it. The way to God's throne room is free and open to everyone. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Of course, there are protocols for gaining the King's presence, such as repentance, humility, passion and worship. But Christ Himself has made all the necessary preparations. And preparation trumps permission every time.

As our great High Priest, He opened the way to the throne room of God with His blood. And now your Father invites you to a life of intimacy with Him. You don't need special permission. You don't have to go through a human mediator. All you need is a willing spirit and a passionate heart to seek the Lord. That is why the Scripture says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace , that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.”

Are you in a time of need? Do you seek the grace and favor of the King? You don't need permission and Christ has already prepared the way. The Father eagerly awaits your visit. Come boldly to the throne!

Week 8, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Will You Risk It All?

Sometimes you must risk everything to become the “very thing” you are supposed to be.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 135 

How much are you willing to risk to fulfill your destiny?

Every worthwhile achievement in life involves risk. The business axiom “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” is true for all of life. You cannot move ahead into your destiny by staying where you are. Many people never realize their destiny because they are afraid to risk anything. How serious are you about fulfilling your destiny? What are you willing to risk?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego risked everything to remain faithful to God. They refused to worship the golden idol that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon , had set up. Even on pain of death they would not prostitute their faith to follow a false god. Love and loyalty to the God of their fathers was more precious than life itself.

They chose death over disloyalty when they said to king, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand O king. But if not, then it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” The enraged king had them thrown into the fiery furnace.

Where was God during all of this? He was in the furnace with them. Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and saw not three men but four, unbound and unhurt in the midst of the flames. Nebuchadnezzar described the fourth man he saw as “like the Son of God.” Once you dare to risk everything for your destiny in God, you will discover that He is right there with you.

Risk is scary because there is always the possibility of failure. Such is the nature of risk. Are you willing to risk everything to fulfill your destiny? Are you willing to trust that the God who walked in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will also walk with you as you pursue your destiny? How far will you go to follow God? How far will you go to see your destiny fulfilled? Will you risk it all ?

Week 9, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Honor the Body of Christ

      The collective aroma of humility from many is more powerful than that of an individual.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 136 

No force on earth is more powerful than the people of God united in worship and prayer!

This is why Satan hates and fears the church so much. He knows that nothing can stand against the power that is unleashed by believers unified in love and faith.

How important is the church to you? What value do you place on regular, active involvement with a local fellowship of believers? Jesus established His church as a body for good reason: He knew that there is strength in numbers. The corporate nature of the church is also intended to reflect the unity that exists in the Godhead.

Esther understood the strength and power in numbers. She also recognized the tremendous spiritual power of corporate worship, fasting and prayer. That is why she asked Mordecai to get all the Jews in the capital city of Susa to pray and fast for three days before she went in to see King Xerxes. And why she and the maidens with her would do the same. Esther knew that the collective aroma of unified worshipers would move the heart of God more than her prayers alone.

A spirit of unity is a sign of spiritual life in a church. It is also evidence of the anointing of God on that body. David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwelt together in unity!... For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life evermore.” Each of us as individual Christians carry the anointing of God on our lives. When we come together in unity, however, our corporate anointing is greater than the sum of personal anointings on each of us individually.

I don't know about you, but I love the church. I hope and pray that you do too. Don't neglect the body of Christ. There is power in numbers. There is strength in numbers. There is encouragement in numbers. There is wisdom in numbers. There is safety in numbers. There is protection from error in numbers. Don't try to go it alone. Honor the body of Christ!

Week 9, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Spend Your Favor Wisely

      She was going to spend her favor to purchase her destiny.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 137 

What would you do to ensure your family's future?

If you saw disaster looming on the horizon, how far would you go to save your loved ones? When Esther chose to go to King Xerxes unannounced she knew it might cost her life. Yet she regarded her own life as a small price to pay for the salvation of her people. When the crisis came Esther used her relationship of love and intimacy with the king to her advantage. She spent her favor to buy the lives of all the Jews in the empire, including her own.

Rahab was another who put everything on the line for her family. Rahab knew about the Israelites. She had heard of their God and all the mighty deeds He had done on their behalf. She realized it was only a matter of time before the Israelites crossed the river and conquered her city. Rahab wanted to save her family.

One day two Israelite spies came to her door. Rahab immediately saw her opportunity and seized it. Instead of turning them in, she hid them from the men who were looking for them. Rahab now had favor with the two spies and she was quick to spend it seeking safety for her family and herself Rahab saw that Jericho had no future and she didn't want it to be the same way with her family.

The Israelite spies agreed with her request. Jericho fell and all the inhabitants of the city died except for Rahab and her family. Rahab spent her favor with the spies to buy life for herself and her family; not just physical life but spiritual life as well. Through her marriage to an Israelite named Salmon, Rahab became an ancestor of David and, later, of Jesus Christ himself. Not bad for a former harlot!

Don't spend your favor just on yourself. Don't waste it on things that lead to death. There is too much at stake. Favor is for bringing life and fulfilling destiny. Spend your favor wisely!

Week 9, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

The Battle is the Lord's

      Once you are in the King's presence, the battle is virtually over!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 138 

The King has already fought and won your battles.

Do you get tired of daily battling fresh problems and new enemies? Spiritual warfare is an unavoidable part of the Christian life. Fortunately for us, our King is also a mighty warrior! We don't have to face our battles alone. In fact, He has already won them for us – we just have to claim them.

The King may be a warrior, but there is peace in His inner chambers.

Every soldier needs periodic times of “R and R”; a safe harbor where he or she can find peace and rest for a while. For believers, this means drawing near to the heart of God; retreating into His inner chambers. It is here, in the place of worship and intimacy, where our battles are either won or lost before we even wage them. As I said in Finding Favor with the King , most of our battles are fought outside the court. When we move into the King's inner court we leave our weapons and armor behind - they are unnecessary in the presence of the King. When we worship our way into the King's presence He takes up our battles and wins them for us.

The King of Judah had a problem. A formidable army was on its way to attack the kingdom of Judah . Jehoshaphat went before the people, humbled himself and worshiped the Lord. He laid out the situation then appealed for God's help. He worshiped himself into the inner chambers of intimacy with the Lord. In response, God told the king to take his army and go out to meet the enemy. He added, “ You will not need to fight in this battle . Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you…” The king sent singers ahead of his army. As soon as they began singing praises to the Lord, God set the enemy armies against each other and they destroyed themselves. This battle was won in the place of worship.

The same God who fought for Jehoshaphat will also fight for you. Don't fear the conflict because you are not alone. Worship your way into His inner chambers and wait on Him. The battle is the Lord's!

Week 9, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Risk the Good and Reap the Best

      Esther risked her favor to achieve her purpose.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 139 

Once you know your purpose, everything else is expendable.

Discovering your purpose in life will change how you look at your circumstances. The entire focus of your life will change. Things you once thought critical for your success suddenly become insignificant, especially if they don't advance your life purpose.

Purpose brings passion. Passion will propel you to cast off anything that hinders you from achieving your purpose. It is like stock-car racers stripping their cars of any extraneous items that only add weight and slow them down. Or athletes who shed every unnecessary pound to give them the competitive edge that will help them excel.

One man Jesus encountered was unwilling to risk it all even for something better. The rich young ruler knew his life purpose. He sought eternal life. When he found out what it would cost he was unwilling to pay the price. Instead, he went away sorrowful, his destiny unfulfilled and his life purpose forsaken.

No matter where you are now, the Lord is calling you to a greater and higher purpose. Even if you have found your purpose and are pursuing it, you need to keep pressing deeper and rising higher. Life is a journey, a continual progressing toward the high calling of God. And no matter how much you may have right now, it cannot compare to what awaits you in the Father's house. So hold on to it lightly.

It is so tempting simply to bask in the favor of the Lord and stop there. God's favor is not static. He does not give it for its own sake. His favor is to help you rise to your full potential and achieve your life purpose. He also wants you to bring others along with you.

Esther risked her favor and achieved her purpose—the salvation of her people. She brought all the Jews in the empire with her into a new future full of hope and potential.

What life purpose has God revealed to you? Will you risk your favor to fulfill your purpose? Risk the good and reap the best!

Week 9, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

When Relationship Surpasses Protocol

      There comes a point at which relationship will surpass protocol, but don't try it until you have learned the protocol of His presence.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 139 

Make sure your idea of intimacy with God matches His ideas about it. (HINT: Often we find that the more “grown up” we get, the less intimate we become with the God who prizes child-like love above grownup seriousness.)

From our first day at school, we begin to learn protocol . “No talking. Follow in a single line behind the teacher. No pushing or shoving. Boys, be nice.” Then we learn the protocol of relationships. “Smile when you are introduced. Girls, do not flirt. Look people in the eye with confidence but not haughtiness.”

Whether it is our first job, or the exchange of wedding vows at the altar—the protocols of our functions can be overwhelming. Many of them are simply dropped once the “new” wears off. In contrast, our relationships possess the power to go beyond the bounds of protocol when genuine intimacy is present. There comes a point at which relationship will surpass protocol, but don't try it until you have learned the protocol of His presence.

Proximity is easily mistaken for intimacy, but it is not the same. The adults clustered around Jesus had invested days, weeks, or even years following the Lord's ministry. They probably felt a measure of intimacy with their “Teacher.” Something happened when children who were meeting Jesus for the first time were honored and welcomed so lovingly by Jesus. He told the adults they all needed to be like those children, effectively removing their pride over proximity, and placing the greatest emphasis on intimacy.

Protocol provides important outward stepping stones or formal approaches to the throne of God. They may be useful in building proper respect and honor for a holy God, but child-like love, devotion, and passion for His presence is the key to His heart.

Esther honored the protocol of the palace in every respect—even her dangerous attempt to approach the throne was made according to the rules of the kingdom. Yet, it was her relationship to the King in the end that suspended the mandatory death sentence protocol demanded.

Week 9, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

When Relationship Surpasses Protocol Part 2

      There is a fine boundary between intimate familiarity and casual presumption.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 139 

Visit any country with a monarchy and you will find two primary groups of people clustered around the king or queen. The first group is proud of their hard-earned achievements. They've stood the test of scrutiny and passed the examinations common in any environment ruled by protocol. The second group didn't necessarily “earn” their position in the royal court—they were born to it. They enjoy a relationship with their national sovereign that no amount of protocol or proper political positioning can produce—they are family.

For this reason, they can do things that would get even the most highly placed protocol-driven diplomat or dignitary into deep trouble. This is true even in the White House.

No diplomat, cabinet head, or congressional leader could enter the Oval Office and begin playing under the President's desk; or lead the President to a toy store display window to point out a desired birthday present. Yet a child, teenager, or spouse can have direct and intimate contact with the leader of the most powerful nation on the planet as long as they have the privileged access available only to close family members.

The greatest danger for Christians who focus on protocol while neglecting relationship is that they may cross the fine boundary between intimate familiarity and casual presumption. This is what Jesus described in Matthew 7:22-23—people who “worked miracles” in Jesus name, but wanted to “live life their way” (a simple definition of “lawlessness”) instead of loving and following Christ in The Way. Presumption seeks the benefits of His presence. True intimacy seeks Him, not merely the benefits, perks, or power associated with His name and title.

Casual presumption offends God, even if we shout out the loudest in public meetings, “Lord, Lord!”

Week 9, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Resigned to the Absolute Faithfulness of God

      Sometimes purpose requires that you resign yourself to the absolute faithfulness of God.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 140  

At some time in your life, you may find yourself in Mary's position. Faced with a situation that is hard to understand, and armed only with a word from the Lord, you will have to choose:

•  Will you embrace God's purposes along with the unknown consequences of your obedience ; or…

•  Will you decline the uncertainty of the unknown and seek comfort in the seemingly “less risky” environment of life outside of God's purposes?

The Bible tells us “without faith it is impossible to please God.” It seems that faith is the “currency” of God's kingdom on earth. By biblical definition, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

In the fullness of time, the young Jewish virgin named Mary made a fateful decision to risk all in response to the words of the Lord. She decided to resign herself to the faithfulness of God in the face of the unknown. She declared to the Lord, “Be it unto me according to thy word,” and the result changed human history and fulfilled the highest divine destiny of all time.

Another young Jewish woman named Esther faced a fateful choice between what seemed to be certain death at the hands of Persian bodyguards and possible deliverance by the hand of the Invisible God. Would she choose the false safety of passive observance and watch as her people were systematically hunted down, or would she take the active path of obedience in the face of clear danger and possibly save her people?

Mordecai reminded Esther that while obedience often has unpleasant consequences, disobedience always has dire consequences connected to it. He warned her that even if she was silent, God would save His people some way, but it wouldn't help her and her family. Esther resigned herself to God's faithfulness and faced death to preserve life.

What about you? Are you tempted to step back, hole up, or remain silent in the face of a difficult challenge in your life—when you somehow know you were born to do more ? Each time you find yourself in a crisis or situation that is beyond what you can “fix” or handle on your own, you have a perfect opportunity to lean upon the One Who loves to save, heal, and deliver His children. Following Christ in this life is a faith action from beginning to end.

It takes faith to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, and it takes faith to trust Him with family members, daily challenges, business or job-related needs, and with provision in times of crisis.

Week 10, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Learn to Worship With Your Enemy
(But keep your eyes on the King)

   You have the same choices Esther did the day she prepared a banquet for her husband, King Xerxes, and her new enemy, the powerful Prime Minister Haman. She could focus on the problem or focus on the solution.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 142  

We discover the true measure of our faith in God when things go wrong in life. Many Christians seem to freeze or back up when faced with adversity, animosity, or a seemingly impossible situation—but it doesn't have to be that way. You have another and better choice in every bad situation. Learn how to worship God even in the presence of your “enemies” (whether you are confronted by flesh-and-blood opponents or difficult circumstances).

Look at the response King Jehosaphat gave when faced with catastrophe – his people were surrounded and outnumbered by their enemies. He basically said, “Lord, this one's too big for us. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You! ” That is the art of worshiping in the presence of your enemy while keeping your eyes on the King .

King David declared, “Thou preparest a table [a feast] before me in the presence of mine enemies.”

What a picture! It virtually matches Queen Esther's situation when she prepared an intimate dinner to be shared with her husband, the king, and with the most dangerous human enemy her people had ever faced.

Esther solved the problem with supernatural grace—she learned how to worship in the very presence of her enemies. She had eyes only for the King—so the unwelcome guest was forced to merely observe in envy as she fully enjoyed and utilized her intimate relationship with her husband.

Haman had no idea that his aspirations for greatness by association with the King were doomed by Esther's unconditional devotion to the King. Intimacy always trumps protocol and political positioning.

Queen Esther didn't make a formal petition to Persia 's ruler. She sat next to her most spiteful enemy and drew near to the king in intimate and loving relationship. So King Xerxes drew nearer to her. He was moved to grant Esther her very heart's desire! King Xerxes' words to Esther represented everything Haman wanted to hear, but never would:

“What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.”

Week 10, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

When the King Makes Your Battle His Battle

     
If your enemy is the King's enemy, then your battle is the King's battle.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 144 

How many times do we ask God to intervene and fight for us in situations that we created on our own? We fail to pay our taxes on time and then ask God to deliver us from the consequences, or we neglect our marriage relationship and then ask Him to step in and salvage the mess that we created. In His great mercy, He often does help us in those situations. However, it is much better to align our lives with His purposes and then enjoy the "consequences" of obedience and relationship with the King!

Queen Esther was focused on obeying Mordecai's counsel and fulfilling her purpose "for such a time as this." By divine design, Esther had come into a covenant relationship with King Xerxes as his queen, so Esther's mortal enemy automatically became the sworn enemy of King Xerxes. That was good news for Esther and her people, and it was destined to become a deadly surprise for Haman and his plans for promotion and power.

In the earliest days of the church, Israel 's religious leaders in the Sanhedrin thought they were only dealing with some leftover renegade followers of a deceased renegade carpenter from Nazareth . In fact, they were actually threatening the chosen messengers of God and resisting His purposes. When they demanded that Peter and John no longer speak in the name of Jesus, they ceased to be merely the enemies of two disciples. They became the enemies of God .

That was good news for the disciples and bad news for the Sanhedrin. God answered the prayers of the disciples that day, and signs and wonders became so prominent that thousands more believed the gospel of Christ and the church grew in spite of the persecution!

Week 10, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Don't Underestimate the Power of Home-Court Advantage!

The posture of “worship” is your home-court advantage. Don't fight your personal Haman in the argumentative mode; lure him into an atmosphere of worship!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 146  

Home-court advantage is so powerful and so coveted that collegiate and professional sports officials spend a great deal of time and resources jockeying for it. The favor present in “the home court” is so tangible that it can often mean the difference between a win and a loss!

Esther could not compete with the politically savvy schemes of Haman. Her enemy was a master conspirator with no scruples and an endless supply of hatred and envy fueling his evil designs. She wasn't a warrior, a captain of thousands, or even a business tycoon. But she did know what the king liked.

She shared an intimate relationship with the King that no royal title, military conquest, or political accomplishment could match. She effectively moved the battle from the royal court to the family dining room, where relationship always trumps formal protocol.

As I noted in Finding Favor With the King, “Most of us would have blurted out our request seconds after touching the king's scepter, and it is possible that in our haste we would have been denied. Satan often wants to divert us by convincing us to fight the right battle on the wrong battlefield ” (p. 144).

Whatever “Haman” you face in life—whether it is financial crisis, disease, broken relationships, or persecution on behalf of Christ—don't fight against “flesh and blood.”

Put your problem on the altar of prayer, and begin to worship the King over your problem. This moves the battle out of the natural realm where your resources are almost certainly limited and very often ineffective.

Tap into the “home court advantage” you enjoy when you enter the presence of the King as a son or daughter of God. The favor of God can tip the scales in virtually any situation when it is in line with God's Word and His eternal purposes.

Resist the urge to blurt out your petitions to Him the moment you enter His presence. It is your “right” under the rules of formal protocol, but the higher way is to worship Him, praise Him, and minister to Him as your first priority.

Once the King is full and blessed through your banquet of adoration, you may whisper your request to Him as an intimate worshiper, knowing that He hears you and cares for you as His child.

This is where the power of home-court advantage kicks in, and this is the point where the enemy's plans get “kicked out” of the intimate atmosphere of worship.

Week 10, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Put the First Thing First and Get the Rest Thrown In

Your first and most passionate petition should be for the King's presence.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 147 

Jesus revealed the deeper truth behind Esther's secret when He said: “ Seek ye first the kingdom of God , and all these things [money, clothing, food, and the basic essentials of life] shall be added unto you.”

Esther had a life-and-death petition to deliver to King Xerxes. Her first priority seemed obvious--surely the queen would skip the dinner party and get right down to business. After all, this was an important need!

It was true—Esther's petition was crucial. But the issue wasn't the importance of the petition; it was the importance and power of Esther's intimate relationship with the Giver of favor, over her need for any gifts he could give.

Anyone who knew the basic protocols of the palace could present a petition to the king with a reasonable chance of getting what was asked for. Esther's situation as queen, and as the living “last hope” for her people, needed something more than protocol upon which to lean.

Are you the lone intercessor standing in faith between eternity and your loved ones? Are you facing impossible challenges with a negative medical diagnosis or an impossible financial crisis? Are your children seemingly destroying themselves with bad choices and bad company? Is your local church struggling to survive against impossible odds?

You do have all of the rights of petition granted to those who know how to approach the throne in formal petition, framed and ordered in line with God's Word. We are commanded to come before the Lord on behalf of those in authority and make petition to the King. However, there are times when the privileges of intimate relationship will accomplish far more than formal petition. This was Esther's path.

Haman had as many rights of formal petition as she did—in fact, it appears that he controlled who had access and who was denied audience with the king as long as they were formal affairs of the throne room. But he had no power to trump the queen's intimacy and privilege of family position. So Queen Esther moved the place of battle from the throne room to the dining room; and she moved beyond the boundaries of formal protocol to the limitless realm of loving favor !

This is your privilege as well, if you have given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, and have become a child of God!

Week 10, Day 5

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Correct Your Focus Problem

…Most of us have a genuine focus problem when it comes to worship. We want to cling to our problems and the past with one hand while offering God a miniature handful of measured worship with the other.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 150 

Mommies and Daddies everywhere have experienced it: their little boys or girls carefully measure out one-half of one-third of a stick of chewing gum, or a broken piece of cookie from their little hand and then climb into their laps to ask, “Daddy, Mommy, would you take me someplace and buy me a toy?”

It provokes a secret smile or chuckle when they are small, but when that same behavior continues into the teen years or even worse—into adulthood—no one is smiling anymore.

Yet we do it to God nearly every week (and some of us may do it to Him several times a day!)—we enter the Lord's presence with a mumbled “Thank You Lord for everything, I love You… now, about this problem of mine. You've really got to do something!”

Remember, it was Jesus who told us what matters most on God's shopping list: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” 1

John the apostle saw the 24 elders worshiping God continuously with lifted hands, with crowns cast down, and with their voices lifted in continuous praise, proclamations of honor, and worship. The closer we come to God, the greater we sense His manifest presence, the less worried we are about the lower concerns of earth. We begin to understand that in His presence, all things are made right. In His presence, His favor supplies our needs and much more besides. If we concern ourselves with satisfying our King, then He will concern Himself with granting our petitions (sometimes, even before they are spoken).

Avoid that faith-challenged habit of clinging more tightly to your grievances, needs, and petitions than to His hand. Great things happen when we approach God on bended knee, but the most important things happen when we whisper our desires from His lap while in the sweet communion of worship.

Are your problems filling “your hands” at the moment? Let go of your problems and your past long enough to give him “two hands worth” of wholehearted worship. When you return to those problems, they will seem much smaller if you can find them at all!

Week 10, Day 6

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Learn to Worship With the Enemy At Your Table!

Worship is never more important than when the enemy launches a plot to destroy your destiny!
Finding Favor with the King, p. 151 

The ability to worship with the enemy at your table is a learned skill. Esther's first round of worship in the face of the enemy unleashed the favor of the King's heart. The second round released his swift judgment on her enemies. By the second “round” or banquet of honor to the King, Esther's enemy was already wobbling and broken by the shifting tide of favor in his world.

Learn to worship the enemy at your table, and you will also discover the secret to delivering your family, your destiny, and perhaps even your nation from the plots and schemes of the enemy.

King David knew how to worship God even when he was literally surrounded by enemies. He worshiped over his problems and kept his focus on the King, and in the end God elevated him to the place of king over Judah and Israel . Are you preparing your banquet for the King now?

It is one thing to see the enemy attack your reputation or bring persecution because of your devotion to the Lord. It is even more serious when he attempts to abort your destiny through all-out attack. It is in those moments that worship becomes perhaps the most potent weapon in your spiritual arsenal when combined with God's unwavering Word.

Put those problems and the pressures of the enemy onslaught at your feet and lift your eyes, your hands, and your hearts to the King. This is what I call “worshiping over your enemy.” When Esther bypassed mere protocol to personally bless and honor the king, she moved the mighty Prime Minister Haman down to floor level while she ascended to the King's heart with her honoring ways.

Prepare a sacrifice of praise and call for a banquet tonight! Invite the Lord of lords and King of kings to a special banquet in His honor tonight—and don't worry, your enemy will be there too!

Week 10, Day 7

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Ignore the Enemy—Worship the King!

If you learn to worship while the enemy sits across from you at the same table; if you can learn to pay such close attention to the King that you forget about the enemy staring you in the face…
Then you Win.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 153 

There is something about praise and worship offered in the face of impossible odds, crushing obstacles, and brokenhearted sorrow that honors God so greatly that He can't resist coming nearer.

Have you ever watched a child facing a difficult sports challenge or an academic competition that seemed too great for them? I've noticed that some of them managed to come out on top by keeping Mommy or Daddy in their vision.

At each opportunity their eyes searched the stands or audience for sight of Mom or Dad. All it took was a single “thumbs-up” sign, a grin, or a wink; and they were back in the competition with a vengeance!

In the depths of my vivid imagination, I can almost see the regal Queen Esther devoting her loving gaze exclusively on her husband and king, the mighty Xerxes. If I would have been in Haman's place, I think I would have felt so uncomfortable and “unneeded” that I would have quietly excused myself from that intimate banquet meant for two.

Today you might be surrounded by sadness and encircled by crisis, but if you fill your view with God and His greatness, then you will be lifted to God's level as He draws you near to Himself. As for the other unwanted and unneeded things—they should either remove themselves from your life or be prepared to be removed by the One you worship and adore.

Keep your eyes on Him. Whatever you do, don't look down at your problems! He will plant your feet on solid ground if you will only keep your focus on His face—even while your enemy grimaces in dismay!

Week 11, Day 1

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Ignore the Enemy—Worship the King!

      Have you ever needed a " that night"? Or a " that day"? An epoch-making event. A critical juncture. A crisis turning point. A point before which things were going wrong, but after which things began to go right? What are the ingredients for a "that night"?
Finding Favor with the King, p. 156  

Some things seem to please God more than others. King Saul, for instance, discovered too late in his life that God does have a preference when presented the choice between our obedience or our sacrifice to make up for our disobedience.

The Bible says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Esther's bold decision to seek the King's face before she asked for favors or emergency actions from the power of his hands perfectly illustrates this Bible principle.

What are the components of a "that night" or a "that day" situation? Faith is the first component. And through faith comes the second all-important component-- relationship!

It wasn't merely the good food and wine that captured King Xerxes' attention. This powerful Persian monarch didn't offer ‘up to half the kingdom' to any of the cooks who actually prepared the food he and Haman enjoyed at those two banquets. It seems that the people who actually did the work received nothing but the satisfaction of a job well done and the thankfulness of Queen Esther. The King directed all of the royal attention to the one with the relationship and the desire to bless and seek the face of the king. He was interested in hearing the heart's desire of the one who had blessed his heart so well!

Are you in need of a “that night” to break free of depression and restore your dreams? Is your child or spouse in danger of falling for the enemy's schemes? Is that problem from your past seemingly impossible to defeat? If so, you are approaching a divinely appointed crisis turning point. You have been brought to such a time and place as this. You are reading these words by divine design.

Week 11, Day 2

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Esther's Ultimate Secret Revealed

      Favor is what happens when preparation meets destiny.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 157 

Imagine for a moment that your best friend had been born with the neurological and fine motors skills to be the world's greatest pianist or brain surgeon. Now picture them spending the majority of their teenage and college years sitting on a couch playing video games (if this hits too close to home, I'm not sure I apologize).

By the end of the “thirty-something” years, your friend has accumulated more loan default notices than exemplary grade reports. Somehow, “destiny” has been missed and regrets now dominate the “lifescape.”

Was your imaginary friend's destiny a false hope? No. Was any “hard-wired equipment” missing? No. Only one element seems to be missing from this picture— preparation.

Harlem , New York , is considered to be one of the “toughest” neighborhoods in North America . Yet, certain talented and gifted young people from low-income families manage to arise against seemingly impossible odds to achieve their destinies despite their difficult environments.

Desire for their destiny seems to drive them in a desperate swim “upstream,” and when preparation meets destiny— favor appears. As the Bible puts it, “A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”

This is especially true in God's kingdom and in the lives of His children. God has always honored preparation and attention to detail, as long as it doesn't eclipse our central focus on worshiping and honoring Him.

“Esther was the ultimate summa cum laude graduate of the Chamberlain's School of Royal Protocol and Proper Preparation. She knew the great value of advance preparation” (p. 156). First, she spent a full year preparing herself for one night with the king.

So when the crisis involving Haman's plot arose, she knew exactly how to prepare herself physically and spiritually (through corporate prayer and fasting) for a meeting of her preparation with her destiny.

Queen Esther counted on God's favor showing up to bring deliverance to her, to her family, and to her people. Protocol alone couldn't save her. This was a job for divine favor and the intervention of God.

Are you in a life situation that mere protocol cannot touch? Remember your destiny and make the necessary preparations to take your desire to the King of kings. Favor will meet you there, in His Presence!

Week 11, Day 3

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Indulgent Worship Creates a Sleepless King

      Do you understand that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords can't say no to you? That is, if you are His bride, clothed in praise and arrayed in righteousness! He said, “Ask, and it shall be given.” God finds it hard to say no to you. In fact, He can't if you ask “according to His will.”
Finding Favor with the King, p. 159 

By this point in the history of Esther's life in ancient Persia , it is clear that “God's powerful behind-the-scenes intervention in human affairs is evident in the sleepless night of King Xerxes” (p. 157). We know from the Scriptures that the Almighty never sleeps or slumbers, but He often disrupts the sleep of others until His purposes are prepared or accomplished for the next day. Many times, His work in the night hours or hidden places is released in response to our prayers, praise, and worship. Daniel prayed and sought God's face daily on behalf of his people, and an angel of the Lord pulled aside the veil to reveal the inner workings of prayer and God's response in the heavenly realm.

The angel made it clear that God heard Daniel's prayer and answered it the very day it was offered up: “...from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard , and I have come in response to your words. ” Daniels prayer was heard and answered that day, even though demonic interference delayed its arrival for 21 days. The final book of the Bible reinforces the truth that God hears our prayers and stores up our praise, and that He acts on them in His time.

The principles we see in Esther's life and the outright statement by James the apostle—“The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” --make it clear that God honors prayer from someone who is righteous, and who prays effectively and with passion.

Have you prayed about the difficult or challenging situations in your life? Make sure you've taken care of any wrong motives, unforgiveness, or unconfessed sin in your life. Then prepare a banquet for the Lord through a genuine outpouring of your love in the form of thanksgiving, praise, worship, adoration, and a lifestyle that says “yes” to Him in word and deed.

This is how you make sure you pray His will instead of merely your wants while also seeking His face as your First Love rather than merely as your “first Source.”

Week 11, Day 4

Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book
Finding Favor with the King

Feeling the Effects of Divine Insomnia

      Jesus often spent sleepless nights during His earthly stay as He prayed over impending challenges facing those He loved. Perhaps our heavenly King still paces the golden floors of Heaven— not in paranoid fear but in passionate love— feeling the effects of divine insomnia.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 161 

There are certain is