Your supernatural advantage for a successful life All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. Scripture quotations marked “NIV” are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “NASB” are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Unmerited Favor ISBN 978–981–08–8372-0 © Copyright Joseph Prince, 2011 Joseph Prince Teaching Resources www.josephprinceonline.com All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. Dedication This book is lovingly dedicated to: Wendy After all these years, I still look forward to coming home to you. If I had to choose again, it would still be you. Jessica You are the reason Daddy feels incredibly blessed. Darren Your wisdom has given this ministry wings. New Creation Church You help me see why Jesus loves the church and calls her His bride. Thank you for all your support and love. Contents Dedication Contents Introduction Chapter 1: The Definition Of Success Chapter 2: Everything You Touch Is Blessed Chapter 3: Becoming Safe For Success Chapter 4: Success Beyond Your Circumstances Chapter 5: Practicing The Presence Of Jesus Chapter 6” Your Right To God’s Unmerited Favor Chapter 7: God’s Peace For Your Success Chapter 8: Covenanted To Succeed In Life Chapter 9: God’s Covenant Of Unmerited Favor With Us Chapter 10: Perfected By Unmerited Favor Chapter 11: Transforming The Next Generation Chapter 12: Our Part In The New Covenant Chapter 13: How Unmerited Favor Is Cheapened Chapter 14: The Secret To Good Success Chapter 15: The Blessed Man Versus The Cursed Man Chapter 16: Walking In The Blessing Of Abraham Chapter 17: Becoming An Heir Of The World Chapter 18: Self-Occupation Versus Christ-Occupation Chapter 19: The Prayer Of The Unnamed Servant Chapter 20: Divine Wisdom To Succeed Chapter 21: Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored, Deeply Loved Chapter 22: The Secret Of The Beloved Closing Words Notes Introduction This book is all about Jesus. It is about His passionate love for you and His desire for you to experience success in your life. But before we go on, let me ask you this question: Do you believe that Jesus is interested in your success? Take a moment to reflect on this. My friend, I am so glad that we have the opportunity to talk about this today because I want you to know that Jesus delights in blessing you. It is His good pleasure to see you blessed in every area of your life!1 Now, don’t put a limit on His blessings in your life. The blessings of the Lord are not (as some may erroneously believe) just seen in material things. Jesus is infinitely interested in your total well-being. He is interested in your family, career, fulfillment in life, marriage, ministry, and boy, does the list go on! When it comes to your desires, hopes and dreams, there is no detail that is too minuscule, minute or insignificant for Jesus. Trust me, if it matters to you, it matters to Him! Even if you went to Him in prayer to remove that small pimple on your nose, He is not going to look at you and reply mockingly, “Hey buddy, don’t you know that I’ve got a whole universe to run? Come to Me when you have a bigger prayer request.” No way! A thousand times no! Jesus will never ridicule or deride your concerns as petty. He is never dismissive or condescending. He is not like some of your so-called “friends,” who may delight in poking fun at your shortcomings. If it bothers you, it bothers Him. Jesus is someone whom you can be completely real with. You can hang out with Him and be yourself, with no pretense and no play-acting. Jesus is ever-loving toward you and you can talk to Him about anything. He enjoys conversing with you about your dreams, aspirations and hopes. He wants to heal you of things in your past that you may be struggling with. He is interested in your present challenges. He wants to weep with you when you are down and rejoice with you in all your victories. Jesus is love and tenderness personified. Be careful not to confuse His tenderness with the effeminate and weak images that you have seen depicted in some traditional paintings of Him. He is tenderness and strength wrapped up in one. He is meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, velvet and steel. You see, sometimes, when we attempt to be assertive and strong, we bulldoze over people’s feelings and end up hurting them with our words. When we attempt to be tender, we overdose on niceness and reduce ourselves to doormats to be taken advantage of by others. Let’s turn away from ourselves and look at Jesus. He could sternly force a pack of scheming Pharisees to back off in one instance, challenging them by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”2 In the very next moment, this same Jesus could look straight into the eyes of a broken woman caught in adultery, and with compassion resonating deeply in His voice, ask her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”3 This is our God! He embodies all the heroic qualities that humanity pines for. But instead of seeking Jesus, many in the world have settled for cheap Hollywood imitations of heroism based on artificial ideals of “manliness.” In one moment, a tired Jesus could be fast asleep in a windswept fisherman’s boat, oblivious to the rough Galilean waters crashing against the hapless vessel. But in the very next moment, you see Him staring unflinchingly at the boisterous waves, His well-toned carpenter’s arms raised to the sky. With His single declaration of absolute authority over heaven and earth, the waves submitted and calmed instantaneously into a placid mirror of stillness.4 Jesus is 100 percent Man and at the same time 100 percent God. As Man, He understands and identifies with all that you have gone through, are going through and will ever go through in this life. He knows, for example, what it means to be fatigued after a long day. But as a loving God, all His power, authority and resources are on your side. Do you know that you are important to Jesus? Know with full assurance in your heart that Jesus knows you perfectly, and yet accepts and loves you perfectly. When you begin to understand that, you will realize that it is truly that unmerited favor, that favor from Jesus that you know you do