Seven Keys to a Year of Favour, Abundance and Overflow
Dr RJ Sing, 42 min
Originally preached as “New Year's Day Message: Shaphat, Day One”
Sermon outline
God has declared 2021 a year of Shaphat, of favour, abundance and overflow, and believers step into it by knowing they are favoured, walking in faith and applying seven practical keys.
Main text
- 3 John 2
- Psalm 35:27
- Deuteronomy 8:18
- Psalm 37:4
Opening
He welcomes the church family, partners around the world and viewers on the special evening of the transition from 2020 to 2021, and asks them to go into the new year with enthusiasm and expectation. He prays, thanking God for deliverance from the dominion of darkness, binds every hindering spirit, and reads his four foundational scriptures. This is the crossover message where he first gives the word for the year, which he says will be expanded in weekly broadcasts to follow.
True prosperity: the blessing God spoke at creation
The world sees its circumstances through a world view, but believers have a Word view and different expectations. True prosperity is living in the blessing God breathed into Adam, and it means to excel and let God's power flow through you to meet every need. Money is only one degree of prosperity, the highest power is prayer, and God leads you by an easy path and gives you more than enough so you can fund the gospel and bless others.
Illustration: Abraham at 99 received a covenant of multiplication and became very wealthy, with flocks, herds, silver, gold, servants and camels.
“Money is the lowest form of power on the earth.”
- Genesis 1:28
- 1 Timothy 6:10
- 1 John 4:17
- Genesis 17:1-9
- Genesis 24:35
Key 1: Know that you have the favour of God
Favour is kindness and preferential treatment, and a person with God's favour ceases to struggle; it shows when people pour into you free of charge, hard things become easy and prayers are answered. He defines prosper, overflow and abundance, then says wishing brings nothing: have a real desire, a careful plan and persistence. As he told the church, write down your desires with a definite date, and sow a seed with them.
“When you sow a seed, what's going to happen is that God will ensure that your desires and your plans will come to pass.”
- Ephesians 1:3
- Ephesians 1:4
- 2 Corinthians 3:3
- Deuteronomy 33:19
Key 2: Faith
God has not asked us to live by faith without providing the way: faith comes by hearing the Word. Faith sees the answer as already done and says the answer, because faith kept in the heart will not bring results until it is released through the lips. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for a conquering faith that quenches every fiery dart.
Illustration: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Paul and Jesus himself are examples of conquering, overcoming faith.
“Faith in your heart released through your lips will bring you the results.”
- Romans 10:8-10
- Hebrews 11:6
- Ephesians 2:8
- Romans 10:17
- Philippians 4:19
- Hebrews 12:2
- Ephesians 6:16
Key 3: Influence your subconscious mind
Meditate and mull on the Word, make your confessions and use your imagination. Take time alone, away from the world's noise, and picture yourself succeeding in the things you have written down for the year.
“Start to imagine yourself being a success in 2021.”
Key 4: Specialised knowledge
Make it a goal to gain specialised knowledge through experience, learning from others, colleges, libraries and training courses. Above all of that, you need revelation knowledge from the Word of God.
“After having done all of that in specialized knowledge, what you need is revelation knowledge from the word of God.”
Key 5: Imagination
What you can imagine, you can create, and the Bible is full of examples. He promises expanded versions of these messages in the weeks that follow, and shares that God gave him the word for the year through a series of dreams and circumstances.
“Imagination is the workshop of the mind.”
Key 6: Persistence
Persistence is the power of the will, and a lack of it is a major cause of failure. Keep knocking and seeking until you find, or you will be defeated before you start.
“Without persistence in the new year you will not be successful.”
- Matthew 7:7
Key 7: The power of the mind
Power is your driving force, and success needs a definite plan, a burning desire and action mixed with faith and persistence. Your mind decides what you feel and believe through repetition, and it is the only way to change your life.
“The only way you can change your life is through your mind.”
Putting it into practice
- Meditate on the foundational scriptures and the word for 2021.
- Write down your desires and requests with a definite date, and sow a seed with them.
- Speak your faith out loud, not just hold it in your heart.
- Set aside time alone to meditate on the Word and picture your success.
- Seek specialised knowledge and revelation knowledge, and persist.
Closing
He declares the word for 2021: a year of Shaphat, of favour, abundance and overflow. He declares over viewers that they will pray bold prayers, thrive and not just survive, have a comeback for every setback, and that it is not too late because God has moments of favour in their future. He speaks the priestly blessing over them, wishes them a blessed new year, and invites them to follow the programmes in the coming weeks.
In his words
- “The highest power on the earth is the power of prayer.”
- “Faith not only sees the answer but faith says the answer.”
- “You will just not survive, you will thrive.”
- “With every setback that comes your way, you will have a comeback.”
- “It's not too late. You have not missed the window of opportunity.”
Every scripture in this message
- Colossians 1:13-14
- 3 John 2
- Psalm 35:27
- Deuteronomy 8:18
- Psalm 37:4
- Genesis 1:28
- 1 Timothy 6:10
- 1 John 4:17
- Genesis 17:1-9
- Genesis 24:35
- Ephesians 1:3
- Ephesians 1:4
- 2 Corinthians 3:3
- Deuteronomy 33:19
- Romans 10:8-10
- Hebrews 11:6
- Ephesians 2:8
- Romans 10:17
- Philippians 4:19
- Hebrews 12:2
- Ephesians 6:16
- Matthew 7:7
- Numbers 6:24-26