As followers of Jesus, we can experience supernatural abundance in every area of our life, including our finances. Many Christians understand this on a transformational level–they’ve received a random check in the mail or support for a mission trip. It’s incredible when that happens, but it doesn’t stop there. God wants to partner with you in your finances on the transactional side, too.

If you let him, God will direct your wealth building journey. You can experience financial favor in your income, investments, and business–the possibilities are endless. Because favor is grace, you can’t do anything to earn it. Favor is something you receive. 

That’s why I say that money is attracted, not pursued. There are things you can do to get in a posture of receiving– aligning with God’s timing, surrendering control, and acquiring financial knowledge, for example– but God is the one who brings the increase.

This blog includes 4 ways to cultivate the character and capability to carry financial favor. If you apply these concepts to your life, money will be attracted to you.

4 Practices to Receive Financial Favor

1. Know Your Season 

As the Teacher said in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” Timing connects to purpose. You can’t fully activate your purpose without an inclination of God’s timing. There is an appointed time and purpose for every area of your life. That includes your finances! 

Many Christians are unaware of the level of involvement God wants to have in their finances. Instead, they operate out of order and trudge forward in their own strength. Financial favor will be attracted to your life when you align with divine seasons.

To know your financial season, simply ask God for financial direction and pay attention to His presence in that space. The Holy Spirit will guide you to the steps that are best for your family. With God, financial growth happens in tandem with spiritual growth. I can’t tell you how often God has used money to teach me a profound lesson.

The key here is to pause and get into a posture of partnership. God’s plan is better, and He wants to build something with you. We are stewards, not owners. In other words, your money isn’t yours to control, which brings us to our next point–

2. Examine Goals You’re Trying Too Hard to Control

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

Christians tend to try to accomplish a God-given vision in our own strength. For example, let’s say that we have a goal to invest in real estate and reach financial freedom. At first, we are excited by the idea and feel God’s presence whenever we think about it. 

Over time, we become so focused on the goal that we lose sight of other things. Stress and pressure come into the picture. We’re holding on so tight that if God asked us to go in another direction, we wouldn’t hear him. 

Discontentment is the leading indicator that your focus has turned into tunnel vision. You are holding your goals with such a tight fist, and it feels like you’re waiting on the months to pass rather than savoring the season. 

This can be a huge barrier to financial favor. You can’t receive from God with a tight fist. There may be a roundabout way to profit and increase that you won’t be able to see because you’re so focused on your way. 

When this happens, it’s time to let go.

3. Surrender Accordingly

In his book With, Pastor and author Skye Jethani writes, “Faith is the opposite of seeking control. It is surrendering control. It embraces the truth that control is an illusion—we never had it and we never will.”

Surrendering doesn’t always mean abandoning your plans. It means entrusting them into God’s hands. Jesus only did what God told Him to do (see John 5:19). He made it clear: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 5:15). The biblical formula for productivity is based on continuous surrender. When we surrender to God’s will, He gives us everything we need to fulfill it. 

Surrender realigns us with God’s perspective. In doing so, we remove our blinders. The Bible often refers to God as “Jehovah Jireh” – the Lord our Provider. The etymology of the word provider breaks down to pro • vision. The earliest usage of the word meant foresight. In other words, as a Provider, God sees things we don’t see. 

This often looks like going backward to go forwards. You may think you need to buy an investment property, and God might say you need to build your emergency fund. You may think it’s time to scale your business, but God may instruct you to invest in your employees and core business activities first. In the long run, this will increase your fruitfulness and impact. 

4. Grow in Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

Financial favor is attracted to a spirit of preparation. The more vessels you prepare, the more vessels you have to receive financial favor. In other words, God isn’t going to give abundant financial favor to someone who doesn’t know how to steward it well. (If you think back to the Parable of the Talents, the wicked servant was only given one talent to begin with!) You can attract money to your life by growing in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. 

As Proverbs 24:3-4 (NKJV) says, 

“Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.”

You are on a financial journey, which means that learning never stops. Always invest in yourself. Like any investment, consistency is key. Your growth will compound if you create rhythms of acquiring knowledge, applying understanding, and growing in wisdom. 

You don’t have to settle for mundane money management. God wants to bring the miraculous to your finances. Align yourself with God’s will in this season, let go of control, and grow in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. You will be delighted at how fun it is to build with God!