The Person And Power Of The Holy Spirit Part 2 by Pastor Philip Olubakin: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Hand of the Lord Is the Hand of Favor

Ezra 7:28 — "And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me." Ezra's strength and standing before the king came directly from the hand of the Lord being upon him — that same favor is available now. When the hand of the Lord is upon you, doors you did not knock on open on their own accord, and people begin to help you, promote you, or simply like you for reasons they can't fully explain.

Testimonies of Favor and Provision

A church member, frustrated after years without much to show for his studies, began driving for a ride-hailing app to get by. A passenger he drove one day asked if he knew where she could find land in the area; he offered to help, and she transferred a substantial sum to him on trust before he'd even found anything. He located suitable land, kept his word, and completed the transaction for her — a level of trust extended to a stranger that he described as nothing short of supernatural assistance.

Another testimony involved a visa application that had stalled for months, with the embassy initially informing the applicant that his documentation was incomplete. Within days of continued prayer, he received a message that his documents had, in fact, been received and were being processed — and he was later approved.

He Finishes What He Starts

A mother had struggled for years with her young son's severe hyperactivity — he would run from the house into traffic, and could not yet speak. After sustained prayer, his behavior changed dramatically: the running and destructive outbursts stopped. Weeks later, the boy spoke his first word — "Mommy" — to his mother's joy. Isaiah 9:7 — "of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." What the Lord begins, He continues; the same hand that has already shown itself in your life will not stop partway through.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow to it. Whatever the enemy has tried to turn from joy into sorrow, the Lord is turning it back — restoring not only individuals but families, giving back what was lost, and multiplying what remains sevenfold. Like Esther before the king, and like Ezra before the king's counselors, the hand of favor upon your life will speak for you in rooms you were never physically present in.