Experience God's Richest Blessings

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to enjoy an extraordinary amount of blessings from God? They receive abundantly more than life's basic provisions, and experience the joy of God smiling on them. Rather than striving for gifts, they pursue the Giver - God.
Here are some ways you can gain access to more of God's blessings:

• Realize that you need a high-quality relationship with God in order to receive high favor from Him. Commit yourself to giving God the highest priority in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal ways in which God would like you to grow, then ask for grace and guidance for the process of growing in those ways.
  
• Know that salvation is free to you, but not to God. As Jesus, God paid a great price for your salvation. Embrace God's incredible gift of salvation, and let your response be a life devoted to God to thank Him and show your love for Him.
  
• Don't try to manipulate God, because He doesn't owe any of us anything. But be bold about asking Him for blessings, since you can be confident that He wants to bless you. Ask Him to let you know what He desires for you. In His wisdom, He knows what's best. Ask Him to align your desires with His desires for your life.
  
• Seek to live a pure life, by frequently asking the Holy Spirit to transform and renew your spirit and mind. Spend time with people whose holiness you admire, to see how they rely on God in their everyday lives. Share your struggles with them and ask them to support you and hold you accountable as you seek to grow in purity.
  
• Be willing to say yes to God in every situation. Let God know that He's welcome to use every part of you and every aspect of your life as He sees fit.
  
• Take time to actively listen for God's voice. Eliminate distractions from your life and surrender personal agendas that you know conflict with what God wants, so you can become better attuned to the Holy Spirit.
  
• Trust God. Believe that He can and will bless you, because He loves you very much.
  
• Use the resources God has given you to contribute to others and bear fruit for God's kingdom. When God sees you being faithful with what He has given you, He knows that He can trust you to be faithful with more and will often then decide to bless you more.
  
• Take a stand for what's right. When you make decisions, seek God's will and have courage to act on it, even if you'll likely experience opposition from others as a result. Show your convictions by living out your faith even when - and sometimes especially when - it's uncomfortable to do so.
  
• Cultivate a godly reputation. When you live with integrity, you bring glory to God as people interact with you.
  
• Be patient, willing to wait for God to deliver on His promises at the right time. Wait with eager anticipation, but don't attempt to cajole God into acting before the proper time.
  
• Serve God in humility, realizing that it's His power working through you. Seek to be a vessel through which God's power can flow well.
  
• Be prepared for changes in your life - some of which might occur suddenly as God leads you. Be flexible and open to following the Holy Spirit's direction in any moment. Ask God to use you, and celebrate as He blesses you.
  

Adapted from How to Be Blessed and Highly Favored, copyright 2001 by Michelle McKinney Hammond. Published by WaterBrook Press, Colorado Springs, Co., www.waterbrookpress.com.

Michelle McKinney Hammond, founder of HeartWing Ministries, is the author of nine books and the co-host of the syndicated TV talk show Aspiring Women.

How has God blessed you lately, and why do you think He was able to trust you with that blessing? What are some blessings you hope to receive in the future, and why? Visit Live It's forum to respond, or read what others have to say. Just click on the link below.