Sunday 1st February 2015 - Prayer of Jabez -Martin Kedian

KLC PRAYER OF JABEZ QUOTE FROM SMITH WIGGLESWORTH GOD IS MORE EAGER TO ANSWER THAN WE ARE TO ASK A MAN WHO IS INTIMATE WITH GOD NEED NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY MAN THE PRAYER OF JABEZ TEXT 1 CHRONICLES 4:9-4:10 NOW JABEZ WAS MORE HONOURABLE THAN HIS BROTHERS. AND HIS MOTHER CALLED HIS NAME JABEZ SAYING BECAUSE I BORE HIM IN PAIN AND JABEZ CALLED ON THE GOD OF ISRAEL SAYING OH THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME INDEED AND ENLARGE MY TERRITORY THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME AND THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL THAT I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN SO GOD GRANTED HIM WHAT HE REQUESTED WHAT A PAIN. HAS ANYONE SAID THAT ABOUT YOU I HAVE BEEN CALLED A PAIN IT WAS SAID ABOUT JABEZ. HIS NAME MEANS PAIN HE CAUSED HIS MOTHER GREAT PAIN AS SHE BORE HIM AND HIS MOTHER CONSTANTLY REMINDED HIM OF THE FACT HIS MOTHER WAS AN EXPERT AT GUILT TRIPS BUT IN SPITE OF HIS NAME HE OVERCAME THE OBSTACLES OF HIS UPBRINGING THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS AN HONOURABLE MAN MORE HONOURABLE THAN THE REST OF HIS FAMILY WHY !!!! WE FIND JABEZ HIDDEN IN A LONG LIST OF GENEALOGIES SO AND SO WAS THE FATHER OF SO AND SO ON AND ON IT GOES FOR NINE CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES BUT SUDDENLY JABEZ APEARS LIKE A SHINING STAR IN THIS LONG LIST OF ANONYMOUS CHARACTERS IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT JABEZ IS NOT REMEMBERED FOR SOME OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BUT A PRAYER !!! HE DIDNT WIN A GREAT BATTLE OR ERECT A GREAT BUILDING HE SIMPLY PRAYED A PRAYER BUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE FIRST NINE CHAPTERS OF CHRONICLES HE ALONE IS LIFTED OUT BECAUSE OF THE PRAYER HE PRAYED WHAT WAS SO UNUSUAL ABOUT THIS PRAYER LETS LOOK AT THE PRAYER PIECE BY PIECE IN ORDER TO DISCOVER WHY GOD WAS PLEASED ENOUGH WITH HIS PRAYER TO HAVE IT FOREVER RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE IT IS A SHORT PRAYER 1/. HE PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD BLESS HIM 2/ HE PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD ENLARGE HIS TERRITORY OR BOARDERS 3/. HE PRAYED THAT GODS HAND WOULD BE UPON HIM 4/ HE PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD KEEP HIM FROM EVIL THE FIRST POINT WE WILL CONSIDER THEN IS JABEZ PRAYED FOR GOD TO BLESS HIM HE SOUGHT GODS BLESSING ON HIS LIFE HE WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT BEING SELFISH HE WANTED GODS BEST. AND BELIEVED THAT GOD WANTED TO GIVE IT TO HIM HE REMEMBERED HIS ANCESTOR ABRAHAM WHEN THE LORD SAID TO HIM I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION AND I WILL BLESS YOU I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING (GEN 12:2). JABEZ SOUGHT THE BLESSING OF GOD THAT HE MIGHT BE A BLESSING TO THE WORLD IF GOD BLESSES ME MY FAMILY ARE BLESSED MY FRIENDS ARE BLESSED THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT OUR WHOLE REASON FOR EXISTENCE IS TO BE A BLESSING TO GOD AND A BLESSING TO THE WORLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN PRAYING FOR AND SEEKING THE BLESSING OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE IF IT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING A BLESSING IT IS NOT WRONG TO PRAY FOR WEALTH IF YOU ARE WAITING TO BLESS PEOPLE WITH YOUR ABUNDANCE IF YOU WANT WISDOM SO THAT YOU CAN HELP OTHERS THEN PRAY FOR WISDOM THE BIBLE SAYS IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM HE SHOULD ASK GOD WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WITHOUT FINDING FAULT AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM (JAMES 1:5) BUT IF YOU WANT WEALTH TO SIMPLY SPEND IT ON YOURSELF YOUR PRAYER WILL NOT BE ANSWERED IF YOU WANT WISDOM SO THAT YOU CAN FEEL SMATER THAN OTHERS YOUR PRAYER WILL NOT BE ANSWERED IF YOU WANT SUCCESS OR TO BE A LEADER SO THAT YOU CAN LORD IT OVER OTHERS YOUR PRAYER WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BUT IF YOU WANT TO SERVE OTHERS WITH MORE TALENTS. RESOURCES AND MORE WISDOM THEN PRAY FOR THOSE THINGS IN ORDER THAT YOUR LIFE MIGHT BE A BLESSING JABEZ ALSO REMEMBERED HIS ANCESTOR JACOB WHO WRESTLED WITH GOD WHEN GOD TOLD HIM TO RELEASE HIM JACOB SAID I WILL NOT LET YOU GO UNLESS YOU BLESS ME AND FROM THAT POINT JACOB ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND AND PROSPERED SO THAT HIS DESCENDANTS BLESSED THE WHOLE WORLD WITH UNBELIEVABLE BLESSINGS THROUGH JACOB AND HIS OFFSPRING GODS MESIAH CAME INTO THE WORLD GOD WANTS TO BLESS US. BUT WE HAVE TO RECEIVE IT THROUGH THE PRAYER OF FAITH WE HAVE TO WANT THE BLESSING WE NEED TO WRESTLE WITH GOD AND NOT LET GO UNTIL HE BLESSES US FOR SOME OUR PLATES ARE SO FULL WE HAVE SO MUCH ALREADY OUR HUNGER IS SATISFIED WE ARE TO BUSY TO BE BLESSED WITH ANYTHING ELSE BLESSING MEANS RESPONSIBILITY SERVING GOD BY SERVING PEOPLE TAKES TIME IF GOD GIVES ME MORE I HAVE TO DO MORE AND I JUST WANT TO WATCH THE MOVIE WE NEED TO PRAY THAT GOD WOULD BLESS US AND PUT A NEW FIRE IN OUR SOULS A NEW PASSION FOR GOD A NEW ZEAL IN SERVING HIM AND A DESIRE THAT OUR LIVES MIGHT BE A BLESSING TO THE WORLD THAT HE WOULD ENLARGE OUR HEARTS THAT HE MIGHT ENLARGE OUR PORTION IN HIMSELF BOTH ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN THE SUREST SIGN THAT WE ARE GROWING IN OUR FAITH IS THAT THERE IS IN US A STRONG DESIRE TO HAVE OUR LIVES USED BY GOD THE THING THAT GRIEVES ME MOST ABOUT OUR CURRENT CULTURE IS OUR PREOCCUPATION WITH OURSELVES ITS ALL ABOUT US WE WANT MORE. AND WE WANT IT FASTER BETTER AND CHEAPER MANY PEOPLE LIVE SHALLOW SELF CENTRED LIVES WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW WE LOOK WHAT WE HAVE AND WHO MIGHT HAVE MORE SO MANY PEOPLE NEVER HAVE A PURPOSE LARGER THAN THEMSELVES THIS IS WHY JABEZ PRAYED THE SECOND PART OF HIS PRAYER JABEZ ASKED GOD TO ENLARGE HIS BORDERS JABEZ WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WHICH WAS RULING CLASS AMONG THE HEBREWS TO INCREASE HIS TERRITORY MEANT THAT HIS PEOPLE,WOULD HAVE MORE AREA TO LIVE IN AND THAT HE WOULD AS A LEADER HAVE MORE PEOPLE TO SERVE HE WAS NOT THINKING ABOUT HIMSELF BUT ABOUT THE WELFARE OF OTHERS MORE LAND FOR THE HEARDS A LEADER IS THE SERVANT OF OTHER PEOPLE JABEZ WANTED TO BE USED BY GOD MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS THAT YOUR PRAYER AND DESIRE IS THERE A PASSION A LONGING TO BE USED BY GOD NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES ARE WE LIVING FOR OURSELVES OR ARE WE WANTING GOD TO USE OUR LIVES IN THIS WORLD DO WE DESIRE TO BE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING THEN PRAY FOR GOD TO ENLARGE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR AREA OF INFLUENCE ASK HIM FOR SOMETHING SO BIG THAT YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY DO BY YOURSELF ASK HIM TO ENLARGE YOUR TERRITORY IN TIMES OF TESTING GOD SPOKE THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH SAYING ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT STRETCH YOUR TENT CURTAINS WIDE DO NOT HOLD BACK. LENGTHEN YOUR CORDS STRENGTHEN YOUR STAKES HE WANTS YOU TO SEE BEYOND THE CIRCUMSTANCES HE WANTS TO ENLARGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU WILL JOIN HIM BY PRAYING AND BELIEVING FOR BLESSING THE THIRD THING JABEZ PRAYED WAS FOR GODS HAND TO BE UPON HIM JABEZ KNEW THAT WHAT HE WAS PRAYING FOR WAS BIGGER THAN HE COULD ACCOMPLISH HIMSELF HE WAS PRAYING FOR SOMETHING SO BIG THAT ONLY THE HAND OF GOD ON HIS LIFE COULD ACCOMPLISH IT WHAT WOULD YOU PRAY FOR IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL WHAT HAS GOD BEEN SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING TO IGNORE WHAT HAVE YOU DREAMED ABOUT BUT DISMISSED BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM BEGIN TO PRAY FOR THE HAND OF GOD TO REST UPON YOUR LIFE SO THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING GREAT FOR HIM IT WILL BE SOMETHING SO GREAT THAT WHEN IT COMES TO PASS YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL SAY THIS HAD TO BE THE HAND OF GOD GODS HAND WITH US TO LEAD US. TO PROTECT US STRENGTHEN US HIS HAND IS ALL SUFFICIENT THE FINAL PART OF JABEZ PRAYER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JABEZ PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD KEEP HIM FROM EVIL THE BEST TRANSLATION IS FOUND IN THE NEW KING JAMES IT READS LIKE THIS KEEP ME FROM EVIL THAT I MIGHT NOT CAUSE PAIN IT IS ACTUALLY A PLAY ON WORDS HIS NAME MEANT PAIN HE HAD CAUSED PAIN BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE ANYMORE PAIN HE WANTED HIS LIFE TO BE A BLESSING HE WANTED TO BE PROTECTED FROM THE HARM OF EVIL. BUT HE ALSO WANTED TO BE KEPT FROM SINNING BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT SIN CAUSES PAIN IT BRINGS PAIN INTO THE WORLD IT BRINGS PAIN INTO THE LIFE OF THE ONE WHO COMMITS IT AND IT BRINGS PAIN INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO THE SIN WAS COMMITTED AGAINST BUT MOST OF ALL SIN CAUSES GOD PAIN JUST BEFORE THE FLOD IN NOAHS DAY THE BIBLE SAYS THE LORD SAW HOW GREAT MANS WICKEDNESS ON THE EARTH HAD BECOME AND THAT EVERY INCLINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL ALL THE TIME THEN IT SAYS THE LORD WAS GRIEVED THAT HE HAD MADE MAN ON EARTH AND HIS HEART WAS FILLED WITH PAIN SIN BRINGS PAIN TO THE HEART OF GOD NOW LOOK AT THE CROSS AN INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE SIN CAUSED GOD REAL PAIN HE HAD TO LOOK AWAY THE REAL CRUCIFIXION IS MUCH DIFFERENT TO THE ONE PORTRAYED IN MANY CHURCHES HE WAS NAKED AND THE FLESH ON HIS CHEST AND BACK HAD BEEN SHREDDED WITH ROMAN WHIPS HIS BODY WAS FILTHY FROM THE CELL WHERE HE WAS KEPT THERE WERE DEEP BRUISES FROM THE BEATINGS THE PAINFUL CROWN OF THORNS CAUSED RIVERS OF BLOOD FROM HIS HEAD TO STREAM DOWN HIS BODY BUT THAT WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE MOMENT GOD POURED OUT UPON HIM THE SIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD AND SEPARATED HIMSELF FROM THE SON SIN CAUSES PAIN DAVID SAID I HAVE HIDDEN YOUR WORD WITHIN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU JESUS TOUGHT US TO PRAY THE PRAYER OF JABEZ. WHEN HE PRAYED. AND DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE LETS PRAY THAT WE TO LIKE JABEZ MIGHT OH THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME AND ENLARGE MY TERRITORY THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME AND THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL THAT I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN TAKE HOLD OF THE PROMISES OF GOD AND DO SOMETHING GREAT FOR HIM GO AHEAD AND ASK HIM FOR THE MOON AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE SUN AND THE STARS AS WELL. AMEN