Title: Jabez's Prayer
Content Guys, have you ever read a book called “The Prayer of Jabez,” written by Bruce Wilkinson in 2000? It became a bestseller worldwide. Jabez, the protagonist of this book and today's text, started with a curse, but succeeded through prayer.
Jabez was born into a poor family. Look at the names in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles. Unlike other names, Jabez has only his name recorded. His father's name was not recorded. His brothers also have no names. It shows that there were some shameful things that could not be recorded in the genealogy, or that they were fathers and brothers. He was born into a poor family.
Jabez was born without a welcome. There is pain in childbirth, but the child born to every mother in the world will give joy. But he couldn't. His mother named him Jabez. It means pain. It is inconceivable to leave the world with such a name from a mother who deserves the most love. He grew up with a name that no one would hate. I grew up remembering every day that I was an unwanted child. In short, Jabez began his life under a curse from his mother.
Jabez started out poorly. The genealogies in which the name of Jabez is recorded are the genealogy of the temple. This genealogy of the temple served as the head of the land, the inheritance of the family through the name of the father. Without his father's name, Jabez's family must have been in a desperate situation.
Few people in this world start life like Jabez. Jabez started his life with no family roots, no motherly love, and utterly poor. But the latter days of Jabez were prosperous. He became such a great man that it is recorded while introducing him in the genealogy up to 1 Chronicles 9.
Brothers and sisters, how could Jabez be more honorable than others? Why did God answer his prayer? How did he react to the cursed environment? What was the difference between him and his brothers, who were born into the same parents and family?
First of all, Jabez must have grown up hearing about the God of Israel. You must have learned the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. You may have heard of the God of Moses, the God of Joshua, the God of David and Solomon, the God of Israel. He prayed to this God of Israel.
1. Jabez prayed to the God of Israel to bless him.
He did not complain about his situation or condition. We have a habit of blaming others for our unhappiness. We see ourselves as victims, complaining and resenting others. Husbands resent their wives, wives resent their husbands, children resent their parents, and even their deceased ancestors have a habit of resenting them. Our country has many problems. All problems are attributed to one person. They think that if one person changes, all the problems will go away. Even in South Africa, black people think that all problems are caused by white people. They say that they are poor because the white people took it all. I'm not trying to take responsibility.
But Jabez did not blame anyone. I did not complain about the environment. I didn't think of myself as a victim. He rejected the image of a tormentor of his name. He never gave up on life. Because he knew that the God of Israel is a God who blesses people like him. Because he put his hope in God.
What did Aves do? He prayed to the God of Israel with hope. He prayed to God who heard and answered what he asked for. He prayed to the God of Israel to bless him. He did not try to fix his circumstances and situation on his own. He humbly acknowledged that the God of Israel was the source of blessing. He confessed that he is the Lord who rules all circumstances. So he prayed. Look at verse 10. “Jabez called to the God of Israel, and said, “I hope the Lord has blessed me with a blessing….” And God granted him what he asked for. Jabez asked God, “Lord, give me more blessings.” God heard this prayer of Jabez and allowed him to ask for it.
Dear saints, the God who allowed Jabez's prayer is a Father who loves us. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him also gift us all things?” Romans 8:32 asserts. I hope you love us and believe that we have many blessings that you will give us by grace.
Someone who believed in Jesus went to heaven. We toured the kingdom of heaven under the guidance of Apostle Peter. As I entered a large building, each shelf was filled with beautifully wrapped gift boxes. Each gift had a name written on it. He opened the gift box with his name on it and sighed. Inside the box were many blessings that God wanted to bestow upon him while he was on earth. But he didn't save at all.
2. Jabez prayed to broaden his boundaries.
Here, boundaries are boundaries. It refers to a site that one owns with a large space that one can control. Therefore, the content of his prayer is to broaden his life so that he can have a greater influence for God.
Jabez was not a man governed by his circumstances. He was not confined to the environment. He had a great vision. He knew that it was God who fulfilled his vision. He understood that it was God's way, not his own. He boldly prayed to God to broaden his horizons. Then God allowed him to ask.
Dear saints, what does Jabez's prayer say? Jabez's prayer itself shows that our future depends on God. It does not depend on our circumstances, it does not depend entirely on ourselves. It is only with God. Therefore, we should have our vision in God's purpose and size, not our purpose and size. He wants us to have a vision that only He can do. And like Jabez, He wants us to pray to expand our boundaries.
God does not want to work ordinary things through us. He wants you to do things that you can't help but think is God's work. In Luke 9, Jesus commanded his disciples to feed thousands of people with two fish and five barley loaves. The disciples protested that they could not do it. The Lord said they could. In the end, even after feeding so many people according to the Lord's word, they had 12 gallons of food left over. What do you mean? The fact is that the Lord wants us to do things that only He can do. If we believe and obey, the miraculous work of the Lord will be accomplished through us. Please pray with God's purpose as your vision. In faith, like Jabez, may we pray to enlarge our horizons.
3. Jabez asked for God's hand.
He had God's purpose as a vision, expanded his horizons, and prayed. They looked beyond their circumstances and looked to God. He looked to God beyond his own abilities. He prayed, “Help me with your hand, that I may be free from trouble and have no sorrow.” He did not try to do it in his own strength or wisdom. Instead of doing so, I asked God for His hand. Here, the hand of God means the presence and power of God living and working among His people.
God wants us to follow His ways, like Jabez. He is omnipotent. God's guidance is always best and always right. If we do not follow God's guidance, the consequences are fatal. God gave Israel rich promises, but they experienced many failures when they insisted on their own will. However, when Jabez turned to God as he asked for God's hand, God saved him from tribulation and gave him no worries.
John Rockefeller, the world's richest man, had a great crisis in his early days. He got into the mining industry at the recommendation of a friend. However, he was scammed and lost all of his principal. The miners turned into mobs and demanded overpaid wages. Rockefeller, suffering from debt, was so distressed that he even contemplated suicide. He had been a strict tithe since he started his business, and he fell on his face in a deserted abandoned mine and prayed.
“I believe that the word of God is without error. I have been paying a full tithe so far. But why are you giving me such an ordeal? Show them that God lives.” He continued to weep and pray. At that time, there was a voice of comfort from God that came from the depths of my heart. “They will reap their fruit in due time. Dig deeper.” Rockefeller heard this and started digging deeper into the abandoned mine. People were whispering that he was insane. However, one day while digging deeper into the abandoned mine, something unexpected happened, instead of the expected gold veins, black water gushed up like a fountain. The black water was none other than petroleum.
Dear saints, I hope that you will live like Jabez. Please pray to God. I pray that you will also have the experience of meeting the living God. We believe that the resurrected Jesus will be with us and perform great miracles and works.