The Prayer of Increase

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to each of you. On behalf of myself and the entire leadership team at Living Faith Church, welcome to the first Sunday of 2025! Now, today we are going to be starting a new teaching series on prayer. And this is intentional because we are actually starting 21 days of fasting and prayer. Now I know that that each year when we announce 21 days of fasting and prayer there are a few who think, how am I going to pray every day for 21 days in a row. And that is a fair question. They average person only prays one time a week. But I believe that Living Faith Church is not an average church, and I believe that you can do this!

As we look into this next prayer- I believe that, as you pray this today, and in the following days and weeks, God is going to do more than you could have imagined. Because there is actually a false spirit that is keeping you from praying this prayer. In week number one I mentioned that some never pray this prayer because they are too shy.

Let’s take a look at this verse, it’s a short one, prayed by a man named Jabez, of the clan of Caleb. A man who, due to family history and circumstances outside of his own control, had great obstacles to overcome. In verse 9 of 1 Chronicles 4 we are told that Jabez had older brothers who were apparently dishonorable men. So, in the pain of childbirth, and the pain that his mother endured these older and dishonorable sons, this man is given the name Jabez, or “Pain”. Now, the entirety of what we know about this man Jabez is found in two verses. Yes, he is only mentioned twice in the entire 66 books of the Bible, both times in 1 Chronicle 4. However, his prayer tells all. Let’s take a look at this:

1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (NASB95)

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.”

10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.

This is the prayer of increase. Lord bless, Lord enlarge! This phrase “Enlarge my border” is also found in Exodus 34 God told Israel that He would drive out the nations before them and give them the land. This is a prayer of leadership, influence, taking land and expanding your sphere of influence. But, increase is risky?

I remember in the 90’s while living in Portland, Or there was an appliance store name Tom Petersons. Tom Petersons sold all kinds of things from home stereo’s, kitchen electronics and furniture. I loved that place as a kid, I bought my first stereo system there. Tom built his first store on the corner on 82nd and Foster in 1964 and payed himself a salary of $100 a week. That first year brought in gross a revenue of $300,000. By 1989 Tom Petersons was grossing 30 million year, and his fame only increased as his unique and creative television commercials gained national recognition. To the point, that I was going to buy one of his Tom Peterson watches to show you today- but apparently they are now a vintage collectors item and worth over $500 on Ebay. As business began to boom Tom Peterson expanded from one store on the corner on 82nd and Foster, to multiple locations in the Portland area, Eugene, and even Spokane, Washington, and acquiring the defunct Stereo Super Store in Janzen Beach. Not long after, in 1990, due to rapid expansion beyond the organizational infrastructure, sales began to decline and Tom Peterson had to file for Bankruptcy protection. In a public comment, Tom Peterson said, “I should have listened to my wife…” And we all watched as one day the iconic Tom Peterson sign on the front of his store that showed his face with his name was taken down and replaced with a new sign, it now had two faces. It had Tom’s face, and now his wife Glorias face. And the stores name was changed to Tom Petersons and Glorias Too!

See, increase is hard! Increase invites danger! Because when anything increases, it’s natural weaknesses become more evident than before. And I wonder at times if this is not the reason more of us do not pray this prayer of increase. Because we all know our weaknesses, we all know limitations. Notice this prayer of increase is not a prayer for more stuff. It’s not a prayer for a cooler car, or a bigger home, more money. No, this prayer of increase is a prayer for capacity! Lord extend my influence. Biblical increase is about the capacity to handle what God has already destined us to cary. Look at these other verses.

Isaiah 54:2–4 (NASB95)

2 “Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs.

3 “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities.

4 “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

Exodus 34:24 (NASB95)

24 “For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.

Genesis 26:22 (NASB95)

22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Isaiah 45:12 (NASB95)

12 “It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands And I ordained all their host.

Genesis 15:1 (NASB95)

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”

I want to ask you today, What kind of increase are you believing for in 2025? Far too often we let shame drive our prayer life, we let a spirit of timidity motivate our desires. But the Lord says to you today, I want to bring you into a spacious land, and place of increase, a place where you can flourish and prosper for my glory. There are four Hebrew words that are used to speak of increase in the Old Testament.

Enlarge rbh = (to become numerous, increase, to become great, or powerful)

Enlarge rhb = (to open oneself wide, to make extensive)

Stretch nth = (to stretch, spread, lengthen, bend)

Har-be = (to be multiplied, increased, to become great)

There is a big difference between greed, prosperity gospel, covetousness and Biblical Increase.

It’s Not A Sin To Pray For The Fulfillment of Gods Promise.

It Is Not A Sin To Desire Prosperity For Gods Glory

It Is Not A Sin To Want Gods Reward For Your Life

3 John 2 (NASB95)

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

John says that the Lords will is for us to prosper, to increase, to succeed in business, but also that your soul prospers. But we must remember, that while prosperity begins with a prayer, it is actualized through faithfulness.

Israel had to possess the land

If you are going to see increase in your life, you will have to go to war. And sometimes this war is not what we expect. We often think of war as fighting against other nations. But for Israel, their first battle was against their own poverty mindset.

Numbers 13:33 (NASB95)

33 “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Israel saw themselves as small, incapable, insignificant, and undeserving of what God had promised them. As a result, they shrunk back from Gods command to go possess the land. Sure there was a real army in front of them, but the bigger army was in their mind. This causes us to ask a question. What area of our life have we failed to increase in simply because we don’t believe we can do it? I have found that Christians are often waiting for God “make it happen”. When what we see through out Scripture is that God gives the increase, when we are faithful to go and possess it.

A very important practice you should begin immediately is declaring Gods promises over your life. March of 2023 during our Pastoral Transition service, there were several prophetic words spoken over Stella and I. Over the following months, I took time to listen to these prophetic words and write them down. This allows me to review those words and when I feel incapable, or when I am questioning my next step, or when I am needing direction, I can start there and see if God has already spoken to me about this. After the death of Moses, Joshua had a meeting with the Lord in which God spoke to Joshua saying, the plan I gave to Moses, go do it. Often we will find that God has sown in one season what is to be harvested in another.

Isaac had to dig three wells

You will also find that increase is not easy. In Genesis 26 Isaac settles in Gerar. But as begins to make his place of residence, he finds himself in conflict with the local sheep herders. Each well that Isaac dug, the local sheep herders would say, this is our water. After the third well that Isaac dug we read this passage we read earlier.

Genesis 26:22 (NASB95)

22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Isaac named this place Rehoboth, or “Jehova Makes Space”. God made way for Isaac to live in the place free of the conflict from the local herdsmen, but Isaac had to dig the well; he had to do the labor.

Many people never see the God promised increase in their life simply because they are too lazy to do the work.

Some of you need to spend some money you are too afraid to spend.

Some of you need to spend some extra hours volunteer as a committee member in your city.

Some of you need to go back to school and earn that degree.

Recent research shows that pentecostal faiths are the least educated faiths among all religions. meaning that 36% of pentecostal christians have no college education. Now, I want you to think of this as a challenge. In the church, we often talk about how the school system and government are making decision we don’t like. Maybe it’s time that for the church to begin to dig some wells and make inroads to these political sectors.

Abraham had to wait 25 for a promised son

Lastly, Abraham had a promise of increase, but he had to wait 25 years to see that promise fulfilled. I’ll end with this thought. Have you waited long enough? Abraham was impatient and gave birth to as son name Ishmael through his servant Hagar and the world has never been the same. But his son of promise, Isaac has blessed the world in unmeasurable ways. Do not be afraid to wait for the Lords timing.

Right now I want to lead us corporately in a prayer of increase. If you want to pray this prayer with me, put your hand on your heart and let’s pray this together.

Lord, my prayer today is that you would bless my life, and bless all the works of my hands. I pray Heavenly Father that you would increase my influence, increase my capacity to handle your blessings and increase my heart to believe for your promises. Lord, where I need to fight for favor, teach me to fight. Where I need dig wells, show me where to dig. And Lord, when I need to wait, teach me to wait. I pray all this in your name Father - Amen.