Bless Me

1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (NIV84)

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

1. Pain is a precursor to blessings

Honorable could be translated as weighty, be heavy, heavier

The mother had more pain because the child was bigger (big boy)

In these times it was the custom to give the child the name of your condition

A name was believed to produce a person’s character

Leah wasn’t loved and felt afflicted - Reuben; Believed God her heard - Simeon; Hoped that her husband would be attached to her - Levi; This time I will praise the Lord - Judah

Pain is what symbolized Jabez, therefore, his name

Favor comes with pain

If you can make it out of pain, you will step into your blessing

If you can still talk about your pain you are not ready for deliverance

Stay the course

Bless Me Lord

2. Don’t limit God because of your past

Your past doesn’t have to be your future

God’s favor is changing seasons

God has moved you to the front of the line

Dream Big

Imagine Big

Ask Big

Speak Big

See Big — open your eyes as wide as you can, then, open them

Bless Me Lord

3. Time to push that baby out

The bigger the blessing the bigger the pain

How much do you want that blessing

The doctor that delivered our children made my wife focus on the deliverance not just the pain

2 Corinthians 4:18 CSB

18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Focus on the promise not the pain

Focus on the eternal not the temporary

2 Corinthians 4:17 CSB

17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

This too shall pass

2 Corinthians 4:8 CSB

8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair;

The road to the blessing comes with affliction

Bless Me Lord

4. God’s hand on you brings blessing

If God is for you, He is more than the world against you

You have to be bold enough to ask for your blessing

You have not because you don’t ask

Ask you don’t, Have you won’t

No more limits

Bless Me Lord

5. God still answers prayers

God reward those who trust Him

Know that you have a Big GOD

2 Corinthians 4:13 NIV84

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,

Ask for your blessing

Bring life to your blessing

You are not your past

God changed Jacob (liar) to Israel (overcomer)

Genesis 32:28 NIV84

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

No more quitting

No more losses

God has placed you at the front of the line

Ask and it will be given to you

Enlarge my territory - Bless Me Lord

Building Bigger and better - Bless Me Lord

Extend the borders - Bless Me Lord

Extend the influence - Bless Me Lord

Beyond imagination - Bless Me Lord

God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think--Beyond comprehension - Bless Me Lord

Beyond my wildest imagination—Bless Me Lord

If you imagined it; it’s not big enough

The property you imagined is not big enough

The house you imagined is not big enough

The bless marriage you imagined is not blessed enough

Bless Me Lord