The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

I Chronicles 4:9-10

Bobby Earls, First Baptist Icard, February 11, 2001

SLIDE 1 – TITLE SLIDE

We are looking again today at the 4th chapter of 1 Chronicles 4.

I am continuing a message I began last Sunday about a special man in the Bible few people have ever heard about, but that deserves to be known by all. His name is Jabez. Last week I told you that I want you to be a Jabez. I want our entire church to become a Jabez for Jesus.

SLIDE 2 – SCRIPTURE

Now Jabez was more honorable 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.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10, NKJV

1. Very quickly, let me catch you up from last week’s message. The very first thing I want you to recall is the Person of Jabez.

SLIDE 3 – POINT ONE

1. THE PERSON OF JABEZ!

1. Remember that all we seem to know about Jabez we know because of his name.

SLIDE 3 – MASK 1

A. HIS NAME THAT IS SO SUGGESTIVE

1. We read in verse 9, "...and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him in pain.”

2. The name "Jabez" means, "to cause grief, to be sorrowful, or simply, pain."

3. It is believed that Jabez’s mother named him Jabez because she had a hard time delivering him.

SLIDE 3 – MASK 2

B. HIS NATURE THAT IS SO STIRRING.

1. Even though we know little about Jabez, and what we do know about his name tells us that he was an achiever in spite of his handicap of a terrible name.

2. Jabez inspires us to be all we can be for God. Even if you are one of those who feel you could never be used of God or do much for God because you feel you don't have many talents or abilities. You can be a Jabez for Jesus.

3. I am glad that Jabez didn’t feel that way. In spite of his handicap, he wanted to be used of God and he was used of God.

4. You may not be able to sing like others, you may not be teach like so and so, you may not be able to do many of the things others can do, but you ought to say, "I am going to be all that I can be and do all that I can do. I want to be a Jabez for Jesus."

T/S— So number one, the Person of Jabez!

SLIDE 4 – POINT TWO

2. THE PROMINENCE OF JABEZ!

1. We read in verse 9, "And Jabez was more honourable than his brothers..."

2. Now what does the Bible mean when it speaks of Jabez being more honorable than his brethren?

SLIDE 4 – MASK 1

A. THE BLESSED LIFE OF JABEZ.

1. The word "honourable" means to be more prosperous, or successful than others.

2. Now here is a reason why we should want to be a Jabez for Jesus. We should want to be blessed by God.

SLIDE 4 – MASK 2

B. THE BETTER LIFE OF JABEZ.

1. Notice carefully that it says that he was "more honourable than his brothers." Now in all these names we find, I a sure there were some great men, and some were greater than others. But Jabez was the greatest. I am sure some were better than others, but Jabez was the best of the best.

2. Remember, Jabez was not your average Christian. He was not ordinary; he was extraordinary.

1. The Person of Jabez!

2. The Prominence of Jabez!

SLIDE 5 – POINT THREE

3. THE PRAYER OF JABEZ!

1. Now there is a reason Jabez was more honorable than his brethren. In verse 10 we discover the prayer of Jabez. It is one of the greatest prayers in the Bible and one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible.

2. Notice the prayer: "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!”

3. Notice his prayer.

SLIDE 5 – MASK 1

A. HE PRAYS FOR GOD TO ENRICH HIS LIFE.

1. He prays, "Oh that You would bless me indeed." Now when Zabez asked the God of Israel to “bless” Him he hadn’t just sneezed.

2. In our Western Culture, we don’t always understand the significance of the word “bless,” or “blessing.” When the Bible uses the word bless it carries great significance.

3. Do you remember how God promised to bless Abraham with great prosperity. Abraham then pasted this down to his children, Issac, and Jacob. They all became great nations.

4. In the New Testament Jesus promised that those who were sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God would truly be blessed.

5. If you are saved, there is a since in which you are already blessed by God. But there is far more here.

6. Jabez prayed that God would bless him, indeed! He was asking, “Don’t just bless me a little, but a lot! To use the word “indeed,” at the end of a statement was like using three exclamation points!!!

7. God wants to bless you. He wants to enrich our lives. There is far more for the children of God than we have ever known or received.

SLIDE 5 – MASK 2

B. HE PRAYS FOR GOD TO ENLARGE HIS LIFE.

1. He prays, “Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory.” He was saying, "Lord, let me take greater territory for you." Jabez favorite hymn was “Higher Ground”

2. It is like Hudson Taylor used to pray, "Lord, give me wider usefulness." Jabez wanted to have a wider usefulness for God.

3. Like Jabez, we ought to pray for greater opportunities, greater usefulness, and more ministries.

SLIDE 5 – MASK 3

C. HE PRAYS THAT GOD WILL EMPOWER HIM.

1. He prays, "that Your hand might be with me." He was praying for God's power; that His hand be upon him.

2. To ask for the hand of Almighty God to be upon you is asking God for His enabling, His empowering, His energy, His enduing power!

3. Like Jabez, may the hand of God be with us.

SLIDE 5 – MASK 4

D. HE PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD ENCOMPASS HIM.

1. Finally we see that he prays, "and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" He was praying that God would surround him and act as a guard to keep him from evil.

2. I think about how Jesus taught us to pray in Luke 11:4, "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

3. Let me ask you a question. How many of you have ever committed a sin? How many of you have committed the same sin twice... third time...a fourth time?

4. Why is that? We keep committing a certain sin and come running to God praying, "Lord, forgive me." Thank God he does forgive of sin, but we should also pray, "Lord deliver me."

5. Like Jabez, we ought to pray that God will protect us from evil.

6. Now notice the last part of verse 10: "And God granted him that which he requested." He prayed big and got big answers.

7. A.B. Simpson said: "Our God has boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying is too small. Our expectations are too limited."

8. C.S. Lewis said: "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak...we are far too easily pleased."

9. Not Jabez and neither should we. I want to be a Jabez for Jesus. How about you?

Endnotes

1. "Bible Epitaphs"

2. "Christ All in All"

3. "Men That Count"

4. "Chattanooga Free Press"