PRAYING LIKE JABEZ: Secrets to Effective Prayer

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 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 Chron. 4: 9-10

People tend to live up to the name they are called. This also explains why so many people in the Bible were given new names.

I.OH, THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME Jabez is really passionate in his prayer WHAT IS A BLESSING? –A birthright was an inheritance –A blessing implies a special impartation from God

I.OH, THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME WHAT KIND OF BLESSING? HOW DOES A BLESSING COME?

Prov. 10:22 (NIV) The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. Matt. 7:7 (NIV) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you. John 14:13 (NAU) Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

James 4:3 You do not have, because you do not ask God. Jabez’ prayer was far from selfish

II. THAT YOU WOULD ENLARGE MY TERRITORY Isaiah 54:2 (NIV) Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

II. THAT YOU WOULD ENLARGE MY TERRITORY ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT STRETCH YOUR TENT FLAPS WIDE LENGTHEN YOUR CORDS STRENGTHEN YOUR STAKES

II. THAT YOU WOULD ENLARGE MY TERRITORY Eph. 4:14 (NCV) Then we will no longer be babies. We will not be tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people

II. THAT YOU WOULD ENLARGE MY TERRITORY who are trying to fool us. They make plans and try any kind of trick to fool people into following the wrong path.

III. THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME 2 Chr. 16:9 (NIV) For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

III. THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME Josh. 4:24 (NIV) He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.

III. THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME Acts 1:8 (NAU) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

III. THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NAU) Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

III. THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE WITH ME Acts 11:21 (NIV) The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to The Lord.

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL A.EVIL IN ME James 1: 14–15 (NKJV) But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL B. EVIL IN THE WORLD I John 2:15-17 (NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL B. EVIL IN THE WORLD does-comes not from the Father but from the world 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL B. EVIL IN THE WORLD –CRAVING—Evil Inside us –LUSTING—Evil outside us –BOASTING—what we have and do

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL C.THE EVIL ONE AND HIS FORCES Matt. 6:13 (NIV) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL C.THE EVIL ONE AND HIS FORCES Col. 2:13-15 (NIV) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, l4 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that

IV. THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL C.THE EVIL ONE AND HIS FORCES was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

LORD, TAKE AWAY THE PAIN –The pain yet inside us –The pain caused by us  Make sure our new name is a good one

2 Cor. 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 Make sure our new name is a good one Rev. 2:17 (NKJV) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

Lord, please abundantly bless me–not for myself, but so that I can minister more effectively to those around me. Enlarge my boundaries of ministry. Help me to have true vision from You. And please let Your hand be with me and with whatever you bless me to do; because without You, I can do nothing. But with You, I can

do all things. And please keep me from evil–especially the evil inside me. I am my own worst enemy. And keep me from the evil influence of this world. It draws me so easily– in spite of my best intentions. And Lord, keep me from the Evil One–he is so subtle and so persistent. Please, Lord, take away the pain–the pain I

suffer and the pain I cause. Change my name. I do not want to be Jabez—one who causes pain–anymore. Would you give me a new name, a name full of hope and future–a name that comes uniquely from You? Thank You, Lord, in that Name which is above all other names–Jesus. Amen.

PRAYING LIKE JABEZ: Secrets to Effective Prayer