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Bold Praying: Dare To Be A Jabez SERMON SUBJECT: BOLD PRAYING: DARE TO BE A JABEZ SERMON TEXT: I Chronicles 4:9-10 SERMON TEXT: “Spiritual aid is available for those who seek it.” INTRODUCTION: The bold praying of Jabez, found in I Chronicles 4:9-10, evolves out of a prayer history of prayer warriors who had gone before him. Early on in the history of mankind, men recognized their need and called upon the name of God. Beginning in the book of Genesis, moving on into the book of I Kings, and stopping for a while with the prayer of Jabez, we begin to see how the history of prayer was opened in the Bible, and suggests to us the following ideas: First, we see . . . I. MAN’S WEAKNESS Early on in the book of Genesis, the Bible says . . . “At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord”(Genesis 4:26) “At that time” means early on in the history of creation when the earth was being populated. In verse 26, the Bible says, “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.” It is interesting To note that the name “Enosh” like the name “Adam” in Genesis 2:7, meaning “man” and implies weakness and dependence. This begs the question, “Why did men begin to call upon the name of the Lord?” The answer - because they were weak and dependent. Thus weak and dependent men continued to call upon the name of the Lord . . . “Then he (Abram) proceeded from there to the mountain on the east side of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God”(I Kings 18:24).
“And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, ‘Because I bore him with pain.’ Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested”(I Chronicles 4:9-10).
Jabez, like the men before him, the Bible says, “Cried out to the God of Israel.” Why did he cry out to the God of Israel? Because he too was weak and dependent on God. His very name indicated “sorrow or pain.” In the words of one writer, “ . . . Jabez prayed that the meaning of his name be reversed.” The Bible says, “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel.” His cry was not a cry of distress. The word “cried” in the Hebrew (qara) means that he, like the men before him, prayed to God out of his need and dependence. Often times this man has cried out to God out of his need and dependence! Second, we learn . . . II. MAN’S TRUST Jabez’s prayer reveals his weakness and his total dependence. on God. In our own weakness and dependence. on God, he invites us to call on Him. Jabez, like the prayer warriors before him, trusted God to meet his need. Trust is a necessary ingredient in our prayer of petition to God. Prayer without trust is to “Ask amiss!” Doubt is the opposite of trust. James has a word on this subject . . . “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord”(James 1:5-7) On the other hand, James gives us an example of one who trusts God to deliver . . . “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit”(James 1:16-18).
In Jabez’s week and, perhaps, handicapped condition, as the play on words suggests, dared to trust God to meet His need. His prayer of petition was for earthly prosperity and consists of three parts: 1. He asked God to enlarge his territory 2. He asked God to give him success in his ventures 3. He ask God to give him security against his foes
Was this a selfish prayer? Yes, if Jabez, like the man in Luke’s gospel, desired to consume God’s blessings upon himself . . . “And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods’”(Luke 12:18) But no, if Jabez, was like minded with the psalmist in Psalm 116:12, who asked . . . “What shall I render to the Lord for all of His benefits to me?” Or, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, who prayed . . . “And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt’” (Mark 14:36). In the words of one writer, “Subject to that understanding and control, it is not asking amiss to pray for natural benefits–health, happiness, security–for ourselves, and how much more for others: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’” He goes on to say . . . “Christian praying is longing to learn and accept what God would have us be and do; and asking in Christ’s name . . .” “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”(John 14:13). “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”(John 15:7).
Apparently Jabez's’s prayer that came out of his weakness and total dependence. on God, was a prayer of trust, for God honored it. The Bible says, “And God granted his request” (I Chronicles 4:10c). The psalmist said . . . “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth”(Psalm 145:18). CONCLUSION: Will you dare to be a Jabez in your prayer life? Will you go boldly before the Lord and lay out your prayer request before Him? If you do not know Jesus, cry out to Him as a sinner to save you. He will have mercy on you and save you from your sins. What does a prayer like this involve? 1) It involves the intellect. Realize that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself. 2) It involves the emotions. Be truly sorry that you have sinned against God. 3). It involves the will. Be willing to turn from your sin (repent), and turn to Jesus to save you. Will you pray this prayer right now? “Knowing that I have sinned and that I need the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, I now turn from my sins and trust Jesus for my eternal life. I ask Jesus Christ to forgive me and to deliver me from sin’s power and give me eternal life.” If you just prayed that prayer, will you e-mail me at bwpastor@bellsouth.net and share with me what you have just done. In turn, I will rejoice with you and send you some literature to help you in your new found faith.
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