Bruce Atkinson The Prayer of Jabez

well if you would turn to your Bibles if you got your Bibles or on your devices - 1 chronicles chapter 4 and verse 9 1 chronicles chapter 4 and verse 9 today I'm going to be speaking on the prayer of Jabez the prayer of Jabez you may have heard of this press quite a popular prayer in recent times it was brought to my attention by an excellent book by Bruce Wilkinson called the prayer of Jabez we couldn't get any for our bookshop but if you've got access to Amazon you can get hold of Bruce Wilkinson's prayer of Jabez book very easily I mentioned that in case you want to follow through on some of the things I speak about today because it was a great blessing to me as I studied this passage 1 chronicles chapter 4 verse 9 following now jay-bez was more honorable than his brothers and his mother called his name jay-bez saying because i bought him in pain and jay-bez 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 you know it's interesting to see that this small section on the jay-bez prayer is found in the midst of 9 chapters of genealogy in first chronicles I don't know what your Bible reading plan is like but I always smile to myself when I get to 1 chronicles because I sort of figure I can have a few chapters off because normally I think well the last thing I want to do is read who begat who begat who begat who and who begat who nine chapters of it and this nine chapters takes this from Adam right through the Hebrew tribes to the people that return from Babylon exile although I joke about the genealogies and the genealogies also that you have to read in gen sis what the genealogy say will they say many things but one of the things they do say is that God cares about families he cares where you're from and he cares about what comes from you about the whole of Genesis could we could call the book of families couldn't it because it's all about families good families dysfunctional families all types of stuff families remember that a society is only as strong as the families within that society and the families within that society are as only as strong as the marriages that are the bedrock of those anyway 9 chapters now 9 chapters is interesting because the author who was authoring these 9 chapters of genealogy what made him stop and pause at the name of jay-bez as many other people he just put down what they did where they were from you know not not really explaining but when he comes to jay-bez it's likely the author of coracle stops and goes jay-bez Wow now there was an outstanding man based on an outstanding prayer that God answered so he paused so it's important that we should pause because God is obviously telling us something of great importance through the prayer of Jabez in fact I rate the prayer of Jabez up there with the Lord's Prayer you know with the Lord's Prayer our Father who art in heaven etc you can pray that as a prayer or you can take sections of it your kingdom come your will be done or give us this day our daily bread or forgive us as we forgive others you can break down the Lord's Prayer into different aspects for whatever need you have well jay-bez is also a prayer I think that we should learn word for word and understand that the jay-bez prayer is not just a prayer but it's a prayer with a pattern of life behind it and that's what I want to go in today to look at this prayer of Jabez so we can understand it it can become part of our prayer life and we can live according to the pattern of jay-bez well the first thing we is that jay-bez was more honorable than his brothers we'll come back to that at the end but we hear that his mother called his name jay-bez saying because I bore him in pain it only bring back any painful memories mother's but do you remember when you gave birth well this woman had such an experience a bad experience a painful experience of childbirth that she blamed it on the boy and she called him pain I mean if you're a regular here at Kensington temple you will have seen our child dedications that take place here on the platform because we have many people from many different nations sometimes we have some marvelous long names that there aren't in English perhaps in African or something and often what we'll do is we'll say wow that's a long name what does it mean and the parents will say it means blessing victory strength Arsenal supporter whatever you want to make it you know anything you want to put in it you put in it and by the end of the name you know this this this child is going to be blessed just by the name well can you imagine I've been J babes jay-bez his family up you bring them up and you take the little baby and the mother's there and everyone goes eyes and a baby lovely and you say ah so che bears what a wonderful name what does it mean mother and mother goes pain I mean imagine that imagine that your mother calls you pain every day she calls you to wake up and go to school pain and she remembers what took place when you're at school all your friends call you pain I mean that's going to psychologically disrupt your development isn't it to be called pain to come from an environment of pain to have a history of pain to be born in pain to have pain as your name you know I've been thinking about people that go through pain I've come to this conclusion after studying the scriptures and it's this that God has a very special plan for people of pain that he can't trust to people of ease I'm gonna say that again I believe that God has a very special plan for people of pain that he can't trust to people of ease you see when we start with jay-bez we start with a boy named pain from a painful history painful character pain was his name pain was his experience pain was his environment this story starts in pain but we will see that it ends in joy no no if we've got any people who might say do you know what Bruce my name is jay-bez today or if you're a female jay-bez ER i don't know however you may do you say pain is my name pain is my environment or I've been from through some pain in my life and I wonder what it's all about and what its purpose was jay-bez never asked to be called pain he never asked to be a pain in childbirth it seemed to just come upon him with with all its stigma but I want to tell you that if you are a person of pain maybe you're going through pain right now and you don't understand why you're going through pain maybe you're going through pain and you'd be going through pain so long that the people that you're sharing with it have got bored with it you ever been through a painful experience and people are interested to help you for a while and and lend an ear but after a while it goes on too long and you keep quiet because you know they don't really want to hear about your pain anymore well if that's you I've got good news for you that that pain that pain is going to set you up for gain the if you have experienced pain in your life and you're still suffering from it then the jay-bez prayer is not only your prayer but it is also a pattern for your future we're going to go into this prayer now and look at four aspects of this prayer and we see how the prayer develops as a pattern for life but also like the Lord's Prayer a pattern of praying that can be part of your regular devotional life the first thing we see is that jay-bez called on the God of Israel saying oh that you would bless me indeed I like the New King James Version because it puts the indeed at the end of it to show this passion that it wants to be blessed now if you look into the Hebrew and I looked at dr. Michael Eaton's commentary on chronicles it says where he says oh that you would bless me indeed my Klayton says that this is actually in the Hebrew a form of a vow you know I don't encourage you to make vows to God just let you esps but in the Old Testament people make a vow you know like Hanna made a vow about if she had a son she dedicated to the Lord so there's something about this prayer we don't know what his vow was it's in the form of a vow where he was saying something like oh if you bless me I will serve you obviously whatever he was saying he was going to do was was going to Lord if you bless me I'll take the blessing and I'll use it to glorify you so when we come to pray the prayer of Jabez we should understand that the blessings that will come with this prayer are there for us to serve the Lord with he wasn't just asking to be blessed for blessed sake but then he says oh that you would bless me indeed he was asking for God's greatest blessing he wanted true blessing not surface blessing often we find in popular Western Christianity today a faulty view of what it means to be blessed people are thinking that that God's main blessing is all about perhaps material things cars or or houses or promotions or increases in salaries or the right boyfriend or the right girlfriend and these things are not onion Paul seek first the kingdom of God and these things we come but these are not what God's primary blessing is and if you misunderstand what it means to be blessed by God when he begins to bless you you won't have a clue what's going on in fact when he begins to bless you you'll think that God is cursing you because you don't understand how the blessing of God works I say that because in Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 8 we read that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts Isaiah 55 and verse 8 for my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are my ways your ways says the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there but water the earth and make it bring forth but that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it you see God says his words are gonna go his words gonna prosper his words gonna bless his promise is gonna go to the earth and it won't return to Him void but before he talks about sending the blessing he explains that his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts and when it comes to the blessing of God you have to understand that if you're going to pray the prayer of Jabez and say that you would bless me indeed I used to remember meditating on Isaiah 55 a while ago verse 8 and I said to the Lord Lord your ways are my ways and your thoughts are my thoughts because I did a theology degree and I've read the Bible and so your thoughts are in the Bible and your ways and how you actor in the Bible so don't quite understand why how your ways can be as high as the heavens compared to my thoughts on earth and how your thoughts can be like at the farthest end of the universe according to the way that I think when it's all there in the world didn't quite understand it so the Lord allowed things to come into my life that made no sense when God makes no sense to you get ready the blessing starting to flow you see amen God's ways are not your ways so why do you expect him to bless hit you in the ways that you think he will bless you see the problem is is that we have a very limited view of what being blessed is you you could only just see the circumstances that are presently around you you can't see beyond them you could only see where you've come from and where you are right now you don't know what's around the corner do you in the future you don't know what God is preparing for those that love them you don't know so you have a very blinkered view a very limited range of sight so when you say God bless me or you're asking for God to to bless you then you're usually thinking in an extremely limited sphere of a vision correct but God when God blesses you he sees eternity he sees the years ahead of you and what it takes to get you to the place that he wants you to be he sees the bigger picture you only see the smaller picture he sees how something can happen to you that makes no sense that in some way in the bigger picture can make total sense and so when we say like jay-bez oh that you would bless me in deed what we're saying is God you have permission to bring your blessing a blessing that I may not at the time understand how it's working but I trust that you will bring me to the place where I can see was the blessing all the time how many of you been through a place where God made no sense but then came to a place where he looked back and said now it makes sense to me that's how God's what God works so when we talk about what it is to be blessed like I said sometimes especially in Western Christianity we usually think of material things things that bring ease to our lives things that bring comfort to our lives that's being blessed well I want to read to you the type of person that God says is blessed found in the Beatitudes at the beginning of Matthew chapter 5 but I'm going to read it from the message version all right oh that you would bless me indeed well what type of person will be blessed when Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds he climbed a hillside those who were apprenticed to him the comitted climbed with him arriving at a quiet place he sat down and taught his climbing companions this is what he said you're blessed when you're at the end of your rope with less of you there is more of God and his role you're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you only then can you be embraced by the one who's most dear to you you're blessed when you're content with just who you are no more no less that's the moment you'll find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought you're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God he's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat you're blessed when you care at the moment of being care full you find yourselves cared for you're blessed when you get your inside world you mind and heart put right then you can see God in the outside world you're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight that's when you discover who you really are and your place in God's family you're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution the persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom not only that count yourselves blessed every time people puts you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me what it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they're uncomfortable you can be glad when that happens give a cheer even for though they don't like it I do and all heaven applauds and know that you are in good company my prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble well there's a different pattern of being blessed isn't it and know this that God's blessing always works - the pattern of the kingdom of God to increase the kingdom of God and to bring you closer into the principles of the kingdom of God what is the greatest blessing that God can give a human being on earth today the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit brings salvation so that's correct - the Holy Spirit the greatest blessing a person can have on the earth today is the Holy Spirit and more of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit brings the kingdom of God's influence into your life and into your experiences you know when the Holy Spirit you see we're Pentecostals we think we have an inside information on the Holy Spirit because we call ourselves Pentecostals but we don't we think that when the Holy Spirit comes he'll do what we expect him to do there'll be signs they'll be wonders elbe miracles early healings they'll be speaking in other tongues there'll be there'll be the glory these the things we think when the Holy Spirit comes and true those things can come with him but when the Holy Spirit when you say bless me oh that you would bless me indeed the greatest blessing that God can do is increase the influence and the activity of the Holy Spirit on the inside of you and in your circumstances and when that happens expect your life to be turned upside down expect to say I don't understand what God is doing because when the Holy Spirit comes the Holy Spirit blows like the wind you don't know when he's gonna come how he's gonna come his ways are higher than yours his thoughts are higher than yours and so when God really intervenes in your life there's going to be a period where you have no idea what's going on God is turning you upside down in fact he's not the problem is is that when the Holy Spirit increases his work in our lives he finds that our lives are already upside-down but we're so used to being upside down we think we're right way up but when the Holy Ghost starts coming into our lives to bless us the first thing he does is says you're upside down you think you're right way up and he turns you around and you're disorientated it takes a while before you understand I will show up how many of you have thought not back at your life even as a quickie think there was times when I thought good was evil evil was good when I thought God was doing me and it was the devil I thought it was the devil it was God and I had an eye and I was told and then God came toward me out and I can see a little bit straighter that's what the Holy Spirit does when he comes and so when you ask for the blessing of God expect there to be activity that takes place on the inside and outside that you don't understand that makes no sense to you that even causes you to doubt God's goodness but don't doubt God goodness haven't you just prayed oh that you would bless me indeed and God says all right I'm gonna come I'm gonna sort things out it's gonna be messy to begin with because you're messy but I will bring you to a place of blessedness after that section we come to the next part of the prayer that says enlarge my territory you see here was jay-bez and he had a certain amount of territory that was handed down to him by his grandfather and his father he said god bless me indeed and then he said expand my influence expand my resources let my frontiers be crossed into a pioneer scenario where I'm taking land I've never walked on before let my impact increase let my influence be shared shed abroad let there be increased momentum in my life see in this prayer we find that jay-bez wasn't content just to stay in his comfort zone when you say bless me indeed you think God's gonna leave you in your comfort zone when the Holy Spirit comes to rule and to reign and to start working in you and through you and around you know God is wanting you to move out of your comfort zone in order to experience more of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is always increasing God is wanting to increase your experience of Kingdom discipleship increase your experience of Jesus take you into new levels of walking the faith with Jesus he doesn't want you to stay in your comfort zone he wants you to take new territory for him isn't that right the kingdom of God always growing might start small but always expanding it's like yeast in a bread that expands it's like the mustard seed the smallest of all seeds but when planted grows and becomes the largest largest of all trees God is speaking to many of us today about this part of the prayer enlarge my territory and he's saying we'll then cross over the frontiers of your own comfort zone expand for new people new horizons ask the Lord what is it for me to expand out of comfort into a place where I'm trusting you where my faith is growing because I have to rely on God reasons we don't pray very often is because we're in our comfort zone but when you step out and begin to pioneer new areas of discovery with the Lord and his will then faith and prayer becomes very necessary think of the Joshua generation they were told to take new territory the Moses generous generation refused they refused to believe God for new territory the Joshua generation were told to be strong and courageous meditate on the word and then every place you put the sole of your foot shall be yours God is breaking the boundaries of self-imposed comfort on our lives that's why the Holy Spirit is disturbing some of you there's some disturbed people in this place today there's something uncomfortable people in this place today there's some frustrated people in this place today there's some confused people in this place today you say what's happening I'll tell you what's happening a move of God that's what's happening in your life now after enlarging my territory new kingdom opportunities God is speaking to you don't stay where you are the reason you're uncomfortable the reason you dissatisfied is because God is moving you outward in some way to enlarge your territory if you pray and large Mayan territory don't expect God to sit and to leave you where you are the third section is that your hand would be with me you know if you're asking God to bless you in deed and to send the Holy Spirit of blows like the wind and his thoughts are higher in his ways are higher and there's going to be a period of just trusting God when he makes no sense before you you get to the place where you look back and it all makes sense if you're going to expand if you're going to pray to move into new experiences and a new territory and new influence and new impact for Jesus then you're gonna need God's hand to be with you it's too late in the day to do anything without God it's too late in the prophetic calendar of God on the end times today to do anything in our own strength and then say behold the hand of the Lord it's too late it's God or it's nothing it's God or it's nothing it's his hand or it's nothing we're not going to pretend that God is working we're not we're not going to build false fire we're not going to save the Lord and it's the Lord and it's not the Lord we're tired of false prophets saying this is the law that's the Lord and it was never denied we know when it's the Lord we know when it's the Lord and in this passage this section we're praying to be blessed indeed we're asking for an enlargement to be used of God to expand in whatever areas and responsibilities that means in our own particular walk but we're saying God without you it's meaningless God said to Moses when he'd had enough of the children of Israel he said all right you can go and possess the new territory the promised land but you know what Moses I've had it I'm not coming I'll send my best and most powerful angel and he will be with you the angel of the Lord it will be with you and he'll get you there but I'm not coming I'm Moses said no if you're if you're not going Lord I'm not going because it's not about the destination it's about who you travel the destination with the Lord I don't want to travel a road without the Lord to you do you want to travel a distance without the Lord do you wanna go and say this is the Lord and he's not with you but when his hand is with you when his anointing his empowerment his enablement his enablement is with you then you begin to see God's activity in your life and you realized that the God who makes no sense his ways are higher his thoughts are higher is actually at work and brings you to a place where that that didn't make sense now makes tremendous impact on people around you oh that the hand would be with this is a cry of dependence you know if we're talking about enlarging borders crossing frontiers and God's hand being with us Bruce Wilkinson in his book the prayer of Jabez he says that when you when you say bless me indeed any answers when you say Lord that I want to step over the frontiers of my comfort borders and my zone and he takes you over there he says that at that time you need God's hand because God has a habit of placing such people who praise such prayers in situations which go against common sense in circumstances which contradict your previous life experience in scenarios that seem to disregard your feelings training and need for security in circumstances that set you up to look like a fool and a loser God places you in these uncomfortable positions yet this seems to be God's plan for his most honored servants people that came through pain for the Christian dependence is just another word for power if you just take that phrase home with you today and remember it it will revolutionize your whole life and outlook I'll say it again for the Christian dependence is just another word for power the Sun does nothing without the father and without seeing what the father did the son who could do anything did nothing his dependence became his power you don't ascend to power in the kingdom of God you don't ascend to power you know grab power grasp power politically politically maneuver to get yourself in a place of power this is not the way of the kingdom of God you do not ascend to power in the kingdom of God you descend to power in the kingdom of God anybody who wants to be greatest in the kingdom of God must be the servant the least descent if you want to be used in great power in whatever situation and calling God has for you you're going to have to descend in order to able be able to experience the power that God has for you he's not given any lofty people any power anymore they only misuse it and abuse it and become corrupted by it themselves God is looking for people who are prepared to go the rapid descent that leads to true spiritual power Jesus himself in Philippians chapter 2 considered it not exploitation to be equal with God that's what the word means he was equal with God is fully God in heaven but he didn't exploit his situation for his own good and say well I don't have to go and suffer I'll just stay where I am but he humbled himself he descended into the form of a human being but even then he didn't exploit his power because he could have come to earth in a palace and being the greatest Caesar there ever reigned he could have come like a super a Marvel super hero to earth and Exploited his power but he didn't he came not only as a human being in his descent but he then dissented to become a servant of all and even then he didn't remain but he descended further and he became obedient to his father - this scent led him to a bloody cross where he suffered for the sins of mankind past present and future and then he descended into hell his descent was a descent to power because there was a third day and on the third day his descent to power had ended and now the Father exalted him - his right hand and the name of Jesus is the greatest most powerful name of authority under Earth on the earth and in the heavenly realms he's there ruling and reigning and he's looking for a people that are prepared to descend in order to be empowered that your hand would be with me and finally keep me from evil that I may not cause pain in fact you can translate that little little section two ways you can translate it as I did in the New King James keep me from doing evil that I might not cause pain okay or you can translate it keep me from evil that it may not cause me pain and both are valid so one says keep me from doing evil that I won't cause pain to others and other says keep evil from me that it won't do me harm and it's ambiguous because I think it was meant to be ambiguous you see as we as this prayer becomes part of our devotional and you'll find at times of life that you're praying different aspects of this time when the Holy Spirit we're saying it's time for you to enlarge your territory time when the Holy Spirit will say it's time for you to call or more of my influence that you would be blessed indeed time when you'll be saying god I need your anointing you're enabling I need your help I can't do it you need to do it I need your hand but there'll be times when you pray Lord keep me from doing evil keep you from doing evil yeah because when God starts operating and answering these prayer and you begin a descent into power our descent into power real power our descent into power and when things when boundary start shifting and you start moving you're going to find yourself in a dangerous position how many understand the dangers are being blessed by God Deuteronomy 8 is a whole chapter where Moses says you're going into the Promised Land now be careful because it's so blessed in the promised land that you're gonna start thinking you're something special you're gonna start thinking your own hand got this you're gonna be so enjoying milk and honey that you forgot what it was like to be thankful for bread and water you're gonna be wearing such beautiful clothing that you forget that for 40 years God kept the same shirt on you back and the same shoes on your feet and they never wore out and you have got used to luxury be careful when you enter into the place of advancement promotion blessing financial security influence and honor amongst people be careful when God leads you this is why to be blessed indeed is to be prepared straighten out sorted out descent into humility so that when that power comes brother you can handle it when that influence starts to flow sister you will use it for the Lord and not for your own exploitation and so God when you use me keep me from pride pride comes before a for pride is the greatest sin Lord use me Lord bless me enlarge me enlarge my situation increase my activities increase my influence and impact for the kingdom but please don't let me then exploit what you've given to me the biggest danger in God blessing and exalting you is that you exploit the blessing of God for yourself instead of the benefit of others right at the end of the Lord's Prayer the other prayer I mentioned about today you know you prayed you know Father be glorified let your kingdom come that you will be done you've sorted out relationships forgiving people you say forgive me as I forgive others you asked for your daily bread but then you come to a place we say lead us not into temptation why because if God get brings his kingdom like you asked if God's will is done on the earth like he asked if you are wanting nothing because you've got daily bread like you asked if you're dealing right with other people and sorted out you are now in a very powerful position in the Lord's Prayer and now you better pray that you don't ruin it all by exploiting it and God leave me not into temptation but also this says and this is where I finish it doesn't just say be careful that when you're given answer some people hear God has blessed you with great things a great job a great talent a great ability God has already enlarged some of your territories here today God's hand is already on some of you here today's not this is not this is not the beginning of the prayer God has been working the principles in many of our lives and you need to take note of what God has done if you're a territory has been enlarged stop exploiting it for yourself and know that you're a vessel to be used to bless those that cannot help themselves [Applause] so lord don't don't let us do evil to the harm of others but also don't let evil come to us the devil's not interested in Christians in their comfort zone the devil's happy if we stay on here on the side of the line that he's appointed for us the devil loves Christians in comfort he can't stand uncomfortable Christians they're a danger to him he likes to put them to sleep with more comfort he likes to send his false prophets that talk about comfort and the broad highway instead of the narrow way where you have to die but it leads to life and blessing there's a false gospel in this world today and it's all about your comfort the broad way anybody can travel on it but God has a narrow way for you led by the Holy Spirit he will turn your life upside down he will make no sense but then he will bring you to a place of power feel it so strong in this place today and then the devil is going to come and he's going to say this person has stepped onto the narrow path he's not bothered about the broad path he stepped on the narrow path she's praying the prayer of Jabez again and she's believing it's a pattern for her life and now she's disturbing the status quo in the spirit realm and and I got to do something about that well you can't do something about that devil because the prayer says keep me from evil God will put a shield around us shield of faith helmet of salvation breastplate of righteousness belt of truth shoes of the gospel sword of the Spirit to strike down all the enemies of plans God never intended you to fail but to succeed you may seem to fail but even failure for the child of God is only the next stepping stone to victory [Applause] [Music] rejoice in your suffering let the furnace fire produce the testing of golden faith the fire burns the impurities rise and you feel like the worst Christian in the world but don't worry my brother my sister the fire burns the impurity rises and the Holy Ghost takes them away because you're too precious you're too precious to stay impure you asked a Holy Ghost to come you said give me a move of God and God is moving hallelujah

Channel: Kensington Temple

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Length: 41min 39sec (2499 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 08 2018