"Lessons in Prayer from an Unlikely Teacher" 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

"9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." 10Jabez 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."

This ordinary man, prayed an ordinary prayer, and God blessed him in extraordinary ways. Are you praying?

Do you remember that I wrote that Jabez didn't define what kind of blessing he needed from God? He just prayed for God to bless him. Well read the next line in the prayer, "enlarge my territory." That sounds like a specific request-give me more land. And the prayer request is not only specific; it's a bit selfish!

I remember when Wilkenson's book The Prayer of Jabez, came out that one of the criticisms leveled at the book was that it was nothing more than a selfish, self-centered prayer. Is it? I have to admit, it sounds like it! God give me more land! That would be like praying, "God swell my bank account. Give me a bigger house! I need a newer car!"

But that's not it at all. You need to understand the context of the prayer. Jabez lived in a time just after Joshua and the people of Israel had conquered the Promised Land. God had told them he would bless them and they needed to go in and take possession. And even though they were going to displace the existing population, God's plan was for Israel to become a blessing to all nations. But to do that, the people were going to need to keep their lives free from the influence of the worldly people around them. So God's plan was for them to expand, and enlarge their territory. The same idea is in Isaiah 54:2, when Isaiah told the people, "Expand the space of your tent. Stretch out the curtains... and don't hold back. Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs." In other words, get ready God's going to give you more.

Jabez was demonstrating in his prayer that he was first of all, open to God's plan for his life and not his own selfish desire. So this is what Jabez was praying. He knew that God's plan was for the people to take full possession of the promise land. But as he looked around, much of God's Promised Land was still possessed by other people. And when he prayed, "enlarge my territory" Jabez was praying, "God let me do more for you. Let me have a greater impact for you."

Author Bruce Wilkinson put it this way, Jabez prayed, "O God, please expand my opportunities and impact in such a way that I touch more lives for your glory. Let me do more for you."

I tell you, that's a prayer God will honor.

If your child comes to you and is always saying, "give me more. Give me more stuff. I want what you have." You're not going to honor that. But if your child comes to you, "I want to help you. Isn't there something I can do that will help you out?" You'll honor that.

Let me ask you, when was the last time you asked God to really use you? When did you last say, "God I don't care what you want me to do, but let me do something great for you? Expand my opportunities and impact in such a way that I touch more lives for your glory? Oh God let me have a greater impact for you!"

What would happen at New Work Fellowship, if that became our collective prayer as a church? What would happen in our city? What would happen in this region? What could happen around the world? When you take your life and you completely surrender your future to God, then you are in the right place. If you want life to move from ordinary to extraordinary, open yourself to God's plan for you.