Illus: For example, a man in Columbia, South Carolina, was led to the Lord late in life. He was a slow talking southerner. When he prayed publicly, everyone enjoyed listening to him because of his slow southern drawl, and because he was sincere.
When he prayed it sounded like he was having a private conversation with the Lord, and you felt like you were a fly on the wall listening in on the conversation.
One Sunday, the pastor called on him to pray, and in that slow southern drawl he prayed a simple prayer to the Lord.
When he got through with his prayer he said, “Lord, that is all I can think of now, I will talk to you later!”
It is so refreshing to hear some folks pray. They are simply talking to the Lord the way we talk with our best friend.
Illus: They are like the man who prayed in church, and when he got through, a man stood up and said, “I could not hear you!” He said, “That’s because I wasn’t talking to you.”
But prayer, like so many other things in God’s church, it is often abused.
Let me illustrate what I’m talking about.
For Example…
Illus: You are a parent of little children who have absolutely driven you crazy all day long.
• They haven’t listened to you.
• They have been disobedient and disrespectful to you and their siblings.
• And now it’s time for family Dinner and the family dinner prayer.
It goes something like this: “Dear God, help my children be more respectful. Help them to love one another. Help them to realize that when they treat other people rudely or disrespectfully, they are disobeying you God. God, you command us to love one another, and when we don’t do that, we sin. God, please help my kids be more loving. Amen!”
You were not talking to God you were talking to those brats at the table who probably were not listening!!!
This is not a prayer, this is a speech, or teaching session directed at the listeners instead of a prayer focused on and to God.
That is prayer abuse!!!
Illus: Or consider this family prayer : “God, we are going to see the grandparents today and I pray that you help my children be loving and respectful to them. Help them to put down their iphones and to give their grandparents the attention they deserve. And when I drive, I get very distracted by all the noise from the kids. And so God, please help my kids to keep it down in the back while I’m driving so we don’t have an accident. God I pray for safe travels. Amen!”
Now, on the surface, these might seem like reasonable “intercessory” prayers. And if you were in a private place praying just between you and God, It would be perfectly fine.
However, in group prayer situations is all too often a speech or teaching session directed at the listeners instead of a prayer focused on and to God.
When we pray these abusive prayers we are teaching our children how to mis-use prayer.
Sometime we can hear prayer in the congregation that is abusive.
For example, we see and abuse of prayer in the life of a Pharisee.
Look at Luke 18:11-12 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
This is prayer abuse in the form of bragging not praying!!! This abuse is often done in God’s church.
While many mis-use prayer others have use it for the right purpose.
One of the greatest prayers in the Bible is found in our scripture text today.
These two verses concerning Jabez is broken down in two sections:
(1) In verse 8 we are told about the man Jabez.
(2) In verse 9 we are told about the prayer .
So let’s look first at…
I. THE PERSON
Notice how we are introduce to him as the man called Jabez…
The name Jabez means I BARE HIM IN SORROW!
We do not know the particular reasons which influenced the mother of Jabez to call him by that name, a name which means "I bare him in sorrow."
WHAT DID SHE MEAN THAT SHE BORE HIM IN SORROW?
(1) Could it be she brought forth this son with more than common anguish in child bearing.
(2) Could it be the time of his birth were the time of her widowhood. There is no mention of the father perhaps he died and she is now left with a child to raise alone.
We could go on and on speculating but whatever the reason Jabez came into the world with a dark cloud hanging over his head.
We know nothing whatsoever of the Jabez here in the scriptures beyond what we find in these two verses.
But these two verses tell us a great deal about him.
We know he had some brothers because the scripture tells us he was more honorable than his brothers.
Look at 1 Chronicles 4:9 “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren…”
But Jabez did not enter the world in a joyful moment in the life of his mother.
If Jabez mother was living today in our society she might have had an abortion.
She could have justified having an abortion by saying…
(1) I have health problems and this is no time to be having a child.
(2) We are living in time of high inflation and this is no time to be having a child.
But if this mother knew what we knew that Jabez would go down in history and God would take two verses in the scriptures to tell us about this great man of God she would regret that she named him Jabez.
We do not know why she named him Jabez but it sound like she is a mother going through some difficult times in her life.
Often today mothers who are going through difficult times consider having an abortion.
BUT…Mothers who have abortions do not know what they are doing.
• When they abort that child they might be aborting the next Billy Graham.
• Mothers who have abortions do not know what they are doing. When they abort that child they might be aborting the greatest missionary who ever walked on this earth.
• Mothers who have abortions do not know what they are doing. They are not only aborting their child but they are also aborting their grand children.
Illus: Recently on one of the morning television shows they showed an elderly lady who had 12 children and all of her children, grand children, and great grand children had come together for her birthday.
With all her children and grand children and there was about seventy five family members there.
And the host of this television program said to this mother, “Just look at all these people who are here and if were not for you they would not be here!!!”
She was right!!!
When a mother abort her child only God knows the amount of the people will never be here because she aborted her child.
I have a feeling that Jabez mother could have only knew what he would become she would not have called him Jabez which mean I bear him in sorrow.
These two verses tells us a great deal about the man Jabez in verse 9, but verse 10 tells us about this man’s great prayer he prayed.
We have looked at this great MAN but now let’s look at this man’s great prayer.
II. JABEZ PRAYER
Jabez has long since gone to be with His Maker, but yet all over the world preachers like myself are still preaching about this great man of God and his prayer.
You can go into Christian book stores and you will see that mankind is still writing books about this great man of God.
We have no idea from the scriptures how long he lived, but we do know this man left a great legacy of himself behind.
In 1 Chronicles chapters 1 through 9 we have a list of endless genealogies.
• We read over and over in these chapters that so and so begat so…
• But when you get to chapter 4, and it talks about Jabez, the Word of God pauses to tell us a few things about him.
Illus: As we read about these characters, where so and so begat so and so, it makes us think about a passer-by who observed a fellow on a park bench reading a telephone directory.
He scanned each page as one might read a novel. Finally the observer questioned the man about his reading the telephone directory.
• He said, “What do you get out of it?”
• He said "The plot isn't much, but man what a cast of characters!"
As we come across this list of names in 1 Chronicles and come to the name of Jabez, we can’t help but to conclude, “WHAT A CHARACTER!”
Look at 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
God’s Word had these nice things to say about him.
Listen, one day you and I will no longer be here.
What will people be saying about us?
• Most people live their lives for the short range, and after they die they are soon forgotten.
• But others have learned to live their lives for the long haul, and centuries after they are dead and gone, people are still talking about them and reading about them.
Illus: All presidents, when they leave office, want to leave a legacy behind them so people will remember the many things they accomplished during their tenure in the White House.
For example:
* President Eisenhower for his love for the game of golf
* President Kennedy will be remembered for the great words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
• President Johnson for the great society.
• President Nixon will be known for Watergate.
• President Ford for his clumsiness.
• President Carter for the hostages in Iran.
• President Reagan for ending the cold war and tearing down the Berlin walls.
• President Herbert Bush for saying read my lips.
• President George Bush for Persian Gulf War
• President Clinton as a liar and a womanizer.
• President Barach Oboma will be known as the first black president
• President Donald Trump will be known for the greatest economy and lowest un-employment in fifty years.
When you are no longer here, what will people remember about you?
Some folks legacy is spelled out on their tombstone…
• Winston Churchill Epitaph: “I am ready to meet my Maker. ?Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
• Merv Griffin a television star who often said I will be right back when it was time for a tv commercial they wrote on his tombstone “I will not be right back after this message.”
Illus: As you read through these Bible genealogies in 1 Chronicles chapters 1-9, all you read about some of these people is that SO AND SO BEGAT SO AND SO AND DIED.
They are so typical of many today that live and die. They really do not accomplish that much in their lives because about the only thing they have done is take up space and sucked up oxygen.
Illus: Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. But there is not one thing in the scriptures tells us he did anything meaningful with his life.
Illus: People like this are no more than a stain on a garment that eventually will wash out, and no one will remember they ever existed.
Illus: Anyone who has operated a computer knows that some time you can touch one button and all of a sudden thousands and thousands of things you want to save can be wiped out in a matter of minutes.
This is the way it is with so many when they die the memory of them ever existing will be forgotten in no time.
Illus: There are people today in every church in America if they were to die today it would not affect God’s church one Iota!!!
Illus: But something that many of the military men and women do is mark their clothes with a pen with indelible ink. That is, they can wash their clothes over and over again, and that ink leaves an indelible mark that can not be washed out.
Such is the case with Jabez. Centuries have come and gone and we still find ourselves talking about this man.
Illus: There are christians that I have preached to for years and years and even though they have gone to be with the Lord spiritually I can still see them setting in these pews because of their faithfulness. If they were alive today they would be sitting among us. They have left a legacy behind and we cannot forget them!!!
This is the case with Jabez…WHAT AN INDELIBLE MARK HE HAS MADE ON THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
* He was not a great prophet or preacher, like Isaiah or Jeremiah
* He was not a wise ruler over a great nation like Solomon
* He was not famous on the field of battle like King David
Illus: He is like those in the church that has become strong pillars in the church and when they die the church begans to die.
He was remembered for two things:
(1) Because he was “More honourable than his brethren”
(2) Because of his prayer
Let’s concentrate on this prayer he prayed.
His prayer reveals that he was not happy with things the way they were.
Did you know before you can make any progress in life you must not be happy with the way things are at the present.
This is why many christians never grow in the Lord they have reached a comfort zone in their life and they are content the way things are at the present.
But you can tell Jabez was not content the way things were at the present.
Look at 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
Let me show you FOUR things in this prayer of Jabez,
A. HE PRAYED FOR SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY
Look at 1 Chronicles 4:9 “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed…”
Jabez wanted the blessings of God on his life.
We live in an age when folks think of the blessings of God as:
* Winning the ten million dollar sweepstakes
* Everyone is praying for a new house and new car
When is the last time you heard anyone pray for SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS! Such as:
* God, I want to get closer to you
* God, I want to win a lost soul to the Lord this week
* God, I want to be used in teaching my Sunday school class this week
* God, I want you to anoint me to sing for your glory
The television preachers have done great harm to the work of God. Thousands and thousands flock to hear these men and women preach, because they are the “Ear Ticklers” that Paul talked about being present in the last days.
They tell people that it is the will of God for everyone to be millionaires.
The Lord Jesus said in Mark 14:7 “For ye have the poor with you always…”
If everyone were a millionaire, it would wreck our economy. TALK ABOUT INFLATION!
People in the business world charge as much as they feel the public will pay. When people have plenty of money, they keep buying and the prices keep going up.
Illus: For example, you can have two gas stations side by side, and there can be ten cents difference in the price of a gallon of gas.
Then one day the fellow who is selling his gas for a ten cents less, realizes that people are not hurting for money, and they do not mind spending an extra dollar at the station beside him, so he raises his gas price up ten cents.
But then the other fellow raises his up another ten because the man next to him raised his to his level. And on and on it goes!
Every society of people needs poor people. They are the ones who keep the prices from going through the ceiling.
The reason we have affordable merchandise is because there are so many poor people always looking for a bargain.
There are a lot worse things that can happen to people than being poor.
Jabez was not praying for the sweepstakes, he was praying for God to bless him spiritually.
He was not satisfied with the status quo. He wanted God's blessings upon his life.
He recognized what was most important in life.
B. HE PRAYED FOR BROADENED HORIZONS
Look at verse 10, we read, "Enlarge my coast.”
* The word “enlarge” means simply to make larger, to extend in limits or dimensions, to extend to more purposes or uses.
* The word “coast” here is used to refer to boundaries and borders.
His desire was to reach out beyond himself...to expand his sphere of influence.
Illus: John Hyde better known as Praying Hyde was a missionary to India. He was so burden for the folks of India he asked God to give him one soul a day. He became more burden for the people he asked God to give him two souls a day. He became more burdened for souls he ask the Lord to give him three souls a day.
He was so burdened for souls we are told that in his life time he cheated hell out of a million souls.
He was never content, he kept asking God to broaden his spiritual coast.
The prayer of every Christian should be, “Lord, I want to do more for you than I am doing now.”
C. HE PRAYED THAT GOD’S HAND WOULD BE WITH HIM
Look at verse 10 again. We read, “…And that thine hand might be with me.”
Jabez recognized that everything that comes into our life is because of the hand of God in our life.
Notice that he prayed that the hand of God, “…might be with me”. He did not want the hand of God against him.
The Bible says Jabez was an honorable man, and he could pray, “God, I WANT YOUR HAND WITH ME!”
D. HE PRAYED FOR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN
Look at verse 10. We read, “…and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!”
What sinners do not recognize is that sin brings temporary satisfaction. But after the temporary satisfaction comes the long run of grief that follows.
For example:
• Look what drugs has cost many.
• Look what alcohol has cost them.
• Look what sex outside of marriage has cost them.
Jabez knew something that a lot of sinners do not know sin will BRING MISERY TO YOUR LIFE. This is why he prayed “…and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!”
Jabez was well aware that we Christians may fall into sin and it rob them of the blessings of God.
E. GOD ANSWERED HIS PRAYERS
Look at verse 10 again. We read, “And God granted him that which he requested.”
This great man of God prayed, and the Bible says, “…God granted him that which he requested.”
It pays to pray! But it pays to pray the right kind of prayers.
Jabez prayed the right kind and God answered his prayer.
Conclusion:
The Word of God tells us And God granted him that which he requested.”
There are several things we need to consider here before we close.
* Suppose Jabez was not an honorable man. Do you think that God would have done these things in his life?
* Suppose Jabez had not prayed this prayer. Do you think that God would have done these things in his life?
These things never would have been done in his life.
But something we have to always remember is that God’s blessings are not always in what He gives, but sometimes in what He withholds.
This is why Jabez prayed for God to bless Him indeed.
So often what we call a blessing is not a blessing but a curse. Jabez wanted God’s blessings indeed.
For example:
• It is not wrong to pray for wealth but God wants you examine your heart, why do you want wealth!
• It is not wrong to pray for a long life but God wants you to examine your heart, WHY DO YOU WANT LONG LIFE!
The reason God granted Jabez prayer was because HE WAS RIGHT AND SO WAS HIS PRAYER!!!
I. THE PERSON OF JABEZ
II. THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
