2020年5月6日星期三

Jabez Prayer for My Family



1 Chronicles 4:9-10
The Prayer of Jabez
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 him his request.
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers and this had to do with his mother. For Jabez wouldn’t be who he was if not for his mother. The Bible recorded the pain suffered by Jabez’s mother when she gave birth to him. So, God remembered her pain.
Whenever the mother of Jabez called her son’s name, it reminded her of the pain and misery she suffered when she gave birth to him. Can you recall today your mother’s pain and misery when she gave birth to you?
Yet God knows and God remembers the pain of child-bearing of all mothers. May God remember all mothers in this world!
The father of Jabez didn’t name his son. Why was he absent in this naming occasion? The Bible was silent about it. The Lord allowed Jabez’s mother to name her child, so as to remind her of the great pain she suffered during her delivery.
God jotted down a mother’s pain, and this informed us that He is a God full of compassion. He identifies with us and is involved in our pains.
God was first involved by giving Jabez’s mother the prerogative to name her son, and He went further by transforming the son she loved, Jabez, making him to be more honorable than his brothers.
God is involved in all mothers’ labor to raise their children, and He turns their weeping into joy. May all mothers celebrate your joy today!
God does not make pain vanished, but He shows compassion to those who are in pain. God gave faith to the mother in pain, helping her believe the promise that He had given to the Israelites. “The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.” (Deuteronomy 33:25)
A suffering mother who had trusted God would see her son growing to be more honorable than his brothers. May all mothers have faith in God!
 “A mother’s companionship to her son” is something irreplaceable. Jabez, ever since he was just the fetus or a toddler, was accompanied by his mother. The absence of Jabez’s father made him dependable on his mother solely.
Jabez’s mother believed that the God of the Israelites was journeying with her, the same way she was also journeying with her son. May all mothers love their sons and journey with them in their growing up!
Jabez relied solely on his mother’s companionship and care since his father was absent. He used to hear his mother crying out loud, “I gave birth to him in pain! I gave birth to him in pain! Jabez!”
As little child, he was pure in heart and sensitive in his hearing too. Jabez understood his mother’s heart and he recognized his mother’s pain. May all children come to understand the hearts of their mothers!
Jabez learnt from his mother and knew that God was a God of compassion, and he inherited his mother’s trust in the God of the Israelites. He had decided to trust in the One and Only God of Israel, hence he also cried out to this God, “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 him his request.
May all mothers pass down their faith to their children and may all children inherit the faith of their mothers!
How could Jabez, a child who was born in pain and troubles, be able to stand out to be someone honorable? It was solely because God had granted him his request.
The prayer made by Jabez was very simple, yet it was very profound and specific. His prayer moves us to trust in God’s grace and guidance, so that we continue to grow to be honorable, and to exercise our influences to bless the people around us.
We are all children of our Heavenly Father. So, let’s humble ourselves before the Heavenly Father and cry out to Him with the prayer of Jabez!
“that you would bless me”:
The first prayer request made by Jabez to the God of Israel was to ask for His blessing! Jabez came to God reverently. It laid the foundation for his life of blessedness. Jabez acknowledged that the Lord was the center of his life.
When we ask for God’s blessings this day, we practically invite God to take control of our career, family, church ministries, physical health and entertainment, etc., that is to say, we make Him the Lord of our lives.
We are to obey God’s instructions in our daily lives and to fulfill His will, then only can we enjoy a blessed and victorious life! In the beginning, God created all things in heavens and on earth, and His intention was for man to live in His presence and be blessed!
God also requires us to utilize the gifts and resources given by him, to exert our influences and bear much fruits, so as to be a blessing to others. Through all these, people in the society shall see God’s presence in our lives, then they will come to believe in Christ and be saved. Ultimately, all glory goes to God.
“and enlarge my territory”:
Jabez refused to accept his fate. He wanted to make progress. He asked boldly for God to enlarge his territory. The father of modern mission, William Carey, launched his pioneering work of Protestant mission because of his belief to “attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.”
Many times, we are afraid of losing and embarrassment and hence, we refuse to attempt great things or new things. We shirk from our responsibility and say, “I can’t handle it. I don’t know. I am not gifted. I don’t have ample resources.”
As a result, our perspectives are restricted by our circumstances and negative mindset. We refuse to take a step of faith to see breakthroughs happening. But Jabez had an extraordinary perspective and he trusted God’s power to gain breakthroughs and to expand his territory.
Let’s not limit ourselves and God’s work. Let’s tap God’s power, and thus accomplish things that go beyond our personal capacity, beyond current situations and beyond former things. God wants to use us to accomplish new things.
Today we may face many constraints that are causing us to be stagnant. For example, we are now trapped by the pandemic Covid-19, not able to exercise our normal socialization and our church activities are also affected. How can we seek breakthroughs in all these restrictions?
If we truly trust God and submit to His guidance, we can experience breakthroughs and live out lives of freedom and hope even when we are confined in the “concentration camp”.
Ask God for a heart of wisdom and obedience. Let’s spend time daily to do devotion, meditate on the word of God, pray to God and encourage church members through the internet connection. We actually can enlarge our spiritual life in this season.
As a matter of God’s command, 1 Peter 2:1-3 points out that there should be growth in our spiritual life. “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
“Be with me always/ Let your hand be with me
Sufferings move us to trust only in God. David was pursued by Saul for a long period of time, and he prayed to God, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
“God’s hand be with me” refers to God’s protection, His strength and His guidance. We do not pass through the valley of death alone. The Lord Jesus is our Great Shepherd and He shall journey through with us along our hardship. The highest number of promises in the Bible actually speak about God’s presence with His people in the midst of their predicaments.
“God’s hand be with me” also means that He will use you as His hand to do His work. It is asking God to use you and to supply you with sufficient resources, and equip you with the ability and training, so that we are competent to do God’s ministries.
God is an extraordinary God but He loves to use ordinary people who trust Him to accomplish great things.
The last prayer of Jabez was to keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”
Jabez asked God to keep him from sin, wickedness and troubles. All these are evil. Jesus also taught us to pray to God as such, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13
Today we are in a world that is full of wickedness, and we are not exempted from threat of all kinds of “evil/wickedness/virus”. However, God promises to protect us, direct us, rescue us, and provide for our daily needs.
Even though we walk through the valley of the death, we shall not fear evil. We ought to pray in faith and reverence that God will protect us and our city and grant us peace.
Not only shall we ask God to deliver us from evil, we also ought to ask Him to direct our thoughts and actions, so that we can keep ourselves away from wickedness. We need to keep watch and pray, to turn away from our sins, to keep our holiness, and to train ourselves to be godly (1 Tim 4:7).
In this period of pandemic threats, we ought to be consistent in coming to worship God online, and to do our personal devotion, to read the Bible and to pray. In this way, we will be able to live a life full of holiness and positive thoughts and behaviors.
Conclusion
Jabez and his mother became more honorable than the others because they honored God as the source of their blessing and strength. They drew near to God. They relied on Him. They cried out to Him. And God granted the requests of His people.
God promoted Jabez to the most honorable position in his family. Those who honor God shall be made honorable by God. God shall raise them up from their troubles and brokenness, and make them honorable.
Today we shall not despair despite the constraints and exhaustion we experience.  Our lives are not wasting away. God’s love and mercy are upon us and He will restore us. He will strengthen us in His love, transform us to someone honorable!
Whether we are parents or children, and no matter how our environment will turn out to be, let’s ask God for more grace and mercy to be given to us.
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
We also need to have the right motive when we pray to God to bless us. Not only do we seek for our own desires and benefits, but let us allow God’s blessing to help us know Him more, draw nearer to Him, and be used by Him as a blessing to others.
God promised that He will answer our prayers, but He may not do it according to our will and timing. Yet we have to trust God and submit to His sovereign leading, for He knows what is best for us. 
James 1:17 says that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Praise God and Give many thanks to Him!

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