Lord I Have A Request

“Lord I Have a Request “

1 Chronicles 4:9,10 v.10 Text

I Chronicles 4:9,10

Often when we look at our individual lives we can learn a lot from the history that has been and the history that is being written. For most of us we have not reached the apex of our existence. After all there are still some more chapters to be written on our lives; chapters I’m sure that if we could change them we would but since we cannot the only thing we could do is imagine. I imagine that I all of our lives there will be chapters of joy, sorrow, laughter, tears, heartaches, heartbreaks and victories. Often times we feel that because life has dealt us some painful experiences, we have the tendency to think that the rest of our life will basically be the same way.

Painful!

But as we look at our text we see that God is able to cause us to triumph over all painful situations. Can you imagine having to carry around with you something that may have been embedded in your psyche?

We at times go through painful situations but its not like anything Jabez endured. Can you imagine that every time your name is mentioned it reminds you of distress? It reminds you of hurt?

The Bible say’s this about Jabez:

He was a man who was born in a painful situation. Not much is mentioned about Him but the story is short and directly to the point. Although his mother had experienced much sorrow which was caused by Jabez’s brothers it appears that Jabez receives a name that is associated with his mothers sorrow and pain. When you look at his family genealogy no one else was associated (joined in companionship or partnership; connected in thought ) with pain like Jabez. Again his mother connected him in thought to the companionship/the partnership of her painful experience in which she went through with her sons (his brothers).

*Some people are just guilty by association.

But Jabez disassociated himself from this painful situation i.e. he detached his self withdrew himself from his mothers pain. He didn’t want to be joined or connected to it. So he becomes an honorable man more than his brothers.

He becomes a man with a good name or reputation

He becomes a man with outward respect

He becomes a man with of superior standing

He becomes a man with an evidence or symbol of distinction

Because God conferred upon him HONOR!

You ask why did God do it?

Listen to his prayer in v.10 (Read)

Joel 2:32a say’s “And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:”

Jabez made a request to the God of Israel and in his request he asked for something. He sought God for the thing He asked for and received it because he asked for it.

Notice His “5” Requests:

1. Bless Me Indeed

2.Enlarge My Coast

3.Let your hand be with me

4.Keep me from evil

5.Keep me from grief

I. Bless Me Indeed---

a. bless me above all that we can ask or think I.e. Lord I need you to do greater things in my life than what I can imagine. Jeremiah 33:3 say’s, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

b. You are the God of all blessings.

Deut 28:3-6 say’s,

Blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the city, and blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the field.

Blessed [shall be] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep

Blessed [shall be] thy basket and thy store.

Blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou comest in, and blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou goest out.

God desires to bless our lives, but we must have faith in God to

Activate His power in our lives. One of Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus was

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],