Title: Prayer of Jabez – Passionate Prayer and the Hand of the Lord
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." (10) And Jabez 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.
Introduction
Jabez prayed unto the Lord a few things and we are remined that “God granted him what he requested.” This gets my attention. I want to be able to pray prayers that God grants. I want to be able to pray and ask requests that God cares about.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Effectual Fervent - - Original: e??e??e´?
- Transliteration: Energeo
- Phonetic: en-erg-eh'-o
- Definition:
1. to be operative, be at work, put forth power
a. to work for one, aid one
2. to effect
3. to display one's activity, show one's self operative
AMP The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much
MSG The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
Passionate Prayer
We have already worked through a few of these. Jabez asked for God’s blessing “Oh, that You would bless me”. Oh, is a word of passion. It shows us that this is a deeper passionate prayer that runs deep into our soul.
It reminds me of the verse I quoted last week, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be open”. This is a persistent prayer that God expects from us. This verse is built around a parable of a friend who persistently knocks on the door of another and is granted his request.
We can continue to seek Him through prayer and to make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6).
So there is something to this passionate persistent prayer that God expects from us. If we were to be honest, we don’t pray enough. I am not talking about quantity, time in prayer, I am talking about quality. The persistent focus of prayer to an almighty ever caring God. One who hears our prayer and is wanting to grant them (1 John 5:14 – 15).
So Jabez passionately prayed to the Lord. What did he pray?
1) Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory. We covered this last week. God is wanting to pour out his blessings on people. God is wanting to increase our influence.
2) That your hand would be with me
3) That you would keep me from evil
He summed it up by saying if you do these things, I believe that they would keep me from causing pain. If you do these things my life will be on a different track. That is why I believe this idea of pain is deeper than just a name that his mother gave him. It is more than just an event but was adapted as a lifestyle. Jabez was a “pain maker”. He hurt people until he called upon the name of the Lord. What a change this made.
That your hand would be with me
So we covered blessings and territory last week. Let’s this week look at that next part of this passionate prayer. “that your hand would be with me”.
This is a powerful prayer request.
The phrase the hand of the Lord is used throughout the Old and New Testament. There are a few ways it is used.
I. In judgement.
God’s hand represented judgement upon a nation and upon a people.
Pharaoh ran into this in Exodus 3:20. Pharaoh thought he had it all together. His plan was to enslave Israel to control them. His plan was to subdue them with distractions.
Exo 3:20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
And that is what he did.
Exodus 6: 6
Ex 13:9
Brought them out by the hand of the Lord
It is by the hand of the Lord.
Ex 13:14
When we get out of bondage, we should be saying it was by the hand of the Lord that got us out
Ex 15:6
When the hand of the Lord is against the enemy, the enemy will stumble
Pharaoh is a type of Satan. Satan has tried to bound the world in sin. He has tried to put people in bondage. That is what sin is, it is bondage. But it is Christ who sets us free and gives us life.
Acts 13: 8- 11 – judgement
Act 13:8-12 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. (9) Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him (10) and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? (11) And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. (12) Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Bar-Jesus was a false prophet, a fraud, deceived people.
The hand of the Lord came upon Bar-Jesus in judgement, he was stopped
Display of God’s power in judgement
What was the blessing? The enemy was silent.
Every time the hand of the Lord is in manifestation, someone get’s judged, someone get’s blessed
Their letting Satan off to lightly, they are not making him pay for what he has caused or done.
Hand of the Lord – Presence
Moses was convinced that without God’s presence in his life it was useless for him to attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he stated boldly, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence” (Exodus 33:15). He was saying, “Lord, if you’re not with us, we’re not going to make it. We won’t take a single step unless we are assured of your presence.”
The Old Testament is filled with accounts of the wonderful blessings that came to those who had God’s presence with them.
Consider the following examples:
• God’s presence was so evident in Abraham’s life, even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: “Abimelech…spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest” (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king said, “There’s something different about you, Abraham. God is with you wherever you go.”
• God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against him when his presence was with him: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:5–6). When God’s Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and courageous because we trust his promise to go with us in all our ways.
• God told Gideon, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour … Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel” (Judges 6:12, 14). The phrase “thy might” refers to the previous verse: “The Lord is with thee.” God is saying, “Gideon, there is a might in you so powerful it can save Israel. That might is my presence.” Although Gideon considered himself a coward, God calls him a “mighty man of valor.” Why? The Lord wanted to prove what any person can do when his presence is with him.
• God told Isaiah of a special promise he makes to those he loves: “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God…and I have loved thee… Fear not: for I am with thee” (Isaiah 43:1–5, my italics). With God’s presence abiding in you, you can go through any fire, and you won’t just survive but will be kept and protected through it all.
Hand of the Lord – Power
Joshua came to know the hand of the Lord as a guider and miracle worker
Joshua 4:23-24 for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, (24) that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever."
God was taking them to new territory and they needed to know God’s hand was with them.
Hand of the Lord - Protection
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
New Testament – Hand of the Lord – Guiding the Church
Act 4:23-31 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. (24) So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, (25) who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'WHY DID THE NATIONS RAGE, AND THE PEOPLE PLOT VAIN THINGS? (26) THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' (27) "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together (28) to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. (29) Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, (30) by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." (31) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Multiplying the Church
Acts:11:19- 21
Acts 11:19-21 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. (20) But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. (21) And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
The hand of the Lord was with them
Every time you see the phrase the hand of the Lord, it will be a reference of 1 of 2 ways
1) Power & presence of God expressed in Judgement
2) Power & presence of God expressed in blessing
You will not see the Hand of the Lord coming on God’s people in judgement, but judgement comes upon the adversary.
Great persecution came upon the church, to the point that people scattered. V19
The church was at an infant stage.
The hand of the Lord in Acts brought persecution to the adversary
A great number believed and came to the Lord
Getting more people saved.
When the church comes under persecution, people will come to the Lord.
Satan’s population decreased, God’s population increased.
Conclusion
What does this mean to you? What does the “hand of the Lord” mean to the everyday Christian. It means protection, it means provision, it mean power. When we ask God to let the hand of the Lord be with us we are asking for God to protect us.
We do not know the working of enemy around us. We do not know the demons and forces that are trying to hinder us. We need God’s protection everyday.
Prayer for needs.
