OPEN: Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs, "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE. And I PRAY FOR A NEW NINTENDO PLAY STATION, -and I PRAY FOR A NEW VCR..."
His older brother leaned over, nudged him and said, "What are you shouting for? God isn’t deaf."
His little brother smiled and said, "No, God’s not deaf… but Gramma is!"
APPLY: I Chronicles 4:9 tells us “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 his request."
This is one of the most unique of all the prayers of Scripture. It’s prayed by a man who is never mentioned before or again in the Bible. It’s short, less than 30 words long. And a lot of people have been offended by it’s apparent selfishness (me/me/me)
"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.”
It has had such a negative impression on some that the “Indianapolis Star” featured an editorial cartoon a month or so ago showing a fat man with his mouth wide open consuming all kinds of material blessings. And across the face of the cartoon was the phrase “The Prayer Of Jabez.” There are many people who have rejected this prayer because they believe that it is so selfish.
AND YET, I know this is not a selfish prayer. You might ask: “Jeff, how do you know this is not a selfish prayer?” (I may repeat this a couple of times until the audience actually “asks” the question). Well, I’m so glad you asked…
I know this is not a selfish prayer… (in part) because God doesn’t answer selfish prayers
James, for example, rebukes a church in his day: “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2b – 3).
In other words, God refuses to answer selfish prayers. Years ago there was a Country song: “Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?” And everybody who heard the song just smiled because everybody just knew that this was not the kind of prayer God answers.
So, if God doesn’t answer selfish prayers, what kind of prayer is this prayer of Jabez?
Well, it’s the best kind of prayer. It’s the kind of prayer that God wants to answer. And the reason I know that this is the kind of prayer God wants to answer is because of the part of the prayer that first caught my attention: “enlarge my territory.”
Now there are two basic kinds of prayer.
The 1st kind of prayer is the one that most people pray. It’s a prayer where folks feel like they’re imposing on God and asking Him for something He may not want to answer. This kind of prayer is akin to the boy who asks a girl out and says “you wouldn’t want to go out with me would you?”
The 2nd kind of prayer is the kind of prayer that God wants to answer.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with the 1st kind of prayer. That’s the kind of prayer that is prayed by a person who is not convinced God will want to answer their petition. God does answer that type of prayer – it’s just thatthey’re not the best kind of prayers to be praying.
These kinds of prayers are like the kinds of requests my kids make when I take them to the store. Every time my kids go into a store they ask for something (candy, toy, ride on machine). And, you know what I often say to them: “No, not this time. You don’t need it; we don’t have the time; it’ll rot your teeth; I can’t afford it.” No!
BUT every once in a while, I’ll give them what they want. Why would I do that? Because I love them. Do they annoy me with their requests? SURE!– but they’re not afraid to continue to ask, because they know I won’t put them down, that I won’t reject them because of their boldness.
A lot of times we feel like we’re bothering God with our prayers (like children at store).
The Gospels tell us “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 One of those parables (from Luke 11) went this way:
“Then (Jesus) said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ’Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
"Then the one inside answers, ’Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:5-9)
A lot of times we feel like we’re bothering God with our prayers (like that friend at midnite). And while those aren’t the best kind of prayers to pray, Jesus assures us that God answers them.
BUT now, the best kind of prayer is the one like Jabez prayed.
What makes Jabez’ prayer so special was that he prayed was based upon something God already wanted to do: “enlarge my territory.”
Many scholars tell us Jabez lived during the time of the Judges, shortly after Joshua had died. At that time, God’s people had 5, maybe 6 books in their Bible Genesis through Joshua). And apparently Jabez had been reading those books. You can visualize him sitting out under a tree by his home, reading through a scroll of Exodus and coming across this passage from Exodus 34 - “Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and ENLARGE YOUR TERRITORY, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God.” (Exodus 34:23-24)
What God was saying there: “OBEY ME (go to festivals I’ve commanded) and I will drive out the nations before and ENLARGE YOUR TERRITORY. In other words, don’t worry, (if you obey me) I’ll take care of you.”
In other words, Jabez wasn’t making selfish prayer. He was just quoting scripture.
More importantly, he was quoting God. He was citing a divine promise.
I learned long ago not to make promises to my kids. Whenever my kids ask me if they can do something, and I’m not sure whether I want to let them do it, I’ll say, “Maybe” or “we might… but that’s not a promise.” I’m always sure to include that last phrase “that’s not a promise.”
Now, why would I say that? Because the moment I don’t qualify myself and the event arrives and I say “no.” They will chime out in chorus: “BUT YOU PROMISED.”
SO… I’ve learned never to make a promise - unless it’s something I REALLY want to do.
God’s like that. When He makes a promise, it’s something He wants to do. AND, He will keep the promises He’s made:
Paul wrote: “… no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:20
I suspect Jabez had read about this promise from God in Exodus (“enlarge my territory”), and Jabez said to himself: "I want that promise for my family."
AND GOD SAID “yes, I’ll grant that prayer, because I made a promise.”
So, how do we pray that kind of prayer?
We need to learn to ask ourselves one major question before we pray… why should God want to answer my prayer? What promises has He made that would make me think that my prayer would be important enough for Him to answer?
Some of greatest prayers in scripture show us Moses or Joshua or Daniel praying in just this fashion… they all seem to ask themselves – “why should God answer?” They all either quote a promise God has made, or they reason in their prayer as to what benefit God would receive in granting their petition. Once you and I figure out why God should answer us… once we tie our prayers to a promises He has made… then we’re praying the prayer of Jabez.
Now, as you may recall, last week I told you Brad & I decided to pray this prayer for Church
When I was considering what to preach this month, what caught my attention in this prayer was the part where Jabez prayed – “enlarge my territory.”
I want this church’s territory to be enlarged… do you? Do you want this church to grow? Do you want this congregation to change lives? Do you want Brad to be able to reach more kids than ever before? Do you want us to baptize more than ever before? Then this is the prayer we need to be praying.
And I know this a prayer for our church that God wants to answer, because God has made us a promise in Scripture about this. In Isaiah 54:1-3 Isaiah prophesied about the coming church declaring:
"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left…”
This is what God wants to do for our church. This is a promise He’s given to us if we obey Him. AND this is what we need to pray.
(PRAY)
John Newton (wrote “Amazing Grace”) had received from the Lord some almost unbelievable answers to his petitions, and so he often engaged in something he called "large asking."
In support of this practice he would frequently tell the story of a man who asked Alexander the Great to give him a huge sum of money in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The ruler consented and told him to request of his treasurer whatever he wanted. So he went and asked for an enormous amount. The keeper to the funds was startled and said he couldn’t give him that much without a direct order. Going to Alexander, the treasurer argued that even a small fraction of the money requested would more than serve the purpose. "No," replied Alexander, "let him have it all. I like that fellow. He does me honor. He treats me like a king and proves by what he asks that he believes me to be both rich and generous."
Newton concluded the story by saying, "In the same way, we should go to the throne of God’s grace and present petitions that express honorable views of the love, riches, and bounty of our King!"
Other Sermons in this Series:
Receiving The Blessing 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
The Prayer That God Answers 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
God Helps Those... 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
Feel My Pain 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
