The Prayer of Jabez

Our church has a prayer motto. It's called "Pray First". 

Our church was birthed after 21 days of prayer.

I'd rather pray one sentence prayers throughout the day rather than pray long periods of time every few days. 

You can go through the day praying one sentence prayers.  

Pray before you respond to e-mails, or before you respond to anyone at any time.  

My favorite model of Prayer is called the Tabernacle Prayer; but my favorite sentence prayer is the prayer of Jabez.  

I pray it throughout the day even when I'm using the Tabernacle Prayer model.  

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 during the lineages, God paused to talk about a man named Pain (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 his request. 

A lot of us are living by a script written by someone else like Jabez. 

Jabez ignored the name given by his mother.  

You'd think that he'd want to talk about pain; however, he ignored his pain, and focused on God and His abilities. 

Ask God for His blessings, and ignore your pain too like Jabez.  

Not only do it for you, but for others. 

Ask God for more than you need, so you can be a source of blessing to others.  

Say Lord be with me because what you've called me to is too big for me. 

When God helps you, expect resistance. 

If God shows up, all of hell resists us. 

If you ain't butting heads with the devil, you're probably walking with him.  

Remember that you have the name of Jesus and demons flee at the mention of his name.  

Say Lord don't let me go where you're aren't.  

When you pray, you can talk about you, or you can talk about what God wants to talk about.    

God has available to you a life that is bigger than you if you put Him first. 

Remember the happiest people are people with purpose.  Successful people are those with the most purpose. 

You have no hope until you know your calling.  

Some of you don't know your calling.  

Some of you don't know why you're on the planet.  

Focus on something bigger than your problems.  

Your focus should be meeting the needs of others. Your inheritance is people.  

God has a purpose in your life and until you find it you're just putting out fires.  

God wants you to dream a new dream. 

God wants you over their head.  

What God is giving you. Is too big for you!  

We have 21 days of prayer because we have to have God's presence.

I'm not willing to do what I do without God's presence.  

I'm not doing this without you, God.  

If you try to do something without the hand of God, Good Luck!  

We don't know what we're doing. 

That's why we have 21 days of prayer.

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands