Are you praying the prayer of Jabez? For the past three Sundays we have given focus to this powerful prayer found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. We have two more Sundays to go. The sermon emphasis is on each one of the four petitions. Jabez asked God
Bless Me A Lot
Expand my Territory
Keep Your Hand on Me
Keep Me From Evil
We are discovering that this marvelous prayer is not selfish or greedy but one that pleases God. Jabez asked God to bless him a lot but he leaves the choice of blessing up to God. He asked God to expand his territory thus giving him more resources to use for the glory of God and more influence to impact the world for God.
Recognizing that all the blessings in the world and all the earthly possessions are useless unless they are used to Glorify the Lord, Jabez asks God to keep His hand upon Him. A life lived without the hand of God upon it, is a terrible life with tragic consequences. And finally, Jabez asks God to keep him from evil. Who among us does not need to pray this prayer?
Can you imagine the blessings that God can bestow upon us as individuals and as a church if we will Commit ourselves wholly to God and faithfully pray the prayer of Jabez?
Many of you have already been praying this prayer daily. Keep it up. God is already answering our prayers as new visitors are showing up on Sunday. As you will note in this newsletter, he has already provided us a candidate for Director of Music. Offerings are up. the spirit of the church body is up. God is at work. Keep praying, keep reaching out, keep being faithful. God has new plans for Crabtree Valley Baptist Church. I feel it. Do You? Just as God honored the prayer of Jabez and granted his request, we can be confident that he will answer our prayer.
In His Love, Charles
