Prayer and Outreach: June

The Awesome Power of Prayer

Prayer is awesome because through it we are able to speak directly with the Holy God of the Universe.  It goes beyond the formality of daily devotions or an item on the program of the church bulletin.  We can, literally, talk with God just as we would talk to a friend.  Through prayer we discover the heart of God, the love of God, and the will of God.

There’s an account of an individual in 1 Chronicles 4 by the name of Jabez.  Perhaps you have heard about him.  Verses 9 and 10: “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.’”

The writer of Chronicles tells us that Jabez enjoyed a position of greater honor and status in the community than his brothers.  You ask, “So what is so special about that?”  It has to do with his name.  The name ‘Jabez’ means “pain”.  Can you imagine the enigma of having a name that tells everyone that your own mother thinks you are a pain?  Dogged with such an unlucky name, how could he ever succeed in life?  How did he do it?  The Chronicler gives away Jabez’s secret.  It was his prayer life; or rather the God to whom Jabez had the sense to pray.  Only God could deal with the negative images that the name ‘Jabez’ would generate within Jabez.

You ask, ‘What does that have to do with me?’  We too, are dogged with unlucky names that could keep us from seeing our prayers answered.  You see, we may have a past that might be dotted with bad choices that has labeled us as a loser, trouble-maker, bad luck, or a hundred other names.  Our self-esteem might have been shattered by insults like ‘You’ll never amount to anything.’, or ‘You’re nothing but a big failure.’.  If we aren’t careful, we can allow the enemy of our soul to convince us that God cannot possibly love someone like us and God will not even listen to us when you pray.’

Remember Jabez.  He had a bad start.  He carried a name tag that told everyone that his own mother said he was nothing but a pain.  Yet, his prayer is filled with confidence that God loved him and that God heard him.  The last part of 1 Chronicles 4:9 reads, “And God granted his request.”

No matter how jaded our past may be, God hears and answers the prayers of His children when we pray with faith.

YOUR PRAYERS MATTER.

                                                                       

Love In Christ,

Pastor Charles