Jul. 21, 2024

Background:

• Jesus' ministry was marked by frequent prayer
• Before Baptism (Luke 3:21-22)
• Preaching tour (Mark 1:35)
• Before choosing the disciples (Luke 6:12-13)
• Before feeding the multitude
• The Bible commands us to pray
• God wants us to call on his holy and righteous name
• A godly man cannot live without prayer
• A person needs to pray
• We cannot live without God
• We won't know our direction
• When we pray we are to be sincere, forgiving, faithful, and obedient
• We experience God's power as we trust in him
• God is not on our timeframe...he lives outside of time
• We need to confess our needs to God, trust him, and then watch him his power (John 17:1-5)
• Jesus prayed...and we must too

Key Sermon Points: 

1.  Jabez was an honorable man
   1. Honorable has to do with actions that are fair, honest, and respectful
   2. Honorable people believe in the truth and try to do what is right
   3. Honorable people live by God's Word
   4. Jabez was known as an honorable, honest man that breads trust
   5. People with a reputation for lying or exaggerating can't be believed
   6. Christians should be honest so that others will believe them
2. He had an unusual name
   1. Jabez's name meant pain, sorrow, or grief
   2. Something must have happened during the time of the birth for his mother to call him that name
   3. What pain are you causing others?
   4. There are times when we do cause others pain
   5. What are we saying that's not true?  What are we doing that's not right?
   6. What pain are we going through that no one knows but God?
   7. What physical or emotional pain are we going through?
   8. Sometimes pain is necessary for God to get our attention
   9. Sometimes pain test our commitment to God
   10. Pain is necessary for our growth (Matthew 16:24)
   11. Jabez didn't blame his mother, but thrived in the midst of the pain...he didn't allow the pain to define who he was
3. He called on the God of Israel
   1. Sometimes we call on the wrong people
   2. We must know who to call on when we are in need
   3. God will answer our prayers
   4. Jabez asked God to increase his territory and for God's Hand to be on him...and to keep evil from Him that he may not cause pain (v. 10)
   5. He was looking for big and great things because he serve a big and mighty God
   6. The heart has to be right in order to go to God (to not ask for something outside of God's will)
   7. Jabez called on the God of Israel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
   8. At times in our lives, we don't know who to call on
   9. Let's not just call on God when trouble is here, but let's call on God when things are going well
   10. Jesus was the example and showed the disciples how to pray
   11. Jesus prayed to the Father before everything
   12. We are living in a time when we need to pray
   13. The only one that can help us is God