Speaker 1: Greetings in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1: It's August, the month of uncommon increase, spirit-led enlargement.
Speaker 1: You have allowed the Lord to lead you through the monthly things in this year of the Lord's uncommon, spirit-led impartation.
Speaker 1: The Lord does desire to increase us in all aspects because in the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 10, 6 to 28, he created us in his own image.
Speaker 1: In the image of God you are created so you have dominion.
Speaker 1: He created us and he unlocked that dominion through his only son, jesus Christ, so that you and I, we can come to him boldly.
Speaker 1: And today we are going to look at one person in the Bible called Jabez.
Speaker 1: In the book of 1 Chronicles 4, verse 9 and 10, we find there Jabez, and Jabez prayed a prayer of increase in three aspects that we are going to look into.
Speaker 1: If I'm going to read 1 Chronicles 4, 9-10, the Bible says Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.
Speaker 1: His mother had named him Jabez, saying I gave birth to him in pain.
Speaker 1: Jabez cried out to God, to the God of Israel, cried out to God, to the God of Israel oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory.
Speaker 1: Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.
Speaker 1: And a wonderful statement there.
Speaker 1: And God granted his request, despite the fact that he was a son of sorrow.
Speaker 1: The mother had named him a son of sorrow because probably she went through pain.
Speaker 1: I don't know about you, but Jabez knew where his blessings came from.
Speaker 1: He knew that his blessings come from his God, his maker, the maker of heaven and earth.
Speaker 1: It does not matter what he was called.
Speaker 1: I don't know about you.
Speaker 1: I don't know what you are going through.
Speaker 1: I don't know what.
Speaker 1: Maybe life has made you call yourself.
Speaker 1: Maybe you have gone through pain.
Speaker 1: Maybe you are blaming your family.
Speaker 1: Maybe there is someone in your life who has messed up with your life.
Speaker 1: I don't know, but God knows it and he is now encouraging us through Jabez.
Speaker 1: It does not matter what your past is.
Speaker 1: He's able to increase you and in this month of uncommon increase, spirit-led enlargement, god wants to enlarge you.
Speaker 1: Just like Jabez prayed oh that you will bless me, verse 10,.
Speaker 1: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel he's the same God, the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob.
Speaker 1: He's the same God that you worship.
Speaker 1: He's the only one who sent his only son so that you can have boldness to come into his presence.
Speaker 1: In the book of Isaiah, chapter 54, verse 2 to 3, the Bible says Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back.
Speaker 1: Lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes, for you will spread out to the right and to the left.
Speaker 1: Your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
Speaker 1: Why is he commanding us to do so?
Speaker 1: In chapter 61 of the same book, isaiah?
Speaker 1: He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim the freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.
Speaker 1: Now hear verse 3.
Speaker 1: And provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
Speaker 1: Is that what you are going through?
Speaker 1: The prayer of Jabez helps us to understand.
Speaker 1: You know, jabez cried out to God.
Speaker 1: He said that you may bless me one aspect and enlarge my territory Again.
Speaker 1: He said let your hand be with me.
Speaker 1: He asked God to guide him.
Speaker 1: And also, lastly, he said and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain, Protection, blessing, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.
Speaker 1: Protection, blessing, guidance and protection that's what I pray to you.
Speaker 1: May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Speaker 1: May the Lord enlarge your territory, may the Lord guide you, may the Lord protect you, and God will grant your request.
Speaker 1: In Jesus' name.