Prayer changes destinies
Dr. Roberto Miranda
(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY: The passage in First Chronicles 4 tells the story of Jabez, who was named after the pain his mother experienced during his birth. Jabez prayed to God to bless him, enlarge his territory, be with him, and keep him from harm. God granted his requests, and his life became a contradiction of his name. The message is to be careful with the names we give our children and to be people of sound word, using our voice to declare blessings and open doors. We should also learn to pray like Jabez, believing God for miracles and rebelling against negative identities placed on us.
The story of Jabez in the Bible teaches us about the power of prayer and the importance of suffering and desert times in our lives. Jabez was given a name that meant pain, and he prayed to God to bless him and free him from evil. His suffering prepared him to make a distinctive prayer, and he was more honorable than his brothers. Jabez's cry to God was full of hope, frustration, rebellion, and delight, and it touched the heart of God. We need to get to the "Oh" point in our prayers, where we visualize something different and rebel against the chains of the enemy. The second week of prayer and fasting is an opportunity to put our "Oh" before God and ask for the visitation of the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 and its relevance to our lives. He highlights four specific requests that Jabez makes to God: a blessing, God's hand upon him, enlargement of his territory, and protection from evil. The speaker emphasizes the importance of seeking God's blessing and power in our lives, asking for prosperity and influence, and praying for protection from the devil's attacks through spiritual warfare. He encourages generosity, holiness, and adherence to God's word as essential elements of a blessed and protected life.
The speaker shares about a health situation God warned him about and how it made him aware of the fragility of human beings and the dark forces that can distort the image of God in them. He had a dream of being in a dangerous forest with blind beings trying to touch him. He prayed for deliverance from evil and understood the power of Jesus' name. Despite the enemy's attack, he feels God performed a surgical operation on his spirit and neurological system, blessing him in a strange way. He encourages others to pray and claim God's direction over their lives.
The story of Jabez in the Bible teaches us about the power of prayer and the importance of suffering and desert times in our lives. Jabez was given a name that meant pain, and he prayed to God to bless him and free him from evil. His suffering prepared him to make a distinctive prayer, and he was more honorable than his brothers. Jabez's cry to God was full of hope, frustration, rebellion, and delight, and it touched the heart of God. We need to get to the "Oh" point in our prayers, where we visualize something different and rebel against the chains of the enemy. The second week of prayer and fasting is an opportunity to put our "Oh" before God and ask for the visitation of the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 and its relevance to our lives. He highlights four specific requests that Jabez makes to God: a blessing, God's hand upon him, enlargement of his territory, and protection from evil. The speaker emphasizes the importance of seeking God's blessing and power in our lives, asking for prosperity and influence, and praying for protection from the devil's attacks through spiritual warfare. He encourages generosity, holiness, and adherence to God's word as essential elements of a blessed and protected life.
The speaker shares about a health situation God warned him about and how it made him aware of the fragility of human beings and the dark forces that can distort the image of God in them. He had a dream of being in a dangerous forest with blind beings trying to touch him. He prayed for deliverance from evil and understood the power of Jesus' name. Despite the enemy's attack, he feels God performed a surgical operation on his spirit and neurological system, blessing him in a strange way. He encourages others to pray and claim God's direction over their lives.
I want to invite you to go to the word of God in First Chronicles, Chapter 4. A wonderful passage, in this time of fasting and prayer I want to talk about one of the most beautiful prayers recorded in Scripture, which is the prayer of Jabez. If you haven't heard about this prayer, I know it's going to touch your life in a very special way and we're going to start right off the bat with First Chronicles 4 verses 9 and 10.
That sentence is sort of tucked in there like a secret treasure. For many centuries, very little was said about that prayer and God raised up a man, in this 20th century, rather at the end of the 20th century, from the '90s or thereabouts, Bruce Wilkings, I think he is, I don't remember his last name . The fact is that this man of God understood something more about this prayer and wrote a book The prayer of Jabes, and that book has sold about 11 million copies. A very, very powerful book where he recorded the impact that prayer had had on his life. And it kind of caused a great commotion in the nations about that prayer.
That sentence is sort of tucked in there like a secret treasure. For many centuries, very little was said about that prayer and God raised up a man, in this 20th century, rather at the end of the 20th century, from the '90s or thereabouts, Bruce Wilkings, I think he is, I don't remember his last name . The fact is that this man of God understood something more about this prayer and wrote a book The prayer of Jabes, and that book has sold about 11 million copies. A very, very powerful book where he recorded the impact that prayer had had on his life. And it kind of caused a great commotion in the nations about that prayer.
