Are You Ready To Ask For More?

John 10:10  

“The thief cometh not but for to steal to kill and destroy, but I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”

 

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

“And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”

Verse 9 doesn’t say that Jabez was wealthier than his brothers, or that he was stronger, or more educated, but what it says is, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.”

Honorable: bringing or worthy of honor, Not disposed to cheat or defraud, not deceptive or fraudulent, showing character of honor and integrity, adhering to ethical and moral principles. Deserving of esteem and respect.

Jabez was of a higher character, of more excellent attitude and heart, he was more trust worthy, more dependable and he had proven himself and earned the respect of his peers.

The most important things in life are not material and external, they are spiritual and they are internal, the most important things in life are matters of the heart.  

Life’s circumstances, people and the economy are all part of our natural lives and they can have tremendous effect on us, financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually if we allow them to.  They can lift us up one day and then turn around and knock us down the next.  But when it comes to our hearts, we’re in charge.

You decide whether it mounts up on wings as eagles, or struggles through the valley.  It’s our decision whether we are going to wander in the dessert of mediocrity or rise the high places of honor, integrity, excellence.  No matter what happens around you, no matter what circumstances surround you; you choose what happens in you.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, he was King Saul’s grandson, and he was an heir to the throne of Israel.  When he was a child his nurse dropped him and he became a cripple, but he was not only crippled physically, he was also an emotional cripple.  He chose to let life’s circumstances define him.

The Lord woke me up this morning to tell someone something, so I’m going to say something right now: every single one of us have had bad things happen to us, we’ve all had bad breaks, life’s circumstances has dropped us all at some point: 

-You may have been abused physically, lied on, betrayed

-Maybe you have had your dreams smashed over and over again

-Maybe you have invested in relationships that let you down time after time

-Maybe you lost your job, or your home

Jabez was a man like that.  Just like Mephibosheth he had been dropped in life.  His life story begins very sad: From his birth there was a heaviness that surrounded him, his very name was a curse laid on him by his mother.  It’s one thing to be cursed by people in general, we have all had people that didn’t like us, and as Christians we know we have enemies, but his own mother laid a curse on him.  Jabez means, “One who afflicts, one who causes grief and misery and pain.”

So Jabez began his life under a dark cloud, it was as though his destiny was prophesied: He would be a person that would bring misery and grief and pain to every life he touched. Like Mephibosheth: Jabez had been dropped by life, life had not been good to him.

But there was a difference between Mephibosheth and Jabez: One day something happened inside of Jabez.  We don’t know when, but one day Jabez gets this thought, “This is not the real me, I don’t care what my mother named me, and I don’t care what my circumstances have named me, and I don’t care what my peers have named me, that’s not me!”

Tell yourself right now, that’s not me: I’m bigger than that and my God is bigger than that!  I’m not a loser!

Jabez broke out of life’s definition to his destiny.

I love this story because it shows us: You can rise above your circumstances, you can get out of the box life has put you in.  You may be in the desert, but the desert doesn’t have to be in you.  You don’t have to let the circumstances that are around you, imprison you.

You can break out and break through.

It doesn’t matter what side of the tracks you come from, what color your skin is, how educated you are, what people think about you, how much money you have, how small your beginnings are, or how old you are; what matters is, what do you believe about yourself?

You have to see yourself where you want to be and you need to see yourself like God sees you.

Jabez saw himself with more in life. He broke out of every preconceived idea and limitation that was placed on his life and he chose abundant life.  He called on the God saying: “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from evil that it might not grieve me.”

And God granted him that which he requested.  Jabez broke into a better life because he believed he could, and he refused to be satisfied where he was at.

Jabez was a fighter: He could have just accepted the hand that life dealt him.  He could have just fallen under the curse that was spoken over him.  He could have just decided that he would never be any better than his name, or his circumstances.

Too many of Gods people live like that.  They are saved but they are not living an abundant life.  They are saved but they are not happy.  They are saved but it seems like nothing really works for them:

-They are saved but their marriage is a mess

-They are saved but their finances are a wreck

-They are saved but they’re always struggling

But Jabez wouldn’t accept that kind of life, he fought through to an abundant life.

If you’re satisfied right now, if you have everything you want in life, all the anointing, all the power, all the joy and peace that you want, then you’re not the one God woke me up for this morning, and you can go ahead and stop reading this now.

God woke me up and gave me this word today for those who have the Jabez spirit.  He woke me today for those who are hungry for more:

-More anointing

-More power

-More joy

-More peace

-More of God’s presence in your life

We find out from Jabez life that your past doesn’t matter.  Listen to me today, it doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God never consults your past to determine your future!

Quit living in the past: failures, disappointments, hurts, wounds, or whatever.  I am an expert on living in the past and thinking that God is done with me.  I know now that my thoughts are not His thoughts, and my ways are not His ways. Put the past in the past and move on to the greatness that God has ordained for your life.

Jabez had the courage and the boldness to ask God to bless him and you need the courage and the boldness to ask God to bless you.  God wants to bless you, but you have to ask him: “You have not because you ask not.”

Don’t get mad at me because I’m blessed and you’re not, I had the courage to ask! 

Don’t be jealous of me because I used to be powerless and let Satan have his way in my life, but now I walk in a powerful anointing and cast out devils and deliver the bound and oppressed, and people get healed when I pray for them, I asked!

Don’t be Jealous because I have favor everywhere I go and you don’t, I asked for it!

There’s no need for you to be jealous, you can have it too.  All you have to do is ask.

Jabez asked for an enlargement of his coast

This means increase and enlargement and multiplication in every area of your life.  This includes your ministry, your anointing, your business, your houses, your properties, your finances, your health, and your families.

You can sit back and say: God knows what I need and he’ll give me more if I need it.  No He won’t! He’ll give you more when you ask for more!  God is a not a rewarder of the passive and the lukewarm or the indifferent.  God is a rewarder of the passionate, the violent, the hungry, and the diligent seeker.

You can call me greedy if you want to, but I’m not satisfied.  I’m not satisfied with my level of anointing, or with the ministry opportunities I have experienced, I want more, I want signs and wonders and miracles and the gifts of the spirit! I want more demonstrations and manifestations of the power of God!  So I’m going to keep asking.  What about you?  Are you ready to ask?