RECEIVE
God longs to bless us! This thought, all by itself profoundly blesses my heart! To know that God is a wonderful Father that wants the best for us, his kids, is truly astounding! You may have heard the short, but very encouraging story of a man named Jabez, who cried out to God, and was consequently blessed because God listened to his prayer and did what he asked. Here is the whole, short account of his life.
1 Chron 4:9-10 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.” And God granted his request.
That's it…That’s all we know about this man… But it so encourages me! We know that God is moved by faith. Even a simple yet persistent prayer lets God know you believe him. When you consistently, persistently cry out to him for something, he gets moved by your faith! This principle is spelled out by Jesus in Luke chapter 18, where he taught about the woman with the unjust judge. At the end of his discourse, he says this, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”(Luke 18:6-8)
God takes notice when you relentlessly pursue him regarding what you believe to be his will for your life or someone else’s life. God is moved by the kind of faith that is persistent in prayer! I believe that God is longing for those who would persistently pursue him for answers and breakthrough!
When we pray, it is absolutely necessary that we believe God! Many times, prayers go unanswered because those who are praying do not believe God enough to continue to press in until the answer arrives. God is ready to bring the breakthrough in your life – are you? I believe it is time for you, like Jabez, to believe God, to ask him for your breakthrough, and to, by faith...