Encouraging Notes

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RECEIVE

God longs to bless me! Wow! Meditating on this profoundly blesses my heart! To know that God, the Creator of all things, is a loving father who wants what is best for me is 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 its truth is so encouraging! We know that God is moved by faith. Even the simplest yet persistent prayer lets God know you believe him. When you consistently, persistently cry out to him for something, he is 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 said, "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) 

It is faith that moves a person to ceaselessly pursue God in prayer. God takes notice when you relentlessly pursue him regarding what you believe to be His will for your life or for someone else. 

I believe that God longs for those who would persistently pursue him for answers and breakthroughs through prayer! When we pray, we must believe God! Many times, prayers go unanswered because those who are praying do not believe God enough to insistently pray until the answer arrives. 

God is ready to release significant breakthroughs in your life – are you? I believe it is time for you, like Jabez, to believe God and to persistently ask Him for what you know is His will! Your eternal, heavenly Father is in love with you, and, by faith, it is time to… 

RECEIVE

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