Ask Seek Knock - Sermon on the MountSample

Some people in the Bible have entire books written about them, while others just have a few lines. That's the case for a man named Jabez. We find his name buried in First Chronicles in the middle of a genealogy, which is a long list of names in a family line. When we come to Jabez in chapter 4, the Bible includes a bold prayer that he prayed. Jabez dared to ask God for more. For more blessing, more influence, and more land—not to be greedy, but so God could use him to do great things. God heard his prayer and answered him, giving him exactly what he asked. He dared to ask God for more. He didn’t just sit around hoping it would happen, he ASKED God and had faith that God would do it.

Do you pray bold prayers like Jabez? Jesus tells us we can have faith that moves mountains. Sometime after His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was walking with the disciples on His way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry and went up to a fig tree but found it had no fruit. Jesus said to the tree, “May you never bear fruit again”, and the fig tree dried up right before their eyes. The disciples were, of course, amazed, asking how the tree could shrivel up so fast. Here’s what Jesus told them: “What I’m about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea.’ It will be done. If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.”

That’s a bold prayer! We can pray bold prayers like Jabez, believing that we will receive what we ask for when we pray.