2025-04-27
1 Chronicles 4:9 NKJV
The name Jabez means “pain and trouble.” Perhaps that’s why no other parent in Scripture gave their child that name. But it’s a label he refused to wear and a name he refused to be defined by. A label usually tells you what is in a bottle; its contents and even its value. And when you accept the labels people try to put on you, you start to believe that’s who you really are and that you will never become anything more than that. The Bible says, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). People will use past experiences to label and limit you. They will also use your physical, mental, and emotional characteristics to label and limit you.
What should you do? Do what Jabez did – go to God! In the final analysis, His opinion about your past, present, and future is the one that matters most. Plus, He loves you and has a plan for your life. Jabez prayed a prayer that changed his life, and it will change your life too. “‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV).
Jabez asked God for four things: blessing, influence, power, and protection. And God gave them to him. So, today you have a choice; believe what others say about you, or believe what God says about you. When you look at it that way, the choice is clear.
Soul food: Exo 20:8-11; Exo 16:1-31; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17
2025-04-26
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV
How long should you keep praying and believing God for the answer? This Scripture addresses your question: “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (vv. 35-36 NKJV). Many of God’s promises have timelines, and you need long-distance faith to receive them.
Note the word “endurance,” and picture yourself as a marathon runner determined to finish the race and receive the prize. Note the words “after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” You say, “I’m not sure what God’s will in this matter is.” What does God’s Word say? That’s what you must obey, stand on, and speak over your situation. For twenty years Abraham looked up into the night sky believing: “Lord, you said my children would be as numerous as the stars. I don’t know how you’re going to do it because I’m a hundred years old and my wife Sarah is ninety. But I’m going to believe you anyway” (See Genesis 15:5-6).
When you pray that way, you risk looking foolish in the eyes of others. But receiving the miraculous can involve looking ridiculous, like Jesus telling servants to fill pots with water when what they needed was wine. Or rubbing clay on a blind man’s eyes so that he would receive his sight. But the wedding guests drank the finest wine, and the blind man went home seeing. Why? Because they stood on the word Jesus gave them. And you must do that too.
Soul food: Num 11-13; Mark 2:18-28; Ps 2; Prov 10:30-32
2025-04-25
Mark 2:3 NKJV
You say, “I don’t have faith to be healed.” Then find some prayer partners with faith. “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith… He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” (vv. 3-5, 10-12 NKJV). Notice two important phrases in this story. First, “when they had broken through.” Second, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic.”
If you don’t have faith to be healed, look for those who can carry you into the presence of Jesus in prayer, believe God for you, and who can “pray through” until God answers. This paralyzed man needed four friends with faith – you only need two. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19 NKJV).
This raises some important questions. How often do you pray? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Only when you have a problem you cannot solve? Are all your prayers self-focused, or do you pray for others? To have prayer partners when you need them, you must be one.
Soul food: Num 8-10; Mark 2:1-17; Ps 35; Prov 10:28-29
2025-04-24
Psalm 18:36 NKJV
Read these enlargement Scriptures: “You enlarged my path.” “Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would… enlarge my territory'” (1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV). “Enlarge the place of your tent… lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2 NKJV). God wants to enlarge you spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and in every area of your life. But to experience enlargement, you must learn from people larger than you.
Dr. John Maxwell writes: “The first ten years that I was intentionally pursuing personal growth, I was always behind trying to catch up. I had to get over the comparison gap. I recognized I needed to be exposed to bigger and better leaders outside of my own small circle, but when I stepped out of my comfort zone, I was intimidated. It was clear that I was not in their league. Their organizations were six times the size of mine, and they had many more and much better ideas than I did. I felt like I was in over my head and trying to swim.
Despite that, I was encouraged. Why? Because I discovered that great men were willing to share their ideas. And I was learning so much. You can only learn if others are ahead of you. It was a difficult transition, but it was well worth it. So if you are aware that others are better than you, don’t be discouraged. Be glad others are there to help show you the way. Growth is not a rocking chair you sit in, it’s a mountain you climb each day. But there is good news. As Jim Rohn said, ‘You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.'”
Soul food: Num 7; Mark 1:21-45; Ps 94:12-23; Prov 10:27
2025-04-23
Psalm 5:12 NKJV
The Bible says that God will surround the righteous with favour. If you are trusting in the finished work of Christ, God sees you as “righteous” (See Romans 3:22). So, you qualify; you can pray, “Lord, I need your favour in this job interview,” or “in selling this house,” or “in making this deal,” or “in going on this date,” etc. Be prepared for your old programming to kick in, where you think about the word “righteous”; you begin to wonder if your thoughts, words, and deeds are good enough to deserve God’s favour.
Here is a truth you need to keep in mind: The only righteousness that God responds to is the righteousness of Christ. And since He has placed you “in Christ,” you are always qualified to ask God for favour and believe He will grant it. You are saved by grace. And the word grace means “unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour.” The world’s concept of favour is misleading: “She owes me a favour,” or “I don’t owe you any favours!” In other words, the world’s concept of favour is totally performance based.
But the only performance God looks at when it comes to granting you His favour is Christ’s performance on your behalf and the fact that you are trusting totally in Him. His life covers all your sins of omission, and His death covers all your sins of commission. And since God always sees you “in Christ,” in His eyes you are always qualified for favour. “Righteousness… shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus” (Romans 4:22, 24 NKJV). So, today expect God’s favour.
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Mark 1:14-20; Ps 94:1-11; Prov 10:24-26
2025-04-22
2 Corinthians 5:14 KJV
The most powerful incentive to overcoming sin is not our love for Christ, but His love for us. Even with the best of intentions, our love for Him is subject to fluctuations. Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, “You have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4 NKJV). He said to the church in Laodicea that their love had become “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16).
Many of us grew up in churches where we were told that the reason we yield to certain carnal traits is because we don’t love the Lord enough. So, we try harder, without success, and get discouraged. That’s like putting the cart before the horse. It should be the other way around. The secret of victorious Christian living is not found in trying to love Jesus more, but in having a revelation of His love for you. That’s why Paul wrote, “The love of Christ constraineth us.” Paul’s actions were governed by the knowledge of Christ’s incredible love for Him.
If you’re struggling with sinful habits today, pray for a revelation of God’s love for you. It makes all the difference! Paul writes: “I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts… as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to… understand… how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never… fully… understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself” (Ephesians 3:17-19 TLB).
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 1:9-13; Ps 6; Prov 10:22-23
