Pray To Be Blessed

1 Chronicles 4:10 

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.

Many Christians do not approve or "believe in" the prayer of Jabez but I am definitely NOT one of those people.  If it is in the Bible then I believe it is true.  So when the Word says that Jabez was highly favored in the eyes of God and this was his prayer, how could it be wrong or selfish? 

What we miss is that Jabez looked to God to bless him and help him instead of the world or mere man like most do today.  People, Christians included, have convinced themselves that it is  up to them to do all they can to make it and become successful.  But what I notice is that a lot of wealthy or highly successful people seem really unhappy and unsatisfied with life, which tells me that something is missing. That something is the realization that God is the Giver of all blessings and the reason we exist.

In all reality, Jabez has it all figured out.  He prayed for God to bless him, which the Bible tells us God loves to do, and then to enlarge his territory.  Territory is the same as what we own.  This can be actual land or property, money, influence, and more.  If we desire these things and use them for God it is NOT selfish.  Jabez then asked God to guide him and protect him from harm.  Well, even Jesus taught us to pray that daily, so why would that not be okay?  And the part I love is when Jabez asks God to keep him from hurting others.  I can't say that I have prayed that too many times but after 40 years I know I need to daily!  

The real kicker is at the end when it clearly says, "GOD GRANTED HIS REQUEST"!!!  Read that over and over until it sinks into your head!  When God is first in your heart and life and you pray this prayer only good can come and many will be blessed in the NAME OF JESUS!  

I say, "Way, to pray, Jabez!"  Thanks for the awesome example!  Maybe we aren't being blessed more because we aren't praying and believing this prayer!

She Must Be Crazy

 "As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk." 1 Samuel 1:12,13

Many times I believe those around me may look at me and think, "Jessica is kind of strange," or either, "Jessica, is a little overboard."  But you see, I don't mind for it just means that I am passionate and actually believe that my God can do the impossible.  The longer I serve God the more I witness, experience the blessings, and physically feel His presence.  Just this week alone I have witnessed Him working and doing amazing things in not only my own life but those around me.  

I was reminded today of Hannah and her story from the Bible.  She longed with all her heart to have a child even though she knew it seemed impossible.  She believed in God and knew that He alone could give her a child if He so desired.  We see her in the book of 1 Samuel going to the temple with absolutely no shame by not only praising the Lord but also petitioning Him to grant her a child.  She cried out to God with no shame or worry of what others may think. We even read that when she did so the priest, Eli, actually rebuked her for he assumed she was drunk, even though we know she was not.  

After Hannah has praised and petitioned the Lord I absolutely LOVE what she does next.  She goes home and goes to bed!  She actually rests in the fact that God is in control and the He will take care of her.  What a profound and convicting testimony for all of us.  I learn from Hannah that I should praise without fear, petition with confidence, and then REST in knowing the God always has my best interest in mind. God never fails!

All Things

I love scripture and read it daily, yet until I see it become reality within my life it is not truly LIVING!  That's what it means when the Bible is referred to as the "living Word" of God.  It is the only book that is written in a fashion where it applies to the past, the present, and the future even after centuries.  

Just this week our family witnessed this scripture live for us in a new and amazing way!  We saw first hand that God used very trying and frustrating circumstances over the past few months in order to do something fantastic for not only our daughter but for us as a family. We watched how God had placed us in situations and with people over a year ago just so they could help us this past week!  God really is working all the time to put things into place even in the midst of our pain and turmoil. 

I sit this morning in complete awe and praise to the Lord Almighty for He actually does work all things together for my good and for all those who love Him.  He really does want the best for us. So, my advice today for you, from experience, is that when it seems God is distant and not interested in the horrible situation you are going through, know that He is beside you and He really is working all things together for your good.

Who Cares?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” —Matthew. 11:28–30

Visit this link to read the IPHC 

Discipleship Ministries Blog 

Written my Jessica Daly

http://iphc.org/discipleship/2014/10/03/who-cares-for-the-
caregiver-a-unique-look-into-the-life-of-a-caregiver-from-jessica-daly/

Missing Mema

Matthew 5:4  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Isn't it funny how I sit tonight missing my Mema, my paternal grandmother, terribly?  The last time I talked to her or she was able to tell me she loved me I was 16 years old. I lost her that year to a horrible disease called lung cancer. She was the first person I ever "cared" for as a caregiver.  I still remember the pain and fear of watching her take each breath near the end.  Clearly I remember the physical pain I felt in my heart when she left me but the relief for her to be out of pain.  One of the first tough lessons of caregiving I learned.

As a 40 year old wife and mother, I continue to miss her talks and her presence in my life.  I long to share with her and gain her wisdom.  I like to picture her sitting with me at my kitchen table with a glass of unsweetened ice tea in one hand and a cigarette dangling from the other.  Her smile is comforting and she refers to me as her pumpkin.  I often call my own daughter that same loving name without even realizing it.  Funny how embedded things are in your forever memories. 

What I miss most is the way in which she always made me feel.  She not only loved me but took care of me.  Many days as a caregiver I long for that feeling and realize that today this same comfort and care comes only through the Holy Spirit.  I see now how God loved me through my Mema and taught me what protective love felt like just so I would recognize it once it came from the Lord. 

I know my Mema waits for me in heaven and I often feel she is my guardian angel.