Experiencing God In 1 Chron 4

Boldly Pray Jabez Prayer (Jul 6)

Chronicles give a priestly account
on the history of God’s people,
a sort of divine commentary on
the kingdom period. It carefully
weds the nation’s history with the
active hand of God in Israel’s affairs
Chronicles centers on the southern
kingdom of Judah. First Chronicles
opens with a lengthy genealogy
tracing the line of David all the way
back to Adam. The genealogies
provide clear evidence of God
at work throughout history, by
selecting a people for Himself and
then protecting a family within
that people to provide leadership.

Lord, we Boldly Seek Your Blessing:
The sons of Judah were Perez,
Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobai.
And Reaiah the son of Shobai begot
Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai…
Now Jabez was more honourable
than his brothers, and his mother
called his name Jabez, saying:
“Because I bore him in pain.” And
Jabez called on the God of Israel
saying: “Oh, that You would bless
me indeed & enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me &
that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
So God granted him what he requested (1 Chron 4:1-2, 9-10).

Lord, thank You for putting Jabez
and his prayer in the scripture.
Thank You for loving us and
for being just as accessible
to us as You were to Jabez.
Thanks for wondrously good plans
for us and that through prayer
we can appropriate them to us.
Let me never take the privilege
of prayer for granted. And thank
You for hearing my prayers. Amen.

Lord, I thank You for Your goodness all that You have been giving me.
I pray for Your continued blessings, provision, guidance and protection.
And I pray that Your presence will
always be with me wherever I go
and no matter what happens.
Grateful You are pleased to share Yourself & Your kingdom with me.
Enable me to give back to You by
helping and blessing others. Amen.

Lord, I would love an easy life, free
of trouble and confusion; but You
have not promised such existence.
For Your goal for us is not purely earthly bliss, but Your glory
brought about thro our maturity.
So Lord, give me wisdom and courage so that I am willing to
walk with You wherever You lead.
Trust that when I seek You and
Your kingdom, all these things
will also be given to me. Amen.

Post of the Week: 1 Kings 3

Seek First His Kingdom (Jun 29)

In the final hours before his death,
David charges Solomon to walk
before the Lord in integrity and
truth – a request which Solomon
fulfills in the early days of his reign
by ruling with justice, humility
and honesty before God and man.
Presented with a “blank cheque”
by God, Solomon asks for wisdom
to rule skilfully rather than wealth.
In return, God Gives him both!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon: Ask! What shall I Give u?
And Solomon said: O Lord my God,
You have made Your servant king…
Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who
is able to judge this great people
of Yours? The speech pleased
the Lord that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him:
Because you have asked this thing
understanding to discern justice…
I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you…
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches
and honour, so that there shall
not be anyone like you among
kings all your days (1Kgs 3:5-13).

Lord, we are grateful that whenever
we are lost or unsure of what to do,
we can always seek You for wisdom.
Thank You for Your divine wisdom,
which we can readily find in Your
Word as well as asking You for it.
Your word assures if I lack wisdom,
I can ask God who gives generously.
Thank You that the wisdom from
heaven is full of good fruit. Amen.

Lord, help us seek Your wisdom.
Open my ears to it and help me to
recognise wisdom when I hear it.
Give me the wisdom to know
what to do, how to do and the
courage to follow through on it.
And we know that even as we put
You God and Your agenda first
that You will satisfy all our needs.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help us not only to hear
and meditate on Your Words but
also to put them into practice
so that we can be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
Help us to be careful how we live,
not as the unwise but as wise,
making most of every opportunity
to be a source of blessing and to
lead others to Your kingdom. Amen