1 Chronicles 4:9...
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." 10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.…
.....and expand my border..
Extend my border. A border is a land marker. Did ancient Jabez mean extend my lands? It is evident that an extension of land would mean and extension of influence. It is taking you from your current standing to a new standing in the community. Again it could be looked upon as a selfish prayer, but God granted him all that he requested so let's look past appearances.
Last time we examined Delighting in the Lord. If we delight in Him God gives us the desires of our heart and if we truly begin to delight in God our desires begin to line up with God's. We then begin to desire what is close to God's heart. Influence left to itself can be selfish, but influence yielded to God can fulfill His purposes.
Let my borders increase Lord. Give me your heart towards people, toward business, towards the church, towards this life. There are many borders. Some financial, some relational, and some that forge a godly path. Keep me from selfish expansion.
Take a minute and look at who influences you in your life and who you influence. Lord, give us patience to touch the life of a sticky little child whose energy may tire us physically, give us the words for the forgotten of this world that may see Your face, give us the boldness to believe that you put us in places of influence even with men and women of influence according to our society and pour out Your Spirit through us. Mold us always into your image and give us godly influencers in our life.
Expand our borders beyond what we have dreamed. Expand our borders beyond what others think is possible. May we always be yielded to You, Lord Jesus.
