The Prayer We Think We Shouldn't Pray | Pastor Jennie Lusko | 1 Chronicles 4:10 | Fresh Life Church

God is a God of abundance. God is a God of more. God is a God who wants to do more in you because he knows that there is more possible in in you but through you and not just for you. Cuz what did we learn last week? And what have we learned in this church?

That when you're blessed, it's not just for you. When you're blessed, it's so that you can be a blessing. God is a God of overflowing. Well, would you open your Bibles to First Chronicles chapter 4? We've been in this series. This is our second part two of our series, the best of both worlds.

And I love that we are focusing in on this little nugget of a prayer in 1 Chronicles in the midst of all of these names of um genealogies and lineages. And we just get this little beautiful nugget of this man Jabz that we don't hear from him or about him anywhere else in scripture, but we get a little sneak peek into um his prayer life, which is what we all need just to be encouraged in our prayer life.

And so let's read 1 Chron Chronicles 4:9. Now Jabz was more honorable than his brothers. Everyone say more. >> And his mother called his name Jabz, saying because I bore him in pain. And Jabz called on the God of Israel, saying, "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. And Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it is living and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, and it's able to to dive deep into our lives. It's able to point us to you, our savior. It's able to distinguish and discern the things that that you are working in each of our lives individually, but also together as a church.

And so Lord, we just humbly tremble before your word. And we ask that you would open our eyes to see glorious truths in your word, Lord. that you would open our hearts and that you would do what only you can do, which is search our hearts and know us and see the things in us that are displeasing to you and allowing you to work and move and and shake things up in our lives.

And so that's what we are here for. We're here for you to speak to us and we're here to worship you. And I pray that there if there is anyone here who doesn't yet have a relationship with you, Father, that you would draw them in, Lord, that you'd show them how much you love them, how much you have a plan and a purpose for their lives, and how much you're drawing them in to you today.

And we surrender to you and we love you in Jesus name. Amen. Well, last week my husband opened up this series, the best of both worlds, as we looked at the first part of Jabz's prayer. Oh, that you would bless me indeed. And we learned about boldly coming to God's throne and boldly asking that God would bless us.

Indeed, which that indeed in the Hebrew language would be equivalent to five exclamation points, which I love that that's just so specific like that. Like five exclamation points saying, "Lord, bless me indeed." And today we are going to look at three words, the next part of Jabz's prayer, enlarge my territory.

And I love that as we're as a church diving into prayer and what it is, what it the potential potentiality of it is, if that's a word, of reaching, tapping into heaven, his power, God's power, his purpose, his resource, his joy, while continuing to be planted on this earth where we're going to struggle with sin and all the things.

But God gives us the power to really have the best of both worlds where prayer makes us yearn for what only God can give us for where we are at. So today we're looking at enlarge my territory. And the title of my message is the prayer we think we shouldn't pray.

The prayer we think we shouldn't pray. He says, "Enlarge my territory." Now, what does this mean exactly? Well, enlarge, to increase, to grow, to make bigger. Territory um means coast, borders, uh the unknown, mountain, boundary, barrier, fence. It has the same emotional power of homesteading or the frontier.

It's just this um territory, land, the all the possibilities. I love in um looking at other translations as well. Like I will read my Bible in the New King James Version, but I also love getting on my Bible app or on my computer and looking up what other versions say because it kind of gives you like a a full picture of what the words mean.

Um, in other translations, these words enlarge my territory are also enlarge my border or property. One version says,"I wish you would give me more territory. Or give me land, large tracks of land, expand my territory, enlarge my coast, give me more land or extend my border." So what is Jabz praying?

He's praying, "Give me more. Give me more. I want more. And why would he pray this? Well, in this culture, in this time, the expansion of a family was territorial. So, you would um inherit land, but then you could also take more land. So, the ter territorial expansion of a family or a nation.

God's covenant with Israel included the promise of extended borders. So in Exodus Exodus 34 24 it says for I will cast out the nations before you and will enlarge your borders. So this is something that God promised to his people that he would enlarge their territory. So Jabz is praying, Lord God of Israel, for me, for my house, bless me and my family, our legacy, extend our borders, grow our family, increase our reach.

This is we're ask I'm asking for permission to prosper us. Bless me indeed. I want more because I want what you want for me. >> This is what Jabz is praying. So why do we have a hard time with this prayer? Give me more. Why do we think that this is a prayer that maybe we shouldn't pray?

Well, it seems selfish. It seems greedy. It seems self-seeking. Why would we ask God for more land, more territory? And I think some of us we can often just truly I mean in America we have resource upon resource. We even lower income like we have more than most of the world has.

And I'm I'm guessing for some of us we probably just think I'm good. I'm content. I don't need more. I don't know what I would do with more. I don't this it just seems so silly. Maybe um you're this is more you. Hey, I got my boundary. I got my territory.

I got my line. I got everything that I have. I have here. Like, I don't need more, God. I'm good. I there there are people that need way more than I do. So, I don't need more. And if you're wanting me to do the hula hoop, I'm not going to do it.

I'm not going to do it. But some of us might really think that this is this is just all we need. Like and every once in a while maybe we'll like do a trick and I don't know, but we think that this is our boundary. We think this is our our line.

And I and I I honestly believe that that's valid. And when specifically we're talking about asking God for more um space, more territory, more impact, more platform, we're good with what we have. And maybe we don't even have the capacity. I know for me so often I'm like, God, I want to ask for more, but I am a little plate kind of girl and my plate is overflowing and I don't even know if I I can't handle more.

And that's that's a real thing. And there's a tension in this. And isn't that just life? There's a tension. There's the good and the bad. There's the the struggle. There's the winning. There's the like doing well, having a hard time. But there's a tension here. And this is what's found in First Timothy 6.

And here's the tension. So the tension is God, give me more. And then here's what the Bible says. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, and this is Paul speaking to Timothy, but you, man of God, flee from all of this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Command those who are rich in this present age, in this present world, not to be arrogant, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life, the best of both worlds, laying up treasure for the coming age, but taking hold of life that is truly life here and now.

He says, Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Now I read probably more than I needed to but I love just the the the collection and the wholeness of all those verses together speaking of contentment being content with what you have.

And Paul was telling Timothy, "Hey, don't get caught up in what everyone around you is getting caught up in in pursuing riches and making their name great so that their name is great and pursuing um money and the love of money." He's saying, "Be content with what you have."

And that's what we should be. We should be content with what we have. We're not called to love the riches, but to love and honor the God who gives and takes away. So, here we are. There's attention to be content with what we have, content with what God's given us.

But on the other hand, on the other part of the same hand, asking God for more. Asking God for more. So there's that tension, but let's remember the kind of God that we serve. Um, John 10:10, I came, Jesus, this is Jesus saying, I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Someone say more. >> More. Ephesians 3:20-21. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Amen. >> Amen.

Matthew 5:6 in the Amplified version, which is a version that like describes what the words are saying and it like just says it more flourishingly and fully. And I just love I love this version. But in the Amplified, Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed, joyful, nourished by God's goodness are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who actively seek right standing with God. and for they will be completely satisfied.

Psalm 84:11, for the Lord God is a son and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Oh Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 81:10, I am, this is God speaking, I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. This is our God. Psalm 36:7-8 says, "How precious is your steadfast love, oh God. The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

The river of your de delights. That's the best kind of river I ever heard of. There's abundance with God. With God there is always more. There is overflowing. And this is the same God that we get to pray to and ask for from is the same God that Jabz prayed to and asked for more from.

So, I have some versions of give me more that I wanted to give you. Um, prayers that you could that my prayer is honestly, church, that we would grow in praying. And we're all beginners in some sense of in this. And I feel like sometimes I'll find a groove of prayer and then I feel like I'm just kind of like getting stagnant and praying the things same things over and over again.

And I feel like God's shaken me up to to pray in a a a fresh way to um to ask him more boldly to tell him the things that are going on in my life and that I need. And and this has been something that's personally for me been so helpful is um is praying this.

And I believe that this could be something that we could pray every day. This this prayer that Jabz prays here in 1 Chronicles, I believe could change our lives radically if we would pray it every day. So, here are some examples and you can obviously put it into your own words as you pray, as you journal.

Um, but these are some that I thought of. Number one, increase my influence and impact in your name. because we may not have a lot of territory that we're dealing with and wanting to expand our our land or we're asking God. Maybe we are asking for land and we should, but what we are also dealing with is influence and impact and the life that God has given us.

How are we stepping out into what he's asking of us? So increase my influence and impact in your name. Number two, give me more so I can give more. God, give me more so I can give more. Number three, expand my awe of you. Expand my awe of you so I can inspire awe in others of you, Lord. expand my awe of you so other people will look up and see you >> and give their lives to you.

Number four, grow me in generosity so I can build your church and your kingdom. Lord, grow my generosity so I can be a part of building your church and building your kingdom so the gospel could go out into the world and I could be a part of it in a small way.

Number five, extend my reach so your love will reach the world around me. Extend my reach so your love will reach the world around me. And number six, let me be and do and attempt more for you according to your will. Let me be and do and attempt more for you according to your will.

And this is something that's just so beautiful is Jabz, what he was born into was pain. And he wasn't just born into pain, he was labeled pain. And we learned last week that we don't have to be stuck with where we started. And we see in Jabz's example is that he didn't want to be stuck where he started.

He didn't want to stay stuck in what the label was over his life. And um there's this book by Pastor Chris Hodes uh called Pray First and in it he talks he kind of is joking around a little bit but talks about how imagine Jabz as a kid and everyone else knows that Jabz means pain and they're like oh Jabz what you you're such a pain in the jabz like just being you know um but just imagine that like he grew up with that label over him but here we see him more honorable than his brothers.

And I think that has a lot to do with the fact that he called on the God of Israel. And in this day, a lot of people were doing what was right in their own eyes. So they were list the the author's listing these names of people in the the family tree, but Jabz stood out because he called on the God of Israel.

And we can call on the same God today >> and ask him for more. We can ask him for more. But there is a warning in all of this. If we're ask if we're going to ask God for more and say, "Hey God, I mean that's so rude.

Hey God. Um God, I want more." There's going to be there's a warning in this because there's going to be more faith required. There's going to be more surrender required, more trust required. It's going to take more responsibility, more work, more humility, more prayer, and it most likely won't look like what you think it will look like.

One author said um that math in our estimation is my abilities plus my experience in training plus my personality and appearance plus my past and the expectations of others equals my assigned territory. And that's where I thought of this because you guys know me, it's helpful to have a lasso.

No. Um, I just imagine um those of us who have that mindset of just our math and that's natural because the things that we go through in life, the the education that we have, our personalities, our inagram, our things that we love and we do and we excel excel in.

That makes sense. Okay, we've we've put down the hula hoop of our little boundary and our little territory, but this is what we we kind of want control, right? Like we want it to perfectly perfectly come out and just be like circle around us. Oh no, now it's undone.

Hey, everything's fine, guys. But we want this is what we want. Like we want control and we want it to just expand beautifully. And so, okay, I'm laying aside God, I surrender to you. I'm throwing away what I think my territory is, and you're going to expand it so that I can go this way or I could go this way or I could move this way into your will for my life.

But there's still an element of control. And don't we want control? I know I do. I want to have control. I want to know exactly the boundaries that I'm going into. I want to know the next step. Okay, God, if you're asking me to to do the next step, that looks good.

I will walk into it. That's our math. That's in our estimation. God's math is a little different, right? We've we've learned this in this house with my husband preaching week in and week out. So, I'm so thankful for him. But God's math is more okay. My willingness and God's will and supernatural power equals my expanding territory.

So, literally my willingness. Okay. So that means I bring God what I have, which doesn't this feel more like our territory sometime? God, I I want to I want to ask for you to give me more, but I don't want another rope tied in knots, and I don't know what I would do with it.

But this is exactly what God wants us to give him. the mess of our lives, the pain of our lives, the struggle that we go through and say, "God, I don't know what you have for me, but I give you the keys. I give you control. I surrender to you.

I believe that you are going to make a way where there is no way. You're going to take the mess of my life and maybe somehow ex extend my reach and in my failures and in my knots and mess ups and all the things. Lord, I just I just want to surrender to you, God.

I just want to follow you. So, if that means stepping and then I Oh, here I am. Okay, God. Yeah, that I don't know. I don't know if that makes sense, but I trust you. Oh, over there. But you haven't even you haven't even like done anything for me to go there yet.

Okay, I will. And then you're just kind of like, okay, [laughter] and it's more messy than what we think because God is in control and he knows what's best for us. But he also knows the potential that lies in each and every one of you to step out in faith to expand your territory to expand your influence to expand the impact that he wants for you and through you to reach the world around you.

And it's been said that for God so loved the world that he sent his son into the world. And for God's and it's been said, I don't know who said it, but um that God so loved your world that he sent you into your world to love the people in that world to show him to show them who he is. >> And it's not going to be clean and it's not going to be pretty, but it's going to be holy. >> Wow.

And it's going to be good because our God is good and he's our good shepherd and he leads us in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And our challenge is to step out in faith and trust and see what God will do when we seek his will and when we trust him with the sphere, with the influence, with the territory of our lives.

And this starts in the small things. This starts in the everyday God, enlarge my territory today. But it's kind of a scary prayer because you're saying, "God, give me more today." But do I really want to know the answer of that? Because it could mean something super scary.

It could mean stepping up to someone and saying, "Hey, I noticed that um you need some help with this. Can I help you?" Or, "Hey, I I want to uh share something that God's taught me lately." And it's something it's usually something that's scary to be perfectly honest.

And um a friend told me last week, so last week we had an anointing um time within our gathering where anyone who wanted to came forward and we anointed you with oil. And my friend said that in that moment she came forward with her husband and she also asked for prayer.

She asked that God would give them boldness to share Jesus with more people in their lives. And she said that later that very day she had an opportunity to share the gospel with someone. And she said that never happens. And then two days later, her husband got to share God's love with someone in a really unique and sweet way.

And I just love that when we just say, "God, give me more opportunity. Give me more um more." It's aligning our hearts with his will and we're saying, "Okay, God, this is scary to pray, but I want what you want." So today, in this small little day, would you expand my territory today?

And even if it's that that's it's just that one person, Lord, today in in the mess of what I'm doing, in my plate being so small and me not feeling like I have any capacity to give anything more, I trust you, God, that you're going to give me what I need supernaturally.

And you're going to help me go up to that person and tell them God loves them and to pray for them. You're gonna you're gonna help me in this venture of uh entrepreneurial something that you're calling me to do, but I don't think I can do. I'm going to do it.

And I'm going to see you bring the increase today in the small things because that's always where it starts. When you pray, "God, show me your purpose for my life so I can live a life bigger than my own." Watch and see him move. And it's going to be powerful.

And it's going to be hard. And it's going to draw you closer to your savior. He's going to give you strength like never before. He's going to give you grace and peace and capacity like never before. I love that this word enlarge here in the Old Testament, the same word in the Greek language coming into the New Testament is only found once in the New Testament.

And this was so interesting to me. It's Paul in 2 Corinthians speaking to the church, the Corinthian church. Oh, I'm just going to read it here. And it says 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13. We will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us, a sphere which especially includes you.

For we are not overextending ourselves as though our authority did not extend to you. For it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ, not boasting of things beyond measure, that is in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere. to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man's fear or of acco accomplishment.

But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. So Paul here is talking to the Corinthian church and he's saying your faith, your generosity, your support, what you have given in this work has greatly enlarged us in this sphere of preaching the gospel to regions far beyond their own.

And I love this. It's this idea of of impact, eternal kingdom mindset, giving generously and seeing the gospel go out far beyond. And I love that we as a church, we have so many um partners that we work with organizationally to reach people with the gospel, to reach people with um God's love, to reach people with practical things that they need to get their own lives up and running.

And I am so grateful that that is who we are. But we are called to be a part of enlarging the gospel, >> enlarging God's reach, God's love to this world who desperately needs it. It's even asking in the generosity side of our reach, the generosity side of what God's called us to.

Asking what does my church need? Asking how can I be a part of expanding God's kingdom through the reach of this church? I love how Lydia in the Bible, she funded the very first church with the way that God had blessed her and given her increase. She got to fund the first church.

Joseph of Arya, he got to let Jesus borrow his tomb for the weekend. He got to use it later on, but he he gave his tomb because he had it. He had already bought his tomb. It was there. It was ready. Mary Magdalene funded Jesus's ministry on earth with the way that God had given to her and blessed her.

You can't support someone with what you don't have. So I believe and I believe that's what Jabz is praying here is that when you say, "God, increase my territory. Give me more." That there's this sense of God bless me. give me more so that I can fund things that the church is doing.

I can fund what the kingdom what you're doing to build your kingdom so that the gospel can go out and reach the whole world. So the goal to pray give me more. This is the goal. God give me more. Three words added to your prayer life. Give me more with boldness and faith and trust and surrender to God and what he has for you.

So here's the goal. You're going to pray, God, give me more. and what we see in Psalm 16 which was one of my faves. Psalm 16 starting in verse 5. Oh Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines, another version says, the boundary lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.

Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me because he has my he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoices.

My flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in shal nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever more. Give me more, God.

And I'm content. I'm content with what you've given me. I'm content with the influence and the impact and the territory and everything that you have blessed me with. I'm content with, but I ask for more because I don't want to stay stuck in what I think is good for me.

I want to move forward in what you think is good for me and what you want to lead me in and how you want to use me and how you want to expand my territory for your glory. And father, we thank you so much. We lean into your love.

We lean into your presence. We want more of you, God. We need more of you. Expand our awe of you, Lord. lead us like the good shepherd that you are. Thank you that you are a God who takes us further up and further in. ((music playing)) Thank you for this moment of helping us see that you are a God who delights in your children.

You're a good father. You want to give us good gifts. It's like you're asking us to run to you. And the whole time you're waiting maybe on your knees and you're just waiting for us to run to you with a smile on your face and you're saying, "What can I give you?

What do you want? And you just want us to run into your arms and say, "God, give me more more of you. Give me more land. Give me more resource so that I can be a resource to others. So I can bless others. Lord, bless me. And I just picture you saying, "You got it."

Picking us up in your arms and saying, "Totally, you got it." But not just that, you being with us every step of the way. Thank you, God, for your presence. That in your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever more. You're the kind of God who has a river of delights.

And you delight in us running to you and receiving all that you have for us in the hard things, in the beautiful things, in the beautiful things, in the grief, in the struggle. Lord, you just want us to run to you. And so we do that now, God.

((music playing)) And I just want to pray for anyone who doesn't yet have a relationship with Jesus, but who in this time has just said, "I want that. I want to run into my father's arms." And if that's you, you can. It's the prayer of faith that saves. So you could just say Jesus.

You could just say yes. You could just put your arms out and say yes, God, that's me. And you can say something like, "God, I've made a mess of things. And I can't do this on my own. I can't save myself." But I believe that you in your love sent Jesus to this earth from heaven to earth to live to die but then to rise again. giving me res resurrection power to live life now in this world.

But to have the hope of heaven and to live with heaven in view every day of my life. confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and you will be saved. ((music playing)) Thank you, Jesus. And I want to just take a moment for anyone who hearing this message and maybe God's been even stirring this up in you beforehand cuz he's good like that.

((music playing)) But maybe you're you're wanting to draw a line in the sand and just step forward and say, "That's what I want. I want to be a person who asks boldly, who comes boldly to the throne of grace and and comes to my father, who gives good things, and I want to ask him, give me more."

And not for my sake, God, but for your sake. I want to ask you to do something that is signifying you saying, "God, I want to engage in prayer. I know that I mess it up and I'm not good at it, but I commit. And I want to pray bold prayers and I want to pray things like, "Give me more.

Bless me. Expand my territory. Give me more for your name, for your sake, for your glory. So that the whole world may know. So that the whole world may see. so that my world, my sphere of influence would see how good you are. And if that's you, I'm just going to ask you to stand up to your feet and you're saying, "Yes, God.

Help me, God." You're saying, "I want to pray more boldly. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you Lord. Thank you God for the faith in this room and in all of our campuses and online. Thank you for those who are taking a stand to say, "God, I believe you for more.

I believe you for more in my life. I believe you for more through my life to others. That you don't just have me existing in my own hula hoop for myself, but you have me existing for your glory, to reach others, to love others, to tell others about you, to use the things that are in my hands for your glory.

And I pray God for a strengthening in these hearts, a deepening, a a a deep sense of your presence, that no matter where you do lead them, whether it's in um difficulty, in the good, in the hard, which you lead us into all of it because you have a purpose for us in all of those things.

But I pray that you would build our st our faith, that you would strengthen our hearts, that you would strengthen our minds, strengthen our hands. if we feel like we don't have the capacity, Lord, that you would come in supernaturally and give us the strength that we need, the joy of the Lord as our strength to move forward, to step forward, to step into the unknown, to step into um the uncertainty so that you will be lifted high so that you will be glorified so that others may know.

And I pray that over every single one standing. And God, we declare that we want more of you. We want more. We want more of you. ((music playing))