Destiny Grace Platform

YOU TOO CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE: THE PRAYER OF JABEZ (4)

"...and that thou wouldest KEEP me from EVIL, that it may grieve me..." - 1 Chron. 4:10d (KJV) Emphasis added

Jesus, teaching His disciples on the modules for effective prayer, asked them to pray that God should " lead them not into temptation but deliver them from evil." This underscores the seriousness God attaches to living above evil. Evil here connotes anything not pleasing to God and His will concerning us. God epitomizes good and all who aspire to walk with Him must as a matter of seriousness, shun evil and live good. Jabez prayed that God would keep him from evil that it may not grieve him, not God. What this implies is that, we are always on the losing side when we do evil. He said involving in evil will harm him, not God. He knew that God's hand and presence would not be felt by a life lived for evil. This should be our prayer everyday, that God would keep us from evil that it may not stop or alter the course of our destiny. Before God blessed Jabez, he laid the foundation for an enduring walk with God by sincerely demonstrating his willingness to obey God by shunning evil. Sometimes, the way we pray or the content of our prayers becomes sign of who we truly are and where we are headed in life. What we asked God in prayer reveals our values and character. Jabez showed a life that values good and righteousness, hence his request to God. We certainly can't go far if we are not ready to pay certain price - living right. Success in life is not gotten by sheer accident or luck, it is a deliberate combination of hard work, living right and faith in God and in ourselves. Jabez did not only believe in God, himself and work hard but prayed and live right. Whether we are aware of this or not, our prayers reveals our values and interest. Whatever is our weakness, God is able to help us against it. It is possible to manage our weaknesses and challenges. May God help us against the trappings of life and preserve our destinies. You too can change the narrative, if you take responsibility. May God richly bless you!

YOU TOO CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE: THE PRAYER OF JABEZ (1)

"Now Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, " because I bore him in pain"- 1Chron. 4:9 (NKJV)

When it comes to the believe that name could influence or play a vital role in people's destiny, I am neither here nor there; because whatever is your name or circumstances that surrounded your birth, you can still change the narrative by a conscious effort, faith in God and hard work. People are keen to blaming their woes, either on the name they were given or situation that surrounded their birth. Sooner have they change their names have they realized that, the secret of breakthrough in life lies not so much in the name one bears, but in relationship and life assignment (destiny). Relationship with God and the discovery of what one is fashioned or designed for. The story of Jabez starts from the end to the beginning, not the other way round. The verse opens with him being described as being more honourable than his brothers and then traces the origin and situation that warranted him being christened as such. Though we are not furnished with the exact situation his mother found herself in the time Jabez was about to be born or was born, the name itself represent pain, agony and frustration; but the bearer was bent on changing the narrative as we shall see in the succeeding parts of this series. The one whose name signifies and represents a ugly past is now more honourable than his brethren. Do you think your problems lies in the name you bear? Do you think bearing "Happiness" can guarantee you a happy life or "Favour" a favourable life. Haven't you seen those who bore "Peace" being very troublesome and quarrelsome? What of Patience who is so hot tempered and testy. Does it mean bearing Victory or Victor or Victoria will make you lead a victorious life? It doesn't work that way, because Judas Iscariot doesn't mean a traitor either. I don't believe in luck attached to names but I believe in names which became pronounced because their bearers sought God, worked hard and got blessed. Though some names could be down right stupid and nonsensical ( like okpok, mbiam Ibibio names for lizard and satanic deity respectively, among others); their bearers wouldn't do any better if they bore "Prosper" without a conscious effort at changing their lives. God didn't place a premium on name change as a panacea for a life of blessing. Only three people in the Bible did God changed their names - Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel and these changes were strictly on God's redemptive purpose and destiny, ( their names were changed based on the role they would play in God's plan for mankind) not because of their personal life condition. Our former President Good luck Jonathan is classic example of those who seemed to have made it in life because of their names; but if you read the story of Jonathan, you will notice a prophetic release from his father you used to call him Azikiwe, Nigeria's first President. Secondly, he was educated and made daily decisions which gradually projected him to be employed first as a college tutor, later as a running mate and deputy governor. You know the rest! Your name is not your problem, don't change it yet. Try this... in part two of this series.

AFTER 38 YEARS HE HAD NOTHING TO TELL JESUS
..Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool... Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up..." -John 5:1, 5-7. (NKJV)

One of the most unfortunate thing in life is to be unable to know exactly what we need at the most crucial hour. In the pool of Bethesda laid a sick man for thirty eight years, who, according to him, had no relatives to put him in the pool when stirred by an Angel for his healing. For an Angel would stirred that pool at a certain time and whoever got in there first, gets his or her healing. Jesus met him there and knew that he had been sick that long, and ask him one of the most simplest questions: "Do you want to be made well?" I don't think the question was difficult to be understood by a man who had suffered so much and needed healing desperately. But like so many in our time would do, the man left the question he was asked and started telling Jesus stories which wasn't necessary at that crucial hour. Sadly, He ended up telling Jesus nothing in thirty eight years of his suffering. Jesus, in compassion ignored his mistake and healed him. Like the sick man at the Pool of Bethesda, so many of us today meets Jesus at the place of prayer everyday with our needs and ended up telling him nothing. Instead, like the sick man, we would bore him with stories and show of emotions because we believed our emotions and plenty stories on the altar will move God to answer our prayers, but He certainly won't because God doesn't respond to tears and plenty words, but to a need or needs clearly expressed in faith. Jesus admonished his audience to avoid vain repetitions and too much talk during prayers and head straight to what they needed - Matt. 6: 7 & 8. Jesus didn't need the man's stories to heal him, for he already knew he had been there for a long time. We may not be lucky to be like the sick man whom Jesus heal, despite the fact he didn't know what to tell him; we need to convince God that we know what we need. I consciously used the word "need", instead of "want" here because of the grammatical implications of the two. What the sick man wanted was people to help him get into the pool but what he really needed was healing. Are you in the same boat with this sick man today? If you were to meet Jesus physically today, and he asked you for just one need you want him to meet, are you sure you would have made good use of that crucial moment by telling him exactly your true need?Then go to him in prayers and make an end of that situation that has refused to change for years now. God will surely meet you there and it shall end in praise. May God change your story in Jesus name. Amen.

With Jesus joy, I welcome you to the platform fashioned for stirring men and women into their life assignment. You're welcome.