So this boy was birthed or came into the world surrounded by sorrow, but I want you to see the Holy Ghost identifies him and says some things about him. It says he was 'more honourable'. That word is the same word where we use the word glory; God, show us Your glory! Kebab, weight, goodness, glory, virtue, who you are. So when the Bible is referring to the glory of God, it's referring to the name, the nature of God. The Holy Ghost calls on this, and points this man's got a whole genealogy of all these names, and then right in the middle of it the Holy Ghost said stop! Wait, wait, wait. This man here called Sorrow was much more honourable, had much more glory. There was something about him, that makes this man stand out and be distinctive.
Then it explains exactly what it was, and it was his prayer, The Prayer of a King. He never let his circumstances determine what his future would be, but rather something in him rose up, and he got hold of the promises of God, and he rose up and he prayed a prayer, it's a fantastic prayer. It's The Prayer of a King. Here is the prayer. Jabez called on the God of Israel, so he was aware or had learnt, probably from his mother who'd taught him the word of God, that he had a legacy, an inheritance. He belonged to a nation singled out by God, to influence the world, influence the nations. He realised that as a descendant of Abraham, he was entitled to blessings from Abraham, and so faith rose in his heart, and this is his prayer. I call it The Prayer of a King, because notice what it is. He says: Oh God, bless me truly. Bless me in great abundance. Secondly, he said: enlarge my territory - that's kingly talk. Oh, let Your hand be with me, the power and the might and the hand of God on me, and keep me from evil that I would not cause pain. Now notice that statement, that I would not cause pain.
What he's saying is: at the beginning of my life there was difficulty, there was pain, there was adversity. I've even been named that, but he's saying God, I believe that You can take someone who's come out of pain, adversity, difficulty, trouble, hardship and You can raise them up, and their life does not reflect where they came from. Their life does not multiply the pains and sorrows. I've found so often what happens when people have grown up with broken families, and abuse and all kinds of things, they get infected with it in their heart and spirit, bitterness and anger and hurt and grief come in. What happens is, they then begin to multiply the sorrow. They do exactly what he prayed wouldn't happen. They cause other people to be in pain. In my own life, as I've become aware of areas of brokenness and lack and areas where I have not processed things in my own life, I realised to my grief, the pain it has caused those around me I love - great revelation that is. It's still a revelation.
So often we don't have relationships close enough where people can talk you honestly, and tell you the things you need to hear about your life. It costs you something to have that kind of relationship, where people know you well enough, and love you well enough, and you're open to them, and can trust them, and they can talk into your life, and share with you the things in your life that need to be adjusted, areas of immaturity, areas of brokenness, areas of lack, areas that are blind spots. Every one of us has blind spots. You have areas of your life you can't see - but believe me, everyone around you can see it. Anyone who gets married, realise you have lots of blind spots, and they all come out, and they're now visible spots when you get married. I think when you're about to get married, you're just completely blind altogether. [Laughter] I don't think you see too much at all, you're bedazzled by the beauty, and the hope of something together. Then afterwards you have to work it all out. When you work it all out, suddenly you see things you weren't aware of, and you see things in yourself because your wife tells you. [Laughter]