By Bayo Ogunmupe
Perhaps, I need to expatiate that this headline is inadequate to
explain my message today. By what you say I mean what you dream, pray
for, think and what you do. "The tongue also is a fire,"James 3:6. On a
windy day in March 1997, a father and a son visited the Valley Forge
National Park, Pennsylvania,USA where George Washington stationed the
American Revolutionary Army in the winter of 1777-1778. The man and his
son wanted to launch a model rocket. At first they used electric
ignition wires to light the fuse, but to no avail. So they lighted the
fuse with a sparkler.
That was when trouble started; the sparks ignited a grass fire and the
winds quickly spread the blaze. Then burning spread into the field where
the Revolutionary war soldiers camped and trained, coming within a mile
of George Washington's headquarters. The value of what they put at risk
was incalculable. It took thirty units of fire fighters over one hour
to bring the blaze under control. In the end over thirty acres were
charred and the man with the sparkler was charged with destruction of
government property and improper use of fireworks. The Bible says:
"Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The
tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the
body,"James 5-6. "He who would love life and see good days, let him
refrain his tongue,"I Peter 3:10. "The lips of the godly speak helpful
words,"Proverbs 10:21. So beware of what you do.
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,"1 Chronicles 4:10. Jabez prayed
that God would bless him in three specific ways. One, Enlarge my
territory." He had a dream of owning more land, and he asked God to
bless that dream. When you stop dreaming you lose direction. When you
stop setting goals you stop growing. As long as your horizon is
expanding you will be spiritually healthy. Two, "That Your hand would be
with me." God's hand represents His power. Jabez believed that if he
got more territory, he would have more responsibility. So he requested
God to be with him. And when you ask for God's presence in your life,
you can be sure He will answer you.
Three, "That You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain."
Jabez asked God for His protection. Why? This because in those days the
more land you owned, the greater your influence and the better known you
were. But that made you a bigger target, even today. The more
successful you are the more critics you have. The closer you grow to
Jehovah, the stronger you become, and the greater your ability to resist
the harassment of the Devil. But you can be sure as Jabez successfully
got his prayers answered, that with God's protection, you have conquered
fear. If you want to break out of Nigeria's stifling mediocrity, pray
the prayer of Jabez, like Jabez your prayers are bound to be answered.
Like Jabez, dare to ask and believe God for great things. God told
Jeremiah, "Call to me I will answer you and tell you great things you do
not know,"Jeremiah 33:3. Paul tells us that God "is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power
that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20. You cannot out ask, or out
dream God. So start asking Him whatever you want from today. And believe
me, He will give them to you.
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