Scripture:

1 Chronicles 4:10

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my [a]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.

Jabez means pain; his mother named him that because he was born in pain.  What we know about Jabez is that he was important enough for God to redirect the author's writing of the lineage of the tribe of Judah, not to mention a King, or someone of high position, but a man named Jabez (pain).  This story is as much about not letting your description be your definition. The world may try to keep you down, or even drag you down, but you decide how you respond. Something amazing is that it says he was more honorable than his brothers; that is how we know that he was not defined by his name.   

Something else, though...  His prayer! It was powerful too. See, when you want to change the world around you, and you want to bring the Lord into it, that is something that moves the hand of God.  Notice his prayer:

• Lord Bless Me
• Enlarge my territory (area of influence) 
• Your hand would be with me.
• Keep me from Evil
• Keep me from becoming what the world says I am (pain.)

That's the kind of prayer that changes things, bless me, enlarge me, make me greater than I could ever be without you, be with me, keep me from evil, don't let the world define me, give me greater influence.

This is a world-changing kind of prayer. 

No matter what the world says about you, what people say about you, don't let your life and your heart for God be defined by this, pray big prayers, ask God for the impossible, ask Him to do the impossible for you, ask Him to keep you from the things that don't belong in your life...  Pray Big! 

Lord, I pray that you would enlarge our territory, our area of influence, that you would be with us, that you would keep us from evil, help us to change the world around us, to not be defined by it, bless us, enlarge us, empower us, in the name of Jesus, amen!