The Prayer of Jabez – old prayer / new project

Recently I discovered a bunch of cassette tapes in my closet from 1960s forward. I took on the project to digitize a few of them. This is my first success story. You can listen via these links via anything that will work with mp3 files:

Prayer of Jabez Side 1.mp3

Prayer of Jabez Side 2.mp3

The files are too big to attach so these are links to the files on one drive.  Each side is about 30 minutes long.  I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation and have listened several times in the process of digitizing the tape.  You should be able to listen on your phone without downloading but you can download the files as you wish if that works better for you.  The files should be available to share with others if you want to do that also.

This presentation was originally given at an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) meeting around the year 2000 about the same time the book Prayer of Jabez came out from comments made.  Here is a picture of the book and author I found online.

Bruce Wilkinson is a delightful speaker and shares personal stories that make this teaching come alive – it was rich when I first heard it and richer this time as I rediscovered it.  Moreover, I have been praying it more consciously this week and praying it over others as opportunities arose for me.  I hope it is as timely for you as for me and you will let me know your thoughts.

I am also interested in better ways to share things like this with you so let me know if this method works for you.

The passage being discussed is found in I Chronicles 4:10

Two additional passages have been coming to my mind as I have pondered this verse this week.

First the parallels with the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13.  And the incident wherein Jacob wrestled with the angel (I believe it was Yashua) and said, “I will not let you go unless You bless me.” Genesis 32: 22-31

All that to say be fervent in asking for the Lord’s blessing and praying it over others as well!  His storehouses are never-ending and His delight in you unparalled.

Hope you enjoy!

Love,

Sandie

Finding Gems & Sharing Them

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Thanksgiving Blessings – 2019

Dollie came to live with me this year. She is a three year old ragdoll full of fun and love.

Sometimes I write an annual letter around this time. Not this year. I am simply going to say thanks to YHWH for His many blessings and constant provision on every level – even when I do not understand. He is faithful.

Some scriptures about giving thanks to share and proclaim:

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

—Psalm 9:1

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

—Psalm 50:23

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

—Psalm 92:1

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

—Psalm 97:12

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

—Psalm 100:4

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!

—Psalm 105:1-2.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God..

—Philippians 4:6.

More scriptures and references here:

Thanksgiving Bible Verses: 15 Great Scripture Quotes.

My Thanksgiving posts from previous years here.

Book Review: Testing Prayer by Candy Gunther Brown and a testimony too

Book Review:  Testing Prayer:  Science and Healing by Candy Gunther Brown

Review by Sandra Crosnoe via Finding Gems & Sharing Them (Nov 30, 2018)

Having had polio at age 2 (now 66), health and healing has been a lifelong priority as you can well imagine.  My personal experiences will probably color my review of the book, Testing Prayer by Candy Gunther Brown, so you should be aware of that.  A short version of my journey would be that around the age of 12, I met the Lord and had a physical touch from Him that resulted in my being able to stop wearing a Milwaukee brace early following a spinal fusion.

On the next visit to the doctor, he confirmed that I could indeed stop wearing the brace.  It was not a complete healing, because there was still deformity to my body, but there was definite improvement not only in my spine, but I went from being sickly all the time to not so much.  Through the years,  I sought the Lord off and on regarding the matter, sometimes more intensely than others.

In more recent years, my breathing has been an issue.  Around the year 2000, I had a sleep study done, which resulted in me using a bi-pap machine to sleep at night.  At that time I had an arterial blood gas done that has remained in my files;  I just found it again the other day when filing a new one.  But I will come back to that.

In 2017 my cat, Ivory, was diagnosed with early stage kidney disease and I had stem cell therapy done on her.  I would lay hands on her and pray for her kidneys at night repetitively — often feeling a heat transfer.  Somewhere in that time frame, I began to lay hands on her and pray; then lay hands on my chest and pray for my lungs and my heart.  The scripture the Lord gave me was “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  I told Him I was not righteous; His answer to me was that He was my righteousness.  So I kept on praying.

The arterial blood gas done recently that I compared with the one back in 2000 showed improvement (not the decline you would expect to see in an aging person having had polio).

Link to Amazon for book purchase options

I tell you all this personal background to give you some perspective to how I saw the book Testing Prayer.  Surprisingly to me the book started out with a trip through healing ministries history from the Toronto Blessing forward and backward mentioning many names I was familiar with through the years and a few new ones.

The author then discussed the difficulties of collecting data surrounding prayer and measuring results.  There were so many factors involved.  Some people were willing to share; some ministries objected to the intrusion.  Sometimes there were medical follow-ups but more often than not if there were, the results were not common knowledge.  Nevertheless, the author managed to report rather extensively on cases and shared many stunning stories, some with medical data, a few less credible and one apparent falsification.

One of the powerful takeaways for me was that some who ultimately got healing sought prayer many, many, even hundreds of times. Most of the body of the book was from an eight-year study and incredibly well sourced.  Approximately one sixth of the hardcover book is references and footnotes.

Another thing I believe she helped me with was something I have sensed but became clearer with this book.  I don’t think it was something specific she said, but some of the ministries taught and she conveyed that when we pray for someone who needs healing, we do not need to lay the responsibility of having faith on them.  We share and pray in faith for people and have the faith for them reaching out on their behalf.  We trust the Lord for the results, which may be slow and through the years or mighty instantaneous miracles.  In any event, keep praying!

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”    James 5:15-16 KJV

[Special thanks to Cindy Cain for helping me edit this review prior to release.  It reads much better now!]

Rod MacIlvaine, pastor of Grace Community Church in Bartlesville, wrote a review of the book Testing Prayer here.  It was his mention of this book in a podcast that I listened to that made me aware of the book.

Finding Gems & Sharing Them – Book Review: Testing Prayer by Candy Gunther Brown and a testimony too

National Day of Prayer at Voice of the Martyrs in Bartlesville May 4th

Thursday, May 4th 6:30 PM

The Voice of the Martyrs
1815 SE Bison Rd.
Bartlesville, OK 74006

Finding Gems & Sharing Them – National Day of Prayer at Voice of the Martyrs in Bartlesville May 4th

Happy New Year 2017 – May you Know His Will & Walk in His Way

Special thanks to my good friend Shelli Dawdy for the best Happy New Year graphic of all times!

MY TOAST

Where the Spirit of the Lord is – there is Liberty!

May you be where He is and go where He leads.

May you know His Will, His Way, His Word and His Touch as you go…