Renamed by God: The Prayer of Jabez

Have you ever felt like you’ve been labeled by your past, your pain, or the difficult circumstances you were born into?

If you are a young adult in the Pinetown or Upper Highway area seeking to break free from the labels society (or even your own family) has placed on you, this message will encourage and challenge you. We all have a history, but your past does not have to dictate your future.

In this message, Steve Wheeler digs into the Old Testament to uncover a hidden gem buried in a long list of genealogies: The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4). Jabez was literally named “Pain” and “Suffering,” but he refused to let his trauma become his permanent identity. Instead, he boldly called out to the God of Israel to rewrite his story.

In this video, we explore:

The Power of a Label: How to stop letting your past, your trauma, or your failures define who you are.

True Honor: Why Jabez was considered “more honorable” than his brothers without being perfect.

The Prayer of Blessing: Why it is completely legitimate and biblical to boldly ask God to bless you.

Enlarging Your Territory: Asking God to expand your capacity, your focus, and your impact.

Breaking the Cycle: How to avoid becoming an abuser when you’ve been abused, and how to overcome evil with the opposite spirit.

God has the final say over what your life will be remembered for. He is ready to take what is broken and rename it “Blessed.”

If you are seeking real, transformative truth in KZN, hit the Subscribe button to join our community. Let us know in the comments: What “territory” or capacity in your life are you asking God to enlarge this week?

Video Chapters

0:00 – The Beauty of a Paper Bible
1:52 – The Context of 1 Chronicles: Finding Hope After Captivity
6:20 – 1 Chronicles 4:9 – The Pause in the Genealogy
8:08 – What Made Jabez “More Honourable”?
9:41 – Named “Pain”: Dealing with the Labels Placed on Us
12:02 – Refusing to Let Suffering Be Your Identity
14:56 – Calling Out to the True God of Israel
16:15 – The Prayer Part 1: “Oh, That You Would Bless Me”
19:59 – The Prayer Part 2: Enlarge My Territory (Capacity & Focus)
21:15 – The Prayer Part 3: Let Your Hand Be With Me
22:02 – The Prayer Part 4: Keep Me From Evil (Breaking the Cycle)
24:05 – The Kicker: God Granted His Request
26:06 – Closing Prayer & Healing for Sinus Pain