“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my 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.”   (1 Chron. 4:10)

September 2005,

Dear Friend,

Trusting that all is well with you and your loved ones. We are fine, and rejoicing in all that God has done this past summer. He has blessed us with more opportunities for ministry, He has opened new doors, and trusted us to follow through in perseverance, focusing on the prize; the souls won to Him for His glory! This was amazing, considering that at the same time, our month to month financial struggle at  CHN has been a challenge! But our God is Faithful! As we prayed for Him to enlarge our territory, He has done just that! He has given us more ground to tread upon to destroy the works of the enemy and He has met our every need as we pressed forward in Him! Glory!

Plans and progress towards gearing our world to “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” on Sunday October 2^nd is underway. Eagles’ Wings Ministry with Rob Stearns work fervently each year to inform all churches to take a few minutes on the first Sunday of October to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Leaders such as Jack Hayford, Pat Robertson, and many more are all working together with Rob to get the word out. Last years Day of Prayer was a huge success, and we are believing God for this year to be even more so. CHN plays a vital role in informing churches in Brooklyn to take this mandate seriously. Psalm 122:6 says.. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Please tell your pastor about this day, and if he or she has questions, I can be reached at 1.718.745.1003. Your pastor can sign up by calling me, or Eagles Wings at 1.800.51.wings. This can also be done on the Internet by visiting their web site: www.daytopray.com

In 1 Chron. 4:9, we read..”And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying ‘Because I bore him in pain.’” The last thing that Jabez wanted was to cause pain! He wanted to be a blessing, and to be a BIG blessing! This was not for himself, it was to be a blessing for others! This is our prayer, for God to use us for His will and purposes. We want to be a blessing! We want to move in the direction He is calling us to, and to do what He desires in our life and ministry. I trust that this is your prayer also, and when we pray it with all of our heart, for God to be glorified, He will answer.

The secret to finding out what His will is, is to seek Him first thing in the morning. As we open our eyes in the morning and call upon Him, He will come in with His presence bright like the sunrise, in all His glory. As we go about our day, He will show us; “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Isn’t this so encouraging and comforting?

When we seek God with all of our heart, and His will becomes more important to us than our own, the needs of others will become the most important thing to us. Our own needs will be secondary. We will want more territory, more responsibility, more avenues of ministry for His Glory. Is it right to ask for this? Of course it is! It is God’s will to prosper you in all that you do. It is His will to bless you, and make you a blessing! It is His will for you to accomplish that which He has created for you to do in this life. What more important goals could we have than that? What is our life all about anyhow? Aren’t we created to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and in the next? Aren’t we looking towards the day when we can join with the angels and all the saints who have gone home before us, in joint praise and worship as we come face to face with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings? What a glorious time that will be!!

September is here, and it is a wonderful time to think and pray about new goals in life. For many, school starts again, so it is time to focus again on learning new things. But aren’t we supposed to learn new things everyday? My mother, who was a very wise woman, used to tell me that each day I should look for the opportunity to learn something new, and I have always tried to do that. It can be the simplest thing, but somehow it will edge in our memory for use at a greater time. September seems to be a time to focus on goals. What are your goals for this year in your life? Have you thought about expanding your territory for God’s glory? The prayer of Jabez is so simple, yet so profound, it says it all. Ponder upon this..if God blesses us and enlarges our territory, we can be a blessing to others. Isn’t this what we want? What else is more important in life? We can hold a job that gives us all the money in the world, but if we do not use what we have to bless others, what good is it? You might be thinking right now that if you had all the money in the world, you could really be a blessing! How about starting with what you have? If you have a smile, give it away, if you have a cheery greeting, say it, if you can offer a kindness to someone less fortunate than you, do it! If we really look around, we can see many ways to bless others, each and every day! It can come in the form of giving of your resources, but it can also come from acts of love and kindness. Try something, and let me know how it works. The next time you go grocery shopping, smile broadly and  thank the cashier! Tell him or her that you appreciate the service they provided, and then watch the response. It will make your day!

This Fall, let us ask God to show us the way we should go and where we can be a blessing. When we do that, we will be blessed!  

God bless you!         

Rev. Barbara Anne Yovino, Ph.D.