The Prayer of Jabez - Part 5

Protect Me From Me!
1 Chronicles 4:9-10

In life we have all found ourselves quite capable in one area and feeling more than incompetent in another.

"Employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence." 
    The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull

Blessings tend to make us presumptuous to think we don’t need to depend on God so much now that things are going good.

When blessings come and responsibility follows, our ability to hurt more people goes with it.

None of us want to experience any more pain than we consider necessary and we don’t want to inflict pain upon others.

To Protect Me from Me I Must…

I.    Discover the Major Source of My Pain is Me  James 4:1-2b

If I turn hurt to hate the problem is me, not them.

If I turn disappointment to bitterness the problem is me, not them.

If I turn being abused into being a victim, the problem is me, not them.

We cannot sin and win. 

II.    Distance Myself from Danger  Matthew 6:13

“Were you redeemed from something or to something?”
Psalms 34:14

Turning from sin requires turning to righteousness for success.

III.    Dress Myself for Battle  Ephesians 6:11

Dress for Spiritual Success - Put on the whole armor of God

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. Ephesians 6:14-17  (HCSB)