Alvin Vandergriend- "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." 1 Chronicles 4:10
Bruce Wilkinson's book The Prayer of Jabez has done much to popularize this prayer in the evangelical world today. Since its publication, I have met several Christians who after reading this book, have learned to pray this prayer for themselves and have experience surprising answers. (Google image, Man's praying hands) [4 reasons why we should pray like Jabez)
When we sincerely ask for ourselves the very things God wants for us, He is ready to answer. The fact that God "granted his request" confirms that Jabez's prayer was sincere and in line with God's will.
Jabez was a man who believed in prayer. His life was changed through prayer. He asked for four things. His first prayer was, "Oh, that you would bless me." God really does want to bless us, but He wants to do it in response to our asking. That's the way God chooses to work. So when Jabez prayer, "Oh, that you would bless me," God was pleased with that prayer and sent His blessing.
Second, Jabez prayed, ". . . and enlarge my territory." At first this may sound like a greedy desire for material prosperity. But if it had been, I don't think God would have granted it. People who pray wrongly motivated prayers do not get "yes" answers (James 4:3).
In Jabez's case, this was a prayer for the restoration of his lost inheritance, which God had promised for all his people. For us to pray for "enlarged territory" probably means praying for the opportunity to break out of whatever is limiting us from being free to live entirely within God's promises for us. That's always a good prayer.
Third, Jabez prayed, "Let your hand be with me." God's hand represents His ability to strengthen and His readiness to act on behalf of His loved ones. Jabez was saying, "Lord, as your enlarge my territory and give me opportunity to serve you, I can't do that in my own strength, so please help me." This is the prayer of a humble person who knows that his strength is in the Lord.
Fourth, Jabez prayed, ". . . and keep me from harm." the greatest source of harm in his world is Satan. this part of Jabez's prayer is similar to the last petition of the Lord's Prayer: "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13).
The passage ends with the astounding declaration "And God granted his request" God did this because He was pleased with Jabez's prayer. He will also be pleased if you pray such a prayer for yourself — not just once, but again and again each day.
You will see, God wants to bless you; God wants to enlarge your opportunities for service; God wants to strengthen you; God wants to protect you from evil. But, He wants to do all these things in response to your asking. This prayer may be, as Bruce Wilkinson has said, "the key to a life of extraordinary favor with God."
(pp. 78, 79 in Love to Pray- 40 Day Devotional for Deepening Your Prayer Life by Alvin Vandergriend)
Father, as we examine Jabez's prayer, may we see how simple the requests really are, and what they would mean for us to pray them! Jabez had the desire for God to bless him physically, mentally and spiritually. Help us apply each prayer to our lives, and the lives of our friends and family members.
Christmas Is About the Cross
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Really enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing
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