The prayer of Jabez

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

An obscure individual from the clan of Judah prayed, “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.” Sounds selfish, right? Getting things from God has always been popular, yet that was not the attitude of Jabez. The priest who wrote the Chronicles telling about the life and prayer of Jabez, describes him as “more honorable than his brothers.”

First, he asked that God would bless him and enlarge his territory. Some distort the truth that God blesses those who are obedient yet the reality is that God’s blessing follows your obedience. Make a note of Psalm 1 where the psalmist begins by saying, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers (Psalm 1:1).”

Jabez then prayed that God’s hand would be on him and protect him from harm. It is not simply missionaries who need God’s hand of protection, but also moms who pack lunches and send their kids to school, and dads who face the hostility of a dog-eat-dog world.

Asking God to keep His strong hand upon your life and to help you confront your giants is neither selfish nor wrong. It’s a reminder that if you are God’s child, you can ask your Father who promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

Prayer isn’t working God to get what you want. It’s communication between you and God. It brings you into harmony with what God wants in your life.

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:1-5