Lessons from the Prayer of Jabez
You have probably heard of the prayer of Jabez.
I used to feel uncomfortable about this prayer.
It felt like an opportunistic prayer fuelled by a Christianity that is focused on God’s hand (his blessings and provision), rather than on His heart (His purpose and plans for the earth).
So, I ignored this prayer until recently.
Before now, I had been focused on the first part of Jabez’s prayer, oblivious to the second part of his prayer.
Thankfully, recent teaching on this caused a monumental (and much-needed) shift.
This is probably why we are encouraged to personally read the Bible. ??
I will also add that we should try out different versions, and not just one, for better insight and context.
Here are two versions that capture the significance of this scripture, below:
Jabez cried to the God of Israel, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 (AMPC)
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, 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 what he requested.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV)
You may have noticed an important distinction between the Amplified Classic and the New King James versions.
Since this post is not about different Bible versions, we will focus on the story instead (as recorded in NKJV).
Four reasons why the story of Jabez matters
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It wasn’t just about blessings
When you think about the prayer of Jabez, you may remember his first two prayer points. He asked for:
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- God’s blessings
- Increased influence or territory
These are things many of us covet, but it doesn’t give us the full picture. I believe that God answered Jabez’s prayers because it wasn’t focused on just God’s provision. He longed to live a blameless life – one of integrity and honor.
How often do we pray for this?
There is a tendency to focus only on our needs, especially when in precarious situations. But imagine if we could take our eyes off our situation and look to God who has already promised to provide all our needs.
Imagine if we allowed God to dictate the tone and tune of our lives.
Wouldn’t that be something?
May God help us focus on His heart and not just His hand. Amen
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It was about his relationship with God
The crux of our Christian life is to build and nurture our relationship with God. Everything else is secondary.
I believe that Jabez understood this.
Like the Psalmist, he knew that without the guidance and protection of God, the first two requests were futile. What is the point of increased influence if you don’t have the Almighty’s protection or counsel?
I wouldn’t want that. How about you?
We are incredibly privileged to serve a God who wants to be our everything. A God who is ready and willing to be with us 24/7.
If you have read a few of my posts, you may have come across my passionate reminder that eternal life is about knowing God and being known by him. It is about relationships (see John 17:1-4)
Jabez prayed that God will be with him.
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A selfless prayer touches the heart of God
The first thing we learn about Jabez is that he was an honorable man. We are not even told the identity of his father; his story was dropped amid a genealogy that was not even connected to him.
Yet the Bible describes him as “…more honorable than his brothers…”
What a testimony!
We can make some inferences from this word – honorable
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- It ‘Attests to a creditable conduct.’
- It is ‘Consistent with a reputation that is not tarnished or sullied.’
- Is ‘Characterised by integrity.’ (all from Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Jabez had an impeccable reputation. He must have realized that the allure of evil and greed increases with more blessings and influence. A man of integrity doesn’t just live for himself, rather his impact and good name will be felt for generations to come.
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Courageous prayers leads to freedom
Jabez’s name means ‘born in pain’.
His mother gave him this name because she ‘bore him in pain.’ This is interesting because of the assumption that Hebrew women enjoyed some ease in childbirth. Why was her case different?
We may never know.
I imagine he had had to live with the burden of his name, if nothing else, acknowledging that your mother was in so much pain that your name had to reflect her momentary circumstance.
Thankfully, Jabez took a decisive step to change his destiny. He didn’t just wish for a change, he prayed for it, and in a way that touched God’s heart.
He asked God for five things:
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- Bless me indeed (abundantly, without reservations…)
- Enlarge my territory (expand my boundaries, increase my influence)
- Be with me (abide, surround)
- Keep me from evil (direct, shield)
- Stop me from causing harm (help me keep your word)
Lessons from Jabez
The key lesson is that our prayers are powerful when they are selfless. As we learned from Hannah’s story, our prayers take on a new dimension when they align with God’s will.
What is the tone of your prayer?
After the aforementioned event, a friend mentioned that she will use Jabez’s prayer requests in her prayer sessions.
What about you?
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