1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
There is something about our faith and trust in God that touches him to the point that he will withhold no good thing from us. Such was the case with Jabez. There is little known about him other than his prayer. But what a powerful prayer!
Looking at 1 Chronicles it contains a genealogical record. Jabez, in a single phrase added to his lineage, regarding his prayer, demonstrated to all how to pray God’s will over our lives.
According to an article entitled “What Is the Prayer of Jabez in the Bible?” (Biblestudytools.com), “Jabez’s inheritance was by faith over heritage. God blessed Jabez, not with prosperity in return for his prayers, but with provision for the will God wished to execute through his life.
With Jabez, we must not read his prayer as a request for private blessing, but as a cry for God to bless him as a part of God’s covenant people. His name, ironically, means pain and sorrow.”
I agree and the amazing part is that his because of his faith and trust in God, that name that may have initially been all about sorrow came to mean more. God has a way of changing us when we come into contact with him so that we are no longer the same as we use to be. Spiritually changing our name. Abram became Abraham. Saul became Paul. Similarly the stigma of Jabez’s name (which meant pain and sorrow) was removed and his name was given to a city of Judah where the families of the scribes dwelt (1Chronicles 2:55).
Let’s look at Jabez’s Prayer:
-And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Calling on God. This seems standard to some but believe it or not, many try to obtain the blessings of God without honoring his name. They want to decree and declare, but we must approach God correctly before we can hope to access his goodness. Just look at The Lord’s Prayer. The first part (our father which are in heaven Hollywood be thy name) is all about giving honor and reverence to God.
-Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed,
Seeking God’s will. Bless me (in fact; in reality; in truth; truly). Acknowledging it is God’s will to bless, but asking that he would bring the blessings to pass in his life.
-and enlarge my coast,
Asking God for More. Increase me God. This is not a simple request. Luke 12:28 tells us to – Whom much is given much is required. Words easily uttered, but should not be done thoughtlessly. Can you successfully maneuver under the mantle of more? But as God is leading you to pray this prayer ask it in confidence. God gave you the unction because knew you were built to handle it!
-and that thine hand might be with me,
Asking for God’s Continual Guidance. Acknowledging we can do nothing without him. We need God in every decision so we can be a good steward of the coming blessings, and the enlarged coasts. Jabez recognized to try and navigate these new waters without God’s constant guidance is to steer toward certain failure.
-and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! Ask for God’s Protection. With such natural and spiritual wealth the temptation to sin also increases. Jabez understood unless God kept him he would be subject to falling victim to all kinds of evil (sin). This evil would eventually cause great distress to him. He needed God’s protection. He wanted to avoid this even before it became an issue. 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23 KJV, “Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
My favorite part – “And God granted him that which he requested.”
We can we learn from Jabez’s prayer? God has a plan for us all. We cannot allow what people would want to call us or how they would label us l, to be our story. We have to lean into God and trust his plan. We have that God given yearning in our hearts, and we feel the urge of “more” within us. We must have that vision. We must align our faith with what God is saying to our hearts and work towards that goal. That same pull from the Holy Spirit is what caused Jabez to pray this prophetic prayer. His prayer not only line up with the covenant God made with Abraham, it also showed the level of faith and trust to take God at his word.
A couple definitions:
Envision means to imagine as a future possibility; visualize.
Embrace is to accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.
What about you? What has God spoken to you regarding your life? Don’t let go of it. Even if you cannot fully envision it now, continue to pray about it. Embrace it in prayer. Ask God to prepare you to skillfully handle the blessing, to operate in the spirit of excellence so the he gets the glory.
Do not get distracted by your current state or size. The Bible says not to despise small beginnings. But choose to lean into the vision and trust God’s plan. You will get that expected end.
Onward To Perfection.com 