Iv Point #4 Of Jabezs Prayer
Oh, that you would keep me from evil 1 Chronicles 4:10.
Chapter five of The Prayer of Jabez is entitled: Keeping the Legacy Safe. The issue here is to be kept from evil, or an encounter with the evil i.e. the devil. The author reasons that since Jabez has asked for Gods blessing , and he has asked for his borders to be enlarged , he well knew that in such times of success evil would be lurking to defeat him. This is summed up in the chapter with the words: The Perils of Spiritual Success. This is proven by the author pointing to many Christian leaders who at the pinnacle of their success succumbed to temptation and ultimately dropped out of ministry. It is stated that this is an accepted rule of thumb, In fact, if your experience is anything but that, be concerned.9
This matter of being kept from evil is cited as part of the model prayer Jesus gave his followers `And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one . Surely most believers would want to follow the words of Jesus, and in most cases they do with regard to repeating this prayer, in Matthew 6:9-13,
Matt. 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Matt. 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven.
Matt. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Matt. 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Eph. 2:6 And hath raised up together, and made sit together in heavenly in Christ Jesus:
Its Not About Repetition
Jabezs prayer is not about repetition. You can pray the exact prayer till the cows come home and its doesnt mean it will be answered.
You can even reword the prayer to fit you. Its still the same thing. Its not the words that will get you the answer.
Your words must be sincere and come from the heart when you pray them to God.
The Prayer Of Jabez 5 Inspiring Lessons
Scripture has many examples of prayers that teach us to depend on God and call upon Him. The prayer of Jabez is very inspiring and challenging for how we approach God with our requests. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Jabez was not using prayer as a formula to get something from God, rather He was calling upon God to help him accomplish the promises of God! Lets dive in and see how this Old Testament prayer can be applied today as we seek Gods provision and leading in our lives.
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The Four Petitions Of Jabez
Oh, that you would bless me
Jabez asks for a big blessing. The heart of God is to give good gifts to His children, and Christ encourages us to ask the Father for these gifts:-
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11,
Enlarge my territory
Jabez had a big goal. Out of all the other ancestors he noted for his prayer, and God honouring his requests.
This prayer could apply to many areas of the believers life not just physical territory . Examples could include:-
On a personal level. For instance, the overcoming of fears or mindsets. E.g. that I might take more ground in godly thinking about myself, and that the ground that poor self esteem has in my life would diminish.
On a giving level. E.g. the charity that I work for expands its reach and impact in society.
On a work level. E.g. there are new opportunities at work for career development.
Let your hand be with me
The third thing that Jabez asks for is Gods hand to be with him. Jabez is dependant on God in this process of stretching and development. He looks to God for his strength, presence and guidance.
And God granted his request
God honoured Jabez with his request. God desires to give us the longings of our hearts:-
Matthew 7:7-8,
Prayer Of Jabez: Scripture Reference And 5 Lessons To Learn From It
The Prayer of Jabez is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10. This passage of scripture is very easy to miss while reading. It is tucked away in a huge section about the lineage of David. What is this prayer all about? As always, let us look into the Word of God for answers. Note: all scriptures not referenced are all from the verse in 1 Chronicles 4:10.
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Prayer Of Jabez According To The Kjv
Many times, all these three general tasks occur in one of our prayers.
But there are times when only one of these activities dominates and colors a prayer.
This one activity may be so prominent that it totally distinguishes that prayer.
The Holy Bible doesnt supply a definition of Jabezs petition.
But the prayer of Jabez, in the Bible, is a petition for blessing.
And you will find it in 1 Chronicles 4:10.
God Is The Only One Who Gives Blessings
We see in Jabez’s prayer that he prays to God and God alone. From this, we know that God’s blessings only come from Him.
We can carry this message into our daily lives as a reminder we should prioritize God and His will for us over Satan’s temptations. This is especially important when vulnerable and stressed, as we are weaker against temptations like anger.
For example, it’s easy to fall into the temptation of anger when your child makes a mess. But you should resist that temptation because it doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit, and it won’t lead you to a blessed life.
Instead, you should look to God’s word through Bible study, reading devotionals, and listening to podcasts that bring you closer to God.
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Ii Point #2 Of Jabezs Prayer
and enlarge my coast, 1 Chronicles 4:10.
The next part of the Jabez prayera plea for more territoryis where you ask God to enlarge your life so you can make a greater impact for Him.3
This chapter deals with what the author calls: the Jabez appointments, the Jabez opportunities, or Operation Jabez. All of these are really challenges to ones faith to ask God to do more and greater things in ones life and ministry.
Wilkinson suggests that the highest form of Jabezs prayer for more territory might sound something like:
O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for Your glory. Let me do more for You.4
Surely what weve cited here is commendable and challenging to ones faith in any dispensation, is it not?
What troubles me about Chapter 3, Living Large for God, is that no reference is made therein, even by way of example or illustration, to the ministry of the apostle Paul. Nor is there reference made to Pauls grace teaching, which is Gods highest level of motivational and instructional dynamic for living large for God!
To fortify and support this Pauline dynamic for Living Large for God, we want to look at just one example from Pauls teachings and how he applied this to his own life. This is the simple but profound principle of Grace in Service.
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Prayer Of Jabez Meaning
Before we explore what we can take from Jabez’s prayer today, let’s dissect it section-by-section.
There are four key parts to Jabez’s prayer.
First, Jabez asks God to bless him when he says,“oh, that thou wouldest bless me indeed.”
Next, Jabez asks God to enlarge his territory by asking that God “enlarge my coast.” It’s important to note that Jabez was likely referring to his spirituality and capacity to worship God here, not land.
Jabez then asks that God stay close to him, asking “and that thine hand be with me.”
Finally, Jabez finishes his prayer by fully surrendering to God and asking to be delivered from pain. Here, he says, “that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me.”
It’s interesting to note that Jabez doesn’t say “Amen” in his prayer, though the word “Amen” first appears in the Bible in the book of Numbers.
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Prayer Of Jabez Scripture
You can find the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10. It reads as follows:
“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.”
Who Was Jabez In The Bible
Jabez is a very minor character in the Bible. He was only ever mentioned a few times, all in the book of 1 Chronicle. In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, it is said that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ In Hebrew, the equivalent for Jabez means he causes pain. Also, in Jewish culture, it is common to give symbolic names for ones children. So, for the reason that her mother took great pain in giving birth to her son more pain than the usual childbirth she named him Jabez.
Also, in ancient Jewish customs, the name of a person somehow foretells his future. By naming her son Jabez, the mother is probably giving a vision of what is yet to come for her son. She may have seen that her son would have a bleak future, with his life full of pains and sorrows.
However, this was not so. Jabez defied all odds, including his supposed destiny, and became a man of fervent prayer. He believed so strongly in the power of God that he cried out to him boldly.
Because of his good relationship with God, Jabez was described as honorable in fact, more honorable than his brothers. For the author of the book of Chronicles to mention him, even briefly, tells us of the extraordinary character that this man displayed during his life. And the fact that he was named in the book means he had a very important role to fulfill as well.
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The Prayer Of Jabez: Breaking Through To The Blessed Life
Bruce Wilkinson. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life. The BreakThrough Series. Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Publishers, 2000.
In the BreakThrough Series Bruce Wilkinson attempts to share with believers the keys to punching through spiritual staleness into the realm of victory and blessing. Subtitled, Little Books, Big Change, the object of the series speaks for itself. It seeks to pack radical concepts of Christian living into a light, warm and readable format. The Prayer of Jabez is no more than 93 pages, the text on each page being as small as 1/4th of an 8 by 11 sheet of paper. Just as the name of the series, the preface to the book promises great things Wilkinson states: I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers. It is brief only one sentence with four parts and tucked away in the Bible, but I believe it contains the key to a life of extraordinary favor with God . With this lofty goal, the book embarks on a seven chapter exploration of each part of Jabezs prayer, found in 1 Chronicles 4:10. Each part seeks to principlize a particular portion of the prayer, and then apply it to the life of a New Testament believer.
For Wilkinson, Jabezs prayer encompasses what it means to lead a victorious Christian life and to be in the will of God. He even goes as far as to say that the very purpose of redemption is to experience the blessing of Jabez praying, which he describes this way:
How We Can Pray Like Jabez
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit .
Jabez prayed for four things:
1. That God would bless him
2. That God would enlarge his territory
3. That Gods hand might be with him
4. That God would keep him from evil
For a proper interpretation of his prayer, it should be read through a spiritually sound lens, not one of materialism.
Gods blessings are the real things that produce real effects. We can but wish a blessing: He commands it.
The enlargement of territory Jabez prayed for was deeply connected to the landscape of his heart. He left many disciples behind, not possessions. The territory of his heart expanded and overflowed to those around him.
That God would enlarge our hearts, wrote Matthew Henry, is to be our desire and prayer.
Jabez prayed for God to be with him. He also prayed God would protect him from being a Jabez! There is an allusion to his name in the original text! That he would keep him from evil, the evil of sin, the evil of trouble, and all the evil designs of his enemies, that they might not hurt him, nor grieve him, nor make him a Jabez indeed, a man of sorrow.
Jabezs Old Testament prayer can be aligned with the way Jesus taught us to pray . They think that they will be heard for their many words, Jesus said in Matthew 6:7-8. “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
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Who Wrote 1 Chronicles
Jewish and Christian tradition identified this author as the 5th century BC figure Ezra, who gives his name to the Book of Ezra Ezra is also believed to be the author of both Chronicles and EzraNehemiah. Later critics, skeptical of the long-maintained tradition, preferred to call the author “the Chronicler”.
Vi Point #6 Of The Jabez Prayer
And God granted him that which he requested 1 Chronicles 4:10.
Wilkinsons final chapter 7, is entitled: Making Jabez Mine. He challenges his readers to make the prayer of Jabez a treasured and life long habit. He suggests 6 steps to be followed, some each day, some once a week, others involving ones family, friends, and local church. From the authors personal experience, the Jabez Prayer and Principle is legitimate having contributed to his success in his personal life and ministry with Walk Thru the Bible, of which he is the founder and president. One cannot argue with the success of his ministry which he attributes to Gods grace and Jabez praying.14
Obviously Wilkinson does not suggest that all who pray the Jabez prayer, will experience the ministry successes as he has. But, none the less, one cannot miss that he has written The Jabez Prayer as a norm and standard for other believers to follow.
My thesis in this critique of the book, The Jabez Prayer, has been that Gods principle in prayer and the breaking through to the blessed life is to be found in Pauls letters to the Church, the Body of Christ. When we realize what the Jabez Prayer asks believers today to pray and practice, and when we realize what Pauls grace teachings claim that believers already possess in Christ, it should be easy to respond accordingly in faith.
And one final prayer:
Eph. 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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What Is The Prayer Of Jabez
The prayer of Jabez is a very short yet powerful prayer mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:10. It reads:
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.
Lets have a look at those lines carefully and analyze what they mean.
That you would bless me: Jabez knew that the God he believed in is the source of all blessings. For that reason, he asked God to bless him. And these blessings are more than just material they can also be spiritual blessings, like good relationships, peace of mind, a compassionate heart, and a gentle demeanor, among other things. God blesses us with spiritual as well as material blessings when we ask Him. So we should always be reminded that asking God for a blessing is not a bad thing.
And enlarge my territory: Territory here does not really mean physical land. Jabez is more concerned about making an impact for the Kingdom of God. It is not a literal land territory. This may not be obvious at first glance, but when we look at the spiritual meaning of this line, its different. Jabez prayed that God would enlarge the territory of his heart, that it may overflow to those around him. He wanted to reach others for the sake of Gods Kingdom.
V Point #5 Of Jabezs Prayer
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, see 1 Chronicles 4:9.
Chapter 6 of the Prayer of Jabez book is entitled: Welcome To Gods Honor Roll. Jabez is shown to be one of Gods favorites as God honored him beyond his peers. Simply put, God favors those who ask. He holds back nothing from those who want and earnestly long for what He wants.11
The author sees in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith chapter ordinary easy-to-overlook people who had faith in an extraordinary, miraculous God and stepped out to act on that faith.12
The point of this chapter seems to be that Gods highest reward is wrapped up in the principle of Jabezs prayer and even Paul is cited as proof that this should be pursued as in Philippians 13 3:14,
Phil. 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Surely Wilkinson is correct: God desires that believers earnestly long for what He wants. But is the prayer of Jabez the essence and totality of what God wants from believers today under grace? Isnt the prayer of Jabez that the believer would enjoy blessing and expanded/enlarged borders and deliverance from the evil one? When we analyze these components, it appears that the benefactor here becomes the one praying Jabezs prayer. And we understand that God has always desired to bless those who would believe Him and obey His Word see Hebrews 11:6:
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