the prayer of Jabez

Intersection of Life and Fai

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!  Let’s dive in and see how this Old Testament prayer can be applied today as we seek God’s provision and leading in our lives.

The Prayer of Jabez, 1 Chronicles 4:10 : 

“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.”

Five Lessons Jabez Teaches Us When Asking of God

1. The very first thing Scripture tells us about Jabez is that he cried to the God of Israel. Jabez states God’s lordship and headship over his life.  When you pray, begin by acknowledging who God is!

2. “That you would bless me” Jabez not only recognizes God as the one and only true God, he also acknowledges that blessings come from God alone.  Are you chasing broken promises and blessings that the world tries to entice you with? Are you striving toward prosperity on your own strength? When you pray, do it with a heart fully invested in the blessings of God.

3. “that you would multiply my territory” – Many think that Jabez is simply referring to physical land when asking to multiply territory. However, if we look at the lineage of Jabez we can understand that he is not merely speaking in terms of wealth and prosperity but in terms of impacting the kingdom of God. He wanted his spiritual territory to increase, to claim generations for the Lord of Israel.  Do you need to claim or reclaim some of the land Satan has taken from you? When you pray, ask God to multiply your territory and to do more through you!

4. “your hand be with me” – Jabez wanted God to be in every moment of his day. He understood the power of God’s hand to protect and to lead in the right direction. Blessings will become curses if it is not God's hand providing and guiding.  When you pray, request more than blessings and provision but that God’s hand would lead you through any circumstances and trials that come your way. THAT is the greatest blessing.

5. “keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain” The name Jabez literally means “born with pain”.  His own mother named him this because of the pain she endured in labor! When Jabez prays, he speaks against the testimony of his name and lets go of the shame it covered him in. When you pray, come to God vulnerable and ready for Him to turn your weakness into His glory. 

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God's plan for you to prosper

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:2-5

Is there actually a divine purpose behind the bad things that happen in your life? Could it be that the sicknesses and calamities you experience are somehow a part of God's plan for you? Before you can ever begin to experience the healing, delivering power of God, you've got to know the answer to those questions. You have to settle them once and for all. If you even suspect that God is the source of your misfortunes, you won't be able to believe Him for deliverance from them. Your faith will be crippled because you'll think that by escaping those things, you'll be opposing His will. In order to receive all the benefits God desires to give you, you must be absolutely sure that He is a good God. You must be certain that His will for you is health, not sickness; prosperity, not poverty; happiness, not sorrow-- 100 percent of the time! Psalm 103 alone is enough to prove that's true. But if it's not enough to convince you, there are many others too. One of the best known verses is Psalm 136:1 that says, "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." If religious traditions have robbed you of the goodness of God, if it's taught you He brings trouble into your life so He can teach you something, start today washing those traditions away with the truth.  Get out your Bible and let God Himself tell you through His own Word that He is the God that heals you (Exod. 15:26). Dig into the Scriptures and discover for yourself that He is a God of mercy (Ps. 86:5), loving-kindness (Jer. 9:24), and compassion (Ps. 145:8). Put your doubts to rest and open your heart to receive the truth about your heavenly Father. It's the only thing that can truly set you free.

 Covenant Prosperity

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant.

Deuteronomy 8:18

What is God's reason for prospering His people? Is it so we can watch bigger TVs? So we can buy finer houses and more luxurious cars?

Establishing God's covenant on the earth and giving to those in need: Those are God's purposes for prosperity!

I've had some people tell me, "Well, Brother Copeland, Jesus' ministry was poor and He got along just fine." That's ridiculous. All the way through the Old Testament God promised material blessings to anyone who would walk perfectly and uprightly before Him. If God had failed to bless Jesus financially, He would have been breaking His own Word.

Jesus never built a worldly empire for Himself. But that doesn't mean He was poor. It means He was the greatest giver Who ever walked the face of this earth--and it's about time we started following in His footsteps.

If we'll start giving, if we'll start taking care of the needs in people's pocketbooks, we'll be far more likely to win their hearts.

What do you think will happen to the heart of a starving nation when you bring in a 747 full of food, clothes and medical supplies to them in the Name of Jesus and His love? The hearts of those people are going to soften! They're going to be willing to listen to what we have to say about Jesus.

Don't you ever let anyone tell you it's wrong to want to prosper. It's wrong for you not to want to prosper when that prosperity can mean the difference between heaven and hell for millions of people.

Forget about your own little needs. Raise your vision and set your mind on giving to meet someone else's, on establishing God's covenant in the earth. Then stand fast in faith and get ready to enjoy the greatest prosperity you've ever known.

God is alive

The fool has said in his heart, “ There  is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There  is none who does good, No, not one.
Psalms 14:1‭-‬3 NKJV

Friedrich Nietzsche spent much of his life consumed with restless struggle and doubt. He was filled with questions. Born on this day in 1844 in Saxony (in present-day Germany), he came under the influence of Plato, Aristotle, Arthur Schopenhauer, and other philosophers who encouraged this skepticism.

As a result of his struggles, Nietzsche rejected commonly-held beliefs about religion. Defying traditional restraint, Nietzsche was one of the first thinkers to completely break with religion. He proclaimed the importance of human willpower, developing these ideas in a book called (in English) Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

He wrote about “super man,” and his conviction that “God is dead.” He proclaimed that there was no single “way,” and advised people to question all assumptions and “try out the ways themselves.” And he urged everyone to reject the influence of believers, to stop being like sheep following “herd” instincts.

For years, he struggled with health issues until he collapsed in 1889. He spent his last 11 years in mental asylums. But his ideas continued to gain momentum, even after his death. He remains influential today.

Many people have adopted the kind of questions and doubts he inspired. Like Nietzsche, many do not believe that God is real. They certainly don’t have a personal relationship with Him. They do not know that the message of the Bible proclaimed is true, that God not only exists, but He can be known by each of us.

Today, renew your faith in God. Don’t give in to the doubt and skepticism encouraged by men like Nietzsche. Remember: God is alive! He cares about you, and everything that is going on in your life. Call on Him right now!

Prayer

Father, thank You that You are alive! I rejoice that I can have a personal relationship with You. Take away my doubts, and fill me with Your peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.