If you have been in Christian circles for close to 25 years, you no doubt will recall a little book that was written by Bruce Wilkinson, co-founder of Walk Thru The Bible ministries. "The Prayer of Jabez" rose to fame quickly and was embraced by many. Although the publication held some questionable content, this short prayer still has much to teach us.
The only time the name Jabez is mentioned throughout scripture is in 1 Chronicles. He is described as being an honourable man whose name reflects his mother's painful experience giving him birth. Apparently, in Hebrew, the name Jabez sounds like the word for "distress". The only other detail we really know about him is that he was a man of prayer. In the list of genealogies, we pause for a moment as the prayer of Jabez is recorded.
Scripture is filled with prayers of faith, trust, longing, heartache, need, thankfulness and praise. They are all included as examples for us of what, where, when, how and why to kneel before the Lord. There really is power in lifting God's word back to Him. The prayers throughout scripture have been inspired by the Holy Spirit and teach us the necessity of coming before the Lord at all times with everything.
Although this particular prayer has been the center of controversary, to dismiss it completely is to dismiss words that God chose to include in His Holy Word. Since the only descriptive we have of Jabez is that he was a righteous man, regardless of how the world has interpreted his prayer, when Jabez voiced his plea, it came from a heart full of integrity. We know that his prayer was acceptable to God, because the Lord granted him his request.
This prayer is a beautiful example of recognizing God's grace and blessing. The foundation of this request was not so much for personal gain, but for the purpose of glorifying God. This had to be the intention from which it was lifted since the Lord took pleasure in answering favourably.
We don't know how God answered this prayer specifically, but we know His response must have included His presence, provision and physical protection. There are no details to how Jabez was blessed or how his territory increased. He could have received a larger land or property allotment, but he also could have experienced greater influence or impact. Jabez sought the Lord and trusted Him to do what was best.
Jabez prayer was effective because it was prompted by the Holy Spirit. The problem with the Jabez phenomenon years ago was that many regarded it as a new formula to get what they wanted from God. Emphasis was placed on the prayer, not on God. However, there are truths that give hope in this brief cry to the Lord that can't be dismissed. God can and does heal from pain. God doesn't prevent pain from touching our lives, but in His time and according to His will, He does release us from the heartaches we endure. The Lord also can broaden our influence when He sees a greater harvest for His glory. When advancement serves His purposes, His will prevails in expanding our territory. God also promises His presence with us, His strength to be sufficient and His grace to be enough.
In faith Jabez lifted this humble prayer and trusted in God's sovereignty. Surrendering complete dependence on the Lord, "God granted him his request". In the answering of his prayer, we see God as Provider, Protector and Comforter. We see the Lord blessing and being merciful. You see, the prayer was never about Jabez. It was always about God. A prayer that points to the attributes of Christ is always the right prayer to pray.
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