“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” (1 Chronicles 4:10).
If you haven’t heard of Bruce Wilkinson’s little book, The Prayer of Jabez, you haven’t been inside a Christian bookstore recently where you stumble across the piles of little books which are being snatched up as though it reveals a secret formula for wealth, health, and riches.
Some approach this little prayer consisting of only 29 words in the English text as though it is a long-lost but recently discovered formula for getting about everything you want in life. “Pray these words every day,” advise some. One internet website says, “We pray for Joe’s toe and Jane’s pains and that is fine, but why not add Jabez’s major requests to [y]our prayer list and see big things happen…?”
Here’s what a little-known individual from the clan of Judah prayed, “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.” Five times Jabez uses the personal pronoun I, me, or my! Sounds pretty selfish, right? Getting things from God has always been popular, so vast numbers of people are praying this little prayer as a kind of mantra which they think will ensure that they are blessed above their fellows with handouts from heaven.
Yet, I have to say, that was not the attitude of Jabez because the priest who wrote the Chronicle telling about his life and prayer describes him as “more honorable than his brothers.” Furthermore, the record says, “God granted his request.” While you may fool others, you can’t fool God, who never rewards selfishness.
First, Jabez asked that God would bless him and enlarge his territory. Make a note of Psalm 1 where the psalmist begins by saying, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers” (Psalm 1:1). God doesn’t arbitrarily pass out blessings as a Santa Claus at Christmas, but He does bless those who honor Him and walk in the light of His word. No problem here.
He then prayed that God’s hand would be on him and protect him from harm. It is not simply missionaries who need God’s hand of protection as they cross shark-infested waters in a dugout canoe, but also moms who pack lunches and send their kids to school, and dads who face the hostility of a dog-eat-dog business world. They, too, need God’s hand of protection. Every time I go somewhere that could be dangerous, I remind myself that safety is not the absence of danger but the presence of the Lord.
Asking God to keep His strong hand upon your life is neither selfish nor wrong. It’s simply a reminder that if you are God’s child, He promised to never leave you or forsake you.
Jabez also prayed that God would keep him from harm so he would be free from pain. I’m also reminded that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me”—same idea, but Jesus added something which you should add to your prayer as well, “Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done!”
So, what’s the bottom line? Prayer isn’t working God to get what you want. It’s communication between you and God. Yes, it brings the blessing of God, but far more than that, it brings you into harmony with what God wants in your life and clears out the rubbish so He can fill you with Himself. It is His presence within your life that results in His blessing. And that’s a fact.
Resource reading: 1 Chronicles 4:9,10.
