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
What makes this prayer so extraordinary? This one-verse prayer pictures Jabez's rich relationship with God. Jabez had a big view of God, consistent with the blessing prayer of Aaron (Num 4:24-26), the "Give me this mountain" prayer of Caleb (Josh 14:12), the "be with me" prayer of Moses (Exo 33:15, 34:9), the "keep us from evil" petition of the Lord's Prayer (Mat 6:13), and the assurance in Jeremiah 33:3 that when we call, God will come and answer.
The heart of Jabez was bent toward God, so this is a very worshipful prayer. Jabez desired the signature of the favor of God on his life. He saw himself as a partner with God, wanting God's best. God had a birthright for him written in heaven, so Jabez asked faith-sized requests. He showed great faith that God can do what he was asking, because all things are under his hand. He has all authority, he has all things. God is owner of everything, and Jabez was his steward. Jabez was aware of his dependence on God, for his favor and the sufficiency of his nearness.
Is your view of God big enough? How big is your God?
Join Jabez and pray like this:
Give me a double portion of blessings, and when they come, let me not misjudge them with my mind. Open my heart's understanding of Your ways. Let me not confine You to the levels of my comprehension. Move me from relating to You only with my mind to meeting You in the fullness of relationship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Enlarge the boundaries I have enclosed You in, the limits I have put on You. Let me know the constant surprise of following You to unfamiliar places. Make me willing to follow You to narrow places, when I want to freelance my own path back to the broad and familiar place of my comfort zone or experience (Prov. 3:5-6).
Be with me. I want to know You (Jer. 9:24). You share Your treasures with me when I am desperate for You yourself, not just for Your answers. Open my ears to what I cannot hear at present.
Keep me from wickedness, evil thoughts or actions, and wrong (Jer. 15:21). Do for me what I cannot do. Except for what You permit to teach my hands to war, hedge me in from malignant, injurious, hurtful, unpleasant attacks that cause mischief, unhappiness, and pain. Give me grace to be strong in You, Lord. Victory doesn't depend on me (Exo. 14:13-14).
Let my sacrifices of praise, intercession, and obedience be acceptable to You, as I worship You with reverence and awe (Ps. 141:2, Heb. 12:28).
