I woke up this morning, praying the prayer of Jabez. This prayer is one of the most poignant and straightforward prayers in the Bible. It’s just a few words long but loaded with a cry for transformation, the need for comfort and protection.
Who is Jabez In The Bible?
The prayer of Jabez is in the book of (1 Chronicles 4:10) Jabez was a descendant of Judah (David and Jesus came from this same line). According to the Bible, Jabez was a more honorable man than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez – and in biblical times, the name you were given could make you or break you. In the case of Jabez, his name was a hindrance to his life. The meaning of the name Jabez is ”he makes sorrowful” his mother gave him the name Jabez because she said she gave birth to him in sorrow and pain.
With a name like that in biblical times, you will not have a fulfilling, prosperous life. You are guaranteed a life of pain and sorrow, as his name suggested.
With this in mind, and Jabez being an honorable man and having a relationship with God, he decided to say a prayer to God to nullify the curse, his name brought to his life.
Here is the prayer – it is short but powerful.
1 Chronicles 4:10
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.
What a beautiful and heartfelt prayer. It is not a surprise that God granted him his request.
I have been praying this prayer for the past couple of months, and I can feel the move of God in certain areas of my life. Sometimes, the work of God in our lives can be fast and drastic, but more often than not, the work of God in our life is gentle and subtle. That is why we have to pray without ceasing. If you are praying for God to do a work in your life, keep praying, and do not give up. Perhaps add the prayer of Jabez to your prayers and watch God move in an unexpected way. Amen!
Yvonne
