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The Prayer of Jabez

By Kate, Wednesday, January 07, 2009

I just got done reading Bruce Wilkerson's The Prayer of Jabez.  Maybe I'll get into my feelings about reading the book before I did, why I read it, and what I think now some other time, but not today.
 
If you aren't familiar with the prayer of Jabez, that refers to a few verses in a lineage passage of First Chronicles that stand out because they aren't lineage.  They say about Jabez that he was honorable and prayed this:
 
Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.
1 Chronicles 4:10 
 
The book advocates praying this exact prayer every day.  Well, that's not my style.  I might do that prayer, but only so long as it is the words I use as my heart sincerely cries out this:
 
God, I ask that you bless me, indeed.  I want your blessings.  Not some; all.  I want to be richly blessed according to your will and your measurements and your desires, not mine.  I want blessings for my family, my church, my friends... and I want you to use me to bring them about.
 
Enlarge my territory.  Bring me to a place where I can reach far beyond my little prayer room to impact in a mighty way, not to my glory but always to yours.  Enrich my territory.  I pray more than a breadth of enlargement that you make me more effective in my home, my church and my community, working through your power for meaningful encounters.  Help me to remember "meaningful" is on your timetable, your clock, your blueprints, your chart...not mine.
 
Oh, that your hand would be with me.  God, the prospect of bigger ministry frightens me when I pause to think about it.  The supernatural works I know you can work through me and that I ask you to work are doomed to failure if I lean on my own understanding; help me to only lean on you, my Rock and my Fortress.  Help me not withdraw from the blinding glory of your power and works, but draw nearer to you everyday and surrender all tasks to you.
 
Lord, keep me from evil, for I want not to bring harm and hurt.  Hurt to the works you are doing in me and through me; hurt to myself; hurt to my family, friends, church and community.  Remove my pride, so that I don't think I can battle even the smallest evil, but instead always wear the armor of your protection.  Help me flee from the evil I can, and supernaturally shield me from the evil I cannot.
 
Pf your goodness, I ask that you give me yourself.  I cannot be satisfied with anything less than You, so I cannot ask for less, either.
 
All these things I humbly pray in your son's name.  Amen.

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