Read 1 Chronicles 4 – 6
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. 1 Chronicles 4:10 KJV
This verse is popular with people, but it is often misused. Many believe all they need do is repeat it and wonderful things will happen. There certainly is power in prayer, and in the Word of God, but no portion of Scripture should be used as a lucky charm. Merely repeating the words will not cause good things to happen. Prayer is a conversation with the One who knows our heart. For it to be effective it must come from the heart. Having said that, the prayer of Jabez does provide a good pattern to follow; there are four parts brought to our attention in his prayer: (1) Bless me indeed. Lord, give what You know will make me happy. (2) Enlarge my coast. I want to enjoy more of the inheritance You have for me. (3) That thy hand might be with me. I need Your protective care in all that I do. (4) Keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. Sin will always rob me of Your joy.
Lord, I do want Your blessing in my life and to experience more of Your inheritance. May You be with me according to Your promise and protect me from those that would do me harm and from decisions that would bring harm on myself.
