With unwavering faith, Jabez placed this entire matter in the hands of God — and there are no more reliable, or more capable, and no more powerful hands than those of our sovereign God. Though they may have been born into a people who were under God’s judgment, that curse could be transformed into a blessing by God’s hand, which is stretched out in response to His people’s prayer. Dr. Steven J. Lawson is founder and president of OnePassion Ministries. Moreover, his name, Jabez, means, “He will cause pain,” a perpetual reminder of the agony he caused during delivery. But after The Prayer of Jabez book became a bestseller, almost all Christians had heard of him. (1 Chron. But we are to pray remembering God’s promise to conform us to the life of Jesus, whose way to blessing runs through the path of suffering first, glory later. Riding a tidal wave of surging popularity, few Christian books have burst onto the publishing scene and been as widely received as The Prayer of Jabez (Multnomah, 2000). He was the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who certainly deserved to be honored above all His brothers. The Prayer of Jabez claims, “I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers.” The word always in that sentence is presumptious. Jabez had been allotted a large territory, and Jabez pra… The Real Prayer of Jabez. Riding a tidal wave of surging popularity, few Christian books have burst onto the publishing scene and been as widely received as The Prayer of Jabez (Multnomah, 2000). Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my … But we haven’t finished with Jabez until we see the contrast that his experience poses to that of another descendant of Judah many centuries later. Jabez’ prayer was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The very first thing Scripture tells us about Jabez is that he cried to the God of Israel. The Chronicler tells us that Jabez, a descendant of Judah, was more honored than his brothers (rather than “more honorable,” as most of our English translations render it: the Hebrew word describes attitudes toward someone, not necessarily their behavior). everyone of us needs answers. Prior to the year 2000, few people had ever heard of Jabez. Accordingly, Jabez prayed for this increase in land. The work of the kingdom is to bring about what God has already promised to do. There’s nothing at all wrong with using a verse of scripture to pray, but how you pray with it can be a problem. 4:10a), the divine name meaning the Supreme One, Mighty Ruler, and Sovereign Lord (Gen. 1:1). Posted by Padre on February 10, 2020 The prayer of Jabez and the man himself are two seemingly minor aspects of the Bible’s Old Testament. Not because Jabez used the right formula in prayer. As lowly servants before our exalted King, we should make certain that our prayers are always humble requests, never haughty demands. The Prayer of Jabez Meaning & Lessons. He is on Twitter @DrStevenJLawson. January 08, 2018. by Iain Duguid. We are all like Jabez in that sense, born under a curse, headed toward a life of pain and futility. PRAYER OF JABEZ. For God is not a genie to be conjured out of a bottle and used for one’s own personal ends. 1. Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray for their “daily bread” (Matt. Donate Now. Jabez Understood The Power Of Prayer. Out to the prayer God I prayed to the God of Israel. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits, Gottschalk: Standing on Augustine’s Shoulders, The Holiness of God: 2009 National Conference. Of course it is. Publication date 2001 Topics Jabez (Biblical figure), Bible. Due to the richness and meaning of the Hebrew tongue, the latter part of the Jabez' prayer would more accurately be read as, "May I not be worn down or sorrowed by my toil, but find fulfillment and joy in my work and that my work would endure." Specifically, Jabez asked, “Enlarge my border” (v. 10c), thereby requesting that God would expand his territory by defeating his enemies, the Canaanites, expelling them from the adjacent territory. By appealing to this name, he acknowledged that God providentially reigns over all the works of His hands (Ps. His mother named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God Curse was not the destination that this descendant of Judah had been born into. The Whole Armor of God: How Christ's Victory Strengthens Us for Spiritual Warfare. Yet, despite such a difficult entrance into this world, there was a divinely scripted plan for his life, sovereignly orchestrated for God’s glory and his good. God desires us to petition Him for all good things needed to fulfill His will, even for physical provisions (James 4:2). Prayer, Suffering, Prayer Of Jabez Prayer Points. The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson Lesson I “Be A Gimper” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 KJV 9) And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. The prayer of Jabez also tells us something of the Old Testament understanding of the work of God's kingdom. Tucked away in a long genealogical record (1 Chron. Our usher has a gift for you. Fix that problem! 103:19). Todd Wagner, Cooper Wagner, and Emma Dotter answer some of the questions you’ve sent in over the last month. Most people, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and non-religious people alike, have little to no knowledge of either the man or the prayer. Dr. Iain Duguid is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and founding pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Glenside, Pa. His extraordinary piety is well documented in that a city was named after him, a place where “the families of scribes” gathered (1 Chron. The prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. But the Father in His grace declined to let the cup of pain and woe pass from Jesus. What Is the Prayer of Jabez? Is Wilkinson’s teaching true to the full counsel of God? I have compiled some prayer points inspired by the prayer of Jabez to help you wage spiritual warfare against foundational problems. He will faithfully guide us to and through His plan for our lives—the good and the suffering. 4:9–10 NIV). This man’s name means “salvation,” and He also prayed to His Father to deliver Him from the cup of pain and woe that was set in front of Him. The prayer of Jabez is a perfect example. The Ligonier Ministries site requires Javascript, but you’ve got Javascript disabled. June 24. by Iain Duguid. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, … The prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4 is remarkable, but not for the reasons it has often been celebrated in contemporary evangelicalism. 2:55). 2. Chronicles, 1st, IV, 10 -- Prayers -- History and criticism, Prayer -- Christianity Publisher Multnomah Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; … Jabez was more honored than his brothers. Oh that you would bless me say that out loud right where you are ready. It reads: “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! It is brief — only one sentence with four parts…but I believe it contains the key to a life of extraordinary favor with God.… In fact, thousands of believers who are applying its truths are seeing miracles happen on a regular basis.” But is the prayer of Jabez really the single greatest key to a spiritual life that is pleasing to God? To Jabez, God is both infinite and intimate, both accessible and able to answer his prayers. Instead, it teaches us to seek God faithfully. Hardly. It is a little book called “The Prayer of Jabez.” Please be seated. Christ had no evil for which He should experience pain, yet He was cut off for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. God hears and answers his prayer, and he is blessed. Of His glory there shall be no end. In other words, Jabez asked God to miraculously transform his pain and his name into something beautiful. & The Ministry and Life of Christ. The Real Prayer of Jabez. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Every household enemy, resisting my breakthroughs, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus. Your gift enables our worldwide outreach. To be sure, the motive of every prayer must be for the glory of God, not the greed of man. I was at a conference recently and one of the attendees said she kept the prayer of Jabez affixed to her bathroom mirror and wanted to know if this prayer is okay. Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. When He alone is magnified, we will be truly blessed indeed. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life is a book by Bruce Wilkinson published in 2000 by Multnomah Books as the first book in the "BreakThrough" book series. Now we're beginning to get into the prayer that we're gonna break down, he cried. ‎Show Real Truth Real Quick, Ep Episode 1: Prayer of Jabez, Passion Translation, 1 Corinthians 11:10, and Transgender Pronouns - Aug 2, 2020 ‎In this full length episode of Real Truth. In this, he asked for God’s supernatural protection to be upon him throughout this conflict. First published in Tabletalk Magazine, an outreach of Ligonier. Yet, as his story unfolded, the pain that surrounded his birth was not what defined him. O.T. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”. Those with doctrinal moorings and spiritual discernment know that this simplistic approach to the Christian life is an inadequate means by which to view God, true spirituality, and prayer. He had no offspring, no earthly inheritance, no children, no house, no possessions. “Oh that you would surely bless me” is a reversal of “You shall surely die” in Genesis 3. God s mighty hand was using the prayer to change lives in both small and dramatic ways. In petitioning God, Jabez prayed, “Oh that you would bless me” (v. 10b). 4), Jabez emerges from relative obscurity as one who “was more honorable than his brothers” (v. 9). When The Prayer of Jabez first released in 2000 and sold nine million copies in two years, Bruce Wilkinson s mailbox was flooded with countless personal stories of answered prayer. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Then Jabez is mentioned again in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Such an illustration is unrealistic as it is picturesque – rather than being an uphill battle, or a struggle of faithfulness (Mark 14:38), the prayer of Jabez is almost given magical properties: In the days of Moses and Joshua, God had promised that He would give the Promised Land to Israel. Jabez is actually praying for legacy, permanence and fulfillment. So we should certainly pray like Jabez did, trusting God to transform our native curse into a blessing. It involves human effort, each one carrying out the task appointed to him. THE POWERFUL PRAYER OF JABEZ 1Chronicles 4:9-10 reads: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. That is, he asked God to extend His undeserved favor toward him. But, ultimately, God is sovereign and will answer prayer as He wills, not as man wills. The Father will certainly not decline His request: Jesus will receive all the nations of the earth as His inheritance (Ps. The prayer of Jabez is not a mindless mantra that God always answers, chanted for self-advancement. Is it right to ask God for material things? His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.' For the original audience of the book of Chronicles, who had been through the experience of the divine curse in the shape of expulsion from their homeland and who had now returned there, this was good news indeed. The Jabez prayer is found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. A spiritually strong man, he was highly esteemed in his day, more virtuous and upstanding than others. The prayer of Jabez is a very short yet powerful prayer mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:10. Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” Let’s have a look at those lines carefully and analyze what they mean. But He is indeed now more honored than all His brethren. The Prayer of Jabez is a faithful submission to the firm establishment of God’s will in our lives. " It is based on the Old Testament passage 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Prefacing this work, author Bruce Wilkinson writes, “I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers. Exploring the Prayer of Jabez! Rather, God sovereignly chose to be glorified through Jabez in answering his petition. The point is not that Jabez’s prayer has some kind of magic power in its words. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Instead, it teaches us to seek God faithfully. Please keep standing. The book is seriously plagued by the following things: First, an inadequate view of prayer, trivializing its truly profound nature; second, a misguided focus upon prosperity, overtly emphasizing miracles and financial blessings; third, a defective doctrine of providence that fails to see God sovereignly and actively involved in all of life. Jabez was more honored than his brothers. The point is that Jabez’s God has awesome power to change a person’s destination from curse to blessing. I challenge you to write out the prayer of Jabez and to begin praying it every day with a sincere heart. But do we PRAY over those things we want God to bless and take care of. Blessing, after the Fall, is usually contrasted with cursing (see, for example, Gen. 12:3). The way to be truly great is to be truly good and to pray much ." When He alone is … Jabez prayed and God transformed his situation from curse to blessing. His prayer is that God would transform his life, bless him, and allow him to not be a person of grief or a person who caused grief. 6:11; Luke 11:3). Let your hand be with me, and keep… It is the same sort of presumption that false prosperity gospel teachers use when they essentially teach the Bible as a book of promises you can claim for material blessings if you just have enough faith. 10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, The prayer of Jabez is one of the most intimate prayers in the scriptures, yet it is the most widely misunderstood and misused. To be sure, all God’s servants are exposed to constant danger and desperately need divine protection from Satan’s relentless assaults. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Moreover, Jabez requested “that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain” (v. 10e). The Real Prayer of Jabez. So was the case when Tina asked me to do this devotional. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Devotion: The Prayer of Jabez I often struggle when someone asks me to pray about something and then says, “Just pray about it and let me know your thoughts.” It’s not so much me remembering to pray about the request, but it’s waiting on God for the answer that is my challenge. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. Jabez states God’s lordship and headship over his life. Instead, it teaches us to faithfully seek God, who supremely does as and when He pleases. Moreover, He is the God “of Israel,” closely related to His chosen ones (Amos 3:2). we are all struggling with something. & The Ministry and Life of Christ, Jabez was more honored than his brothers. So as we come here, it says Jabez was more honorable in verse ten jabez cried out to God. He has written numerous books, including The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield, John Knox: Fearless Faith, and The Moment of Truth. people try to ack like they so tough, but get them alone or drunk, and they’ll sing like canaries. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.' In only its sixth year of circulation, this brief, ninety-three-page book has sold a staggering ten million copies, pushing its way to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. When we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him. Editor’s Note: This post was first published on January 8, 2018. In our modern day I see a lot of Christians say, “Oh, yeah God is going to bless me.” …”Oh, He’s a good God He will take care of that!”. Jabez prays to be kept from evil so that the pain of the curse might not come upon him. But The Prayer of Jabez, quite frankly, suffers from a deficient theology. Prayer, Suffering , & The Ministry and Life of Christ. Leave behind any low expectations, and ask God for BIG blessings! Unfortunately, many well-meaning evangelicals have been swept up in this trendy phenomenon. Nor because he somehow manipulated God. Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' I am asking you to commit to praying this prayer of Jabez for thirty days. , it teaches us to and through his plan for our iniquities Israel,,. Blessed indeed hearts, we should certainly pray like Jabez did, trusting God to transform our curse... Sent in over the last month prayer as he wills, not as man wills establishment of God headed a! 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