The Crying Prayer of Jabez
Just for your thoughts:
The Book of 1 Chronicles or the Book of Notes.
Bible Lesson Two.
The Crying Prayer of Jabez
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, ‘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).
In this book, the first nine chapters begin with Adam and end with the list of those who returned from the Babylonian exile.
In this list, nearly 900 to 1000 names are recorded. These nine chapters stand as proof of how carefully the Jews preserved their ancestral history.
Among all these names appears the name Jabez. He belonged to the tribe of Judah. However, he does not seem to be directly in the messianic line of David. His name does not appear in the direct genealogy of David. He is only found as part of the broader genealogy of the tribe of Judah, but not as a direct ancestor of David.
Why then did God cause his name to be written in Scripture? We do not fully know. But we do see that the five petitions Jabez placed before God were immediately answered by Him:
That God would bless him.
That his territory might be enlarged.
That God’s hand might be with him.
That evil would not come near him.
That evil would not bring him sorrow.
What events are recorded in history, and what events are omitted—all this depends on the sovereignty of God.
The main reason why God listened to Jabez’s prayer is that he must have been a man worthy of having his petitions heard. Though Jabez was not in the direct messianic line, still God made sure his name was recorded in the Bible. Surely some special quality must have been seen in this man of God. That is why God remembered him, blessed him, and made his name known.
When we examine this closely, we understand one truth: Even an ordinary man, though afflicted by sorrow, if he does not give up but seeks God, his life will be blessed.
The spiritual lesson we learn is this: In his prayer Jabez cried out, “Bless me, enlarge my territory, let Your hand be with me, and let my pain be taken away.” (as translated in the Srilanka Tamil Bible translation)
We must take this petition in a spiritual sense:
God must bless our ministry.
The boundaries of our ministry must be enlarged.
The schemes of Satan must be overcome.
We must be protected from trials so that we do not grow weary.
When such spiritual petitions are made with tears and earnest supplication, surely God will hear and give us victory.
The prayer of Jabez, though short, is considered one of the most beautiful and desirable prayers for all.