FAITH IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS GOD’S BLESSINGS
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“Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.” – St. Augustine –
God calls us to pray. We are His people through whom He does His work. When we unite with Him in prayer, making ourselves available to His will, He can use us to change the world. Without this vital connection, we often wander without direction and miss out on His glorious plan for us.
“God shapes the world by prayer.” – E.M. Bounds
Nestled in the Old Testament, in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah, is a hidden gem of a prayer. Amidst the chronicling of the kings and royal lineage of Judah, the line of the promised Messiah, is a short biography of a man named Jabez. In two verses, we learn about this man of little renown… and his prayer of faith that is heard and answered by the almighty God.
The fact that this short bio is included among the names of the royal kings of Judah should give us pause for thought. Perhaps God wants us to take special note of Jabez and his prayer.
What do we know about this obscure man of God? Jabez, raised in a Jewish family, was a godly man, obedient to the will and purposes of Jehovah God. He is described as more honorable, more respected than his brothers. His mother bore him in pain… thus his name “Jabez” (“sorrow” in Hebrew).
Jabez’ prayer of faith is a heartfelt petition to his heavenly Father. Since Hebrew names were spiritually significant, often reflecting a child’s heritage and future hope, this prayer may be an appeal to overcome the curse of his name of sorrow and move into the blessing of God. Through this prayer, we discover secrets for how we can pray in faith.
“Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
Jabez seeks the blessing of Jehovah on his life. God longs to shower His children with love and kindness. We pray not only for His blessing upon our lives, but to remain under the umbrella of His favor and protection. Our sins cause us to step out from under this umbrella. When we repent and return to Him, He restores us to Himself.
…and enlarge my territory,
Jabez asks for new opportunities to glorify Jehovah. On our spiritual journey, we aspire to honor God with our lives. We may seek to express the fruit of the Spirit… or better reflect God’s glory to others. We may desire spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ… or greater courage and boldness to share the good news. We may endeavor to branch out into new areas of ministry… or even new locales to share the gospel around the world.
Like Jabez, we can pray for an expansion of our areas of influence for Him. If our heart’s motivation is to glorify God and advance His kingdom on earth, we dare not miss out on His divine plan for us by not asking.
…that Your hand might be with me,
Jabez requests Jehovah’s presence with him. As we step out in faith and in God’s blessing, we pray for Him to be with us. We ask for His guidance to lead our way… His power to do His will in us… and His success upon our ventures for His kingdom. If not done in His power and for His glory, our work will not be blessed.
…and that You would keep me from evil, so that it might not cause me pain.’
Jabez prays for Jehovah to be his safe haven. We pray for God’s hand of protection to be upon us… and to be free from the pain of undue suffering. Seeking to please our Lord and stepping out in ministry places a target on our backs. We appeal to the all-powerful One to be our shield, safeguarding us from all evil. United with Him, no weapon formed against us will prevail.
And God granted him that which he requested.” – 1 Chronicles 4:10
Why did the God of the universe answer this simple prayer by a humble man? We see the heart of Jabez in this prayer… a heart for Jehovah, His kingdom, His glory. We see the love of Jabez for His heavenly Father, cultivated by a living relationship with Him. We see the trust of Jabez in His faithful Lord who is always true to His promises. Thus God blesses Jabez.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments.” – John 14:13-15
God sees our hearts… and the motives behind our prayers. In the Book of James, we read that when we ask and do not receive, we are asking with the wrong motives (James 4:3). When we love God and seek to follow Him, we can ask anything of Him… boldly praying in the mighty name of His Son Jesus.
When our prayers align with God’s perfect will for us, He will answer. We trust in His faithfulness to give His best to us. He will bless us as we call to him, like Jabez, with prayers of faith. For faith is the key that unlocks God’s blessings.
Whether we are seeking to glorify God in a faraway mission field or in our home environs, we can use Jabez’ prayer of faith as a simple petition to our heavenly Father for His divine blessing, presence and protection.
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand might be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
so that it might not cause me pain.”
† Eternal Takeaway – God calls us to pray with hearts of faith †
