By Pastor Jomo Cousins, PhD
1 Chronicles 4:10 (AMP)
10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my border [property], and that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me!” And God granted his request.
The Prayer of Jabez is a powerful testimony of not allowing your past to determine your future. His mother named him Jabez, meaning “I gave birth to him in pain,” and it also means ‘sorrow maker.’ Can you imagine being named pain?
I have seen so many people hindered in life through various things that had nothing to do with them. Jabez had nothing to do with what caused his mother her pain. She was in pain because she was pregnant and in labor. Her pain was not his plight. Her pregnancy was a situation created between her and Jabez’s father. There are so many people in life dealing with the challenges and shortcomings of people they’re connected to.
The first thing that Jabez asked God for was the blessing. The blessing is the empowerment to prosper.
The second thing that Jabez asked of God was to expand his territory.
The Bible is a spiritual book on kingdom real estate. All of its teachings place emphasis on the expansion of God’s territory. God wants us to expand His territory so we can expand His influence on the earth.
The third thing that Jabez asked for was for God’s hand to be with him. Believers we could do nothing without God, and we need God’s hand on everything we do in this life. If God’s hand is on what we’re doing, nothing can stop us. Jabez was asking for God’s wisdom and God’s guidance in his daily living.
His final request was for God’s protection. Believers, the devil is a genuine enemy. John 10:10 tells us, “the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” On a daily basis, we don’t know what life has in store. The hedge of God’s protection is essential.
The Bible says, “and God answered his prayer.”
Except from: Prayer Life: The Conversation, Page 84
