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| Pray Fervently [Yadni, Inc.] |
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" The prayer is composed of four parts.
· First, Jabez asks God to bless him.
· Second, he asks God to enlarge his territory or increase his responsibility.
· Third, he prays that God will be with him and stay close.
· Lastly, Jabez asks that God keep him from harm so that he will be free from pain.
The prayer of Jabez is very short and quick, but powerful. This reveals that Jabez puts all his trust into the Lord. Jabez is showing us that there is only one God and He should be the center of our work. God wants to bless every life. But first, we must make the choice to invite God into our life and ask for His blessings. Jabez wants to succeed and increase his share of influence for God. The specific share of influence is not important. What is important is that when we want to reach for our goals and accomplishments that we have God on our side. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
To commit our work to the Lord, He will establish our plans. We might be reluctant at first not knowing what lies ahead, but by simply committing ourselves to the Lord, the plans that we have, interrelated to his plans are already established by Him. It is equally important to stay close to God and rely on His continued support and guidance throughout life. Jabez clearly knows and prays specifically to the One who can protect him from evil and pain -- God. At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of this faithful prayer by granting it. It is also important to see that Jabez was passionate in his plea to God: "He cried out to the God of Israel." God wants to hear that we need Him through passionate prayer.
The struggle with choosing to rely on ourselves or God is always an ongoing presence. It does not matter if you are a well-rooted Christian or just a newborn searching to find out more about God. Life is a continuing process of learning and growing. The Prayer of Jabez definitely reveals that God is faithful in caring for those who love and seek Him. Jabez sets a great example of how God wants everyone to come to Him through constant, fervent, and passionate prayer.
Let’s make the year 2011 a year of a consistent fervent prayer. Building relationship with God is through prayer. God answers prayers when you trust Him.
