The Prayer of Jabez personally applied

This morning as  I continued my daily reading plan to read through the Bible in one year, I read a familiar passage from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: The Prayer of Jabez.

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. ¹⁰ He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

As I finished the reading, I thought of lyrics to an original song composed more than twenty years ago:

The Prayer of Jabez

(I Chronicles 4:9-10)

Jabez called on the God of Israel,

And so I call on You as well

And pray the prayer that Jabez prayed.

He touched the heart of God when he said:

Oh, that you would bless me indeed,

Oh, that you would bless me indeed,

Oh, that you would bless me indeed,

And enlarge my coast,

And enlarge my coast,

And enlarge my coast,

And that your hand might be with me,

And that your hand might be with me,

And that your hand might be with me,

And that you would keep me from evil,

And that you would keep me from evil,

And that you would keep me from evil,

That it may not grieve me.

That it may not grieve me.

That it may not grieve me.

And as God granted Jabez all he asked,

So He will give us our heart’s desires

If we walk in faith and keep holding fast

To the promises of God,

To the promises of God,

To the promises of God.

The closing refrain also brought to mind a verse that I continually apply when reading the Old Testament: Romans 15:4 (New Living Translation):

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

The celebrated passage from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 also became the inspiration for the best-selling study by Bruce Wilkinson: The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life.

We conclude with a musical rendition of this well-known prayer by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers: