Fast Day 19

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So, God granted him what he requested. 

Author Bruce Wilkerson wrote a book based on these verses called “The Prayer of Jabez.” We are going to take some time to pray through the prayer of Jabez today. These are the only two verses written about Jabez, but what we know about this prayer that makes it stand out is: “God granted him what he requested.”

Prayer Focus

Here are the four areas of prayer: 

  1. For God to bless you and increase His favor on your life.

“Oh, that you would bless me…” 1 Chronicles 4:10

  • This is not a selfish prayer, or praying outside the will of God. We should pray for God’s blessing on our life today. What areas of your life do you want God to bless?

2. For God to enlarge your territory 

1 Chronicles 4:10 “…that you would enlarge my territory…”

In what ways does God want to enlarge your territory? Pray over these areas.

  • Pray also for courage, strength, and faith to step out in ways you have not before.

  • Pray for the church that God would enlarge our territory and give us more influence in this region.

3. For God to give us guidance and clarity for the future.

“…and that your hand would be with me.” 1 Chronicles 4:10

  • God’s hand speaks of His guidance and His direction.

  • Where are you needing His guidance and direction today?

  • As He gives us the direction, let’s have the faith to step out, remember “You cannot steer a parked car.” 

4. For God to keep you from temptation, sin, and failure.

“…That you would keep me from evil, so it does not hurt me!”

  • We should ask daily for protection from the evil one, which is one of the things Jesus taught the disciples when they were learning to pray “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)

Crossing Church