WTM JOURNAL
by Yuri Solomon And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (1Ch 4:9-10) Yuri Solomon holds degrees from Gospel Ministry Outreach Theological Institute and the College of Biblical Studies. He is author of the book Biblical Masculinity. More info @ www.wordtalkonline.orgThe Life Prayer of Jabez
8/03/2010 / Devotionals
Here we do not have crisis prayer, ceremonial prayer, or devotional prayer, but rather a life-long prayer, that God will guide one out of pain and into purpose. This is the constant and continual prayer of every born again Christian. It is a prayer that God make one both useful and fruitful. Such a path in any life is most certainly a path paved in prayer. Every Christian ought to have a life-long prayer for life-transformation.
"HIS MOTHER CALLED HIS NAME JABEZ, SAYING, BECAUSE I BARE HIM WITH SORROW." Yet only God can make you helpful and not hurtful. Only God can change a man who at birth was named pain, sorrow, grief, trouble only God can cause our performance to line up with our intention. Only God can give us the goodness of purpose, the knowledge of maturity, the self-control of freedom, the patience of endurance, the godliness of power, the kindness of fellowship and the love of sacrifice. What a prayer, "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed!"
It is to be noted by way of introduction that "JABEZ WAS MORE HONOURABLE THAN HIS BRETHREN" yet this accolade is not affirmed in riches and great estate, magisterial office, or victorious warfare, but by a fervent life-long prayer. Jabez was a praying man. All of His successes, all of His accomplishments, all of His fulfillment must be attributed to prayer. It was prayer that allowed him to live above his name. It was prayer that allowed him to live beyond the borders of pain. It was prayer that allowed him to live in the daily blessings of God.
Jabez is a product of providence. He did not put in an application to be born as an agent of sorrow. Yet Jabez was born in pain. He was expected to only be a source of pain. And he, himself was in pain. He could have cried and said everybody else's grass is greener, everybody else's sugar is sweeter, everybody else's water is wetter, or he come to the realization that his beginning did not have to dictate end. He had no control over the situation to which he was born but he did have a responsibility to the situation wherein he was born. What a prayer, "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed!"
And Jabez did respond: "AND JABEZ CALLED ON THE GOD OF ISRAEL". He responded not, in anger but in prayer; not in ambition but in prayer; not in anxiety, but in prayer, not in ambition and blame, but in prayer. Is there any other response that could be called adequate? Is there any other response that could be deemed sufficient? Is there any other response that would even due? ...connected to God, in touch with the master, connected to His mind, connected to His resources, connected to His heart, connected to His character of mercy of grace, of wisdom and of love.
You might be a child born out of wedlock, cry out, Lord bless me indeed. You might be a product of divorce, but cry out, Lord bless me indeed. You might not even know your daddy's name or whereabouts but cry out, "Lord bless me indeed." If you loss your parents when you were young, if you had to drop out of school to work, if they said you wouldn't be anybody ; you would never amount up to anything.... If they called you everything but a child of God... seems like everyone is against you... I dare you to pray "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed!"
Jabez says "Bless me indeed"... Every Christian has been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places; however, the Christian enterprise is to move positional spiritual blessings in heavenly places, to practical spiritual blessings in earthly places. In other words, I know I will be like Jesus when I get to heaven, but how can I become more like Jesus right now on earth.
A prayerful life does not only indicate that you trust God, but that God can trust you. Prayer is the foundation for the reward of an enlarged coast. In other words, the king can trust you with providential territory; because, you will prayerfully depend on the King to do the Kings business. How can we expect God to trust us with more of His stuff when we talk to Him so little and sometimes not at all? The overwhelming nature of doing the work of God demands not only prayer, but much prayer, not only much prayer but a life-long prayer. When face with a demanding day, Reformed Theologian Martin Luther said, "I have a busy day today, instead of praying for 2 hours, I'm going to pray 3 hrs." A call to much duty is a call to much prayer. Daily prayer will guarantee God's success everyday. Daily bread will guarantee that you know the baker well. And that's all God wants, absolute dependence, absolute devotion, and absolute dedication. This starts with beseeching God to make you and mold you into a useful vessel. What a prayer!
Make me more useful in His mighty hand; Make me more useful in His perfect will; Make me more useful among His beloved people; Make me more useful as a transforming agent; Make me more useful as a spirit-filled believer. Bless me indeed Lord... Make me a well-pleasing son Lord... Make me worthy of a "well done"... Let me come to the garden like your only begotten Son, and pray, in that hour, the prayer of absolute submission, "Not my will but thy will be done." And that prayer was enough that prayer took him all the way.