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In my prior post, I made a couple of tweaks to the prayer of Jabez. The original text reads: Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me […]
The Prayer of Jabez* is a short prayer and is found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; it is also the subject of a recent popular book by the same name. After a short, very short, bio of Jabez, his equally short prayer is given, followed by a concise commentary. Jabez’s five line prayer is: Oh, that […]
Though an entire book was later written about his prayer, we know little about Jabez from Scripture. The Bible only mentions him in two obscure verses, buried in a lengthy genealogy. We know even less about his mother, not even her name. We do know his birth is difficult, and the name she gives him […]
In my post “Omni God,” I mentioned that, among other things, God is “omnipotent.” This means that God possesses unlimited strength and has universal power and authority. The word omnipotent occurs in Amplified Bible, but most translations use “almighty” instead, often in the form of a proper name, as in the Almighty, God Almighty, Lord […]
When I study the Bible, I use multiple versions (translations), depending on my mood and goals. One version that I seldom use, however, is the New King James Version (NKJV). There’s no particular reason, it’s just how things have worked out. There is only one passage that I have memorized using the NKJV. It is […]
One final reflection on the Prayer of Jabez. The scant bio for Jabez, describes him as a good man, saying he “was more righteous than his brothers.” Righteous is a word that we don’t use too often nowadays but means to be morally upright. Jabez then was a good, morally upright person. Now, consider that […]
After Jabez’s short and concise prayer comes encouraging words of confirmation and affirmation. The Bible simply notes that “God granted him what he requested.” How exciting! Although I don’t know the mind of God, I suspect that had Jabez made his requests for selfish reasons, the results may have been different. Indeed this is something […]
The fifth and final line in Jabez’s prayer is “that I may not cause pain.” At first glance this is an unclear and somewhat wordy request. However, it can be reworded for clarity. To not cause pain, is simply to do good. Here Jabez is reminding himself — as much as he is telling God […]
The fourth line in Jabez’s prayer is: “that you would keep me from evil” If this request sounds vaguely familiar, there is a good reason. In the best-known prayer in the Bible, often called “The Lord’s Prayer,” there is the line “deliver us from the evil one.” Just as Jesus taught his followers to pray, […]
The third line of Jabez’s prayer is: “that Your hand would be with me” Having just asked God for greater blessing — in order to bless others — and more influence — in order to help others — Jabez realizes that he needs God’s direction and guidance so that he may proceed wisely and justly. […]