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, Jabez is doing the same, asking for protection from the attacks of the devil.
Remember that Jabez has just asked for more blessings to bless others and for more opportunities to help others. The devil, opposing both those initiatives, will go after anyone attempting to do so.
This is why Jabez next asked for God’s help, following it with this request for protection.
[Read more on The Prayer of Jabez. See 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, NKJV and Matthew 6:13, NIV.]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
