"Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me [indeed] and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request."
-1 Chronicles 4:10 (mod. Amplified)
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There are four parts to this prayer of Jabez; a prayer that has received much comment over the years, and whether true of false, many Christians have their own personal views on it.
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I believe this:
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That "Jabez was blessed simply because he refused to let any obstacle, person, or opinion loom larger than God's nature. And God's nature is to bless."[1] We hardly ever live life through this perspective; God is seeking to bless our obedience.
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The part of the prayer I wanted to focus on is how we can ask God to 'enlarge our border,' that our influence might in time extend beyond where it does presently. Without God (and doing things his way), there is always limited growth in this life, whether it is in the secular life or spiritual life.
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No matter what we do, if we can approach life with a prayer similar to what follows, I believe we can realise growth and extension of our personal and public life boundaries:
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"O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for Your glory. Let me do more for You!"[2]
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We're all apt at thinking 'Expand my territory??; I'm doing enough already,' but we know that somehow, as our willingness to do more for God and for others increases, we're also blessed with the "ability and resources" to do it.[3]
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It's a risk. 'Do I overextend myself?' 'Will God back me with support?' Faith is required venturing into this sort of territory. No successful business person, minister, politician or humanitarian (and all good ones serve) has ventured out without taking this risk and step/journey of faith.
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Strangely, God works mainly throught the weak who are willing. Wilkinson says that "My willingness and weakness + God's will and supernatural power = my expanding territory."[4] When we are willing, he (God) is able.
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The reward for this chosen life-style of being the willing vessel of God's goodness is that boundaries expand and influence grows, without any planning and scheming on our behalf. This is the life where we "have a front-row seat in a life of [everyday, not supernatural] miracles."[5]
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Copyright 2008, Steven John Wickham. All rights reserved Worldwide.
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ENDNOTES:
[1] Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez - Breaking Through to the Blessed Life (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 2000), p. 29.
[2] Wilkinson, Ibid, p. 32.
[3] Wilkinson, Ibid, p. 36.
[4] Wilkinson, Ibid, p. 41.
[5] wilkinson, Ibid, p. 44.
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