For a little over a year now, I have been centering my prayer life around two passages of Scripture. The obvious one is Matthew 6:9-13. We know it as the Lord’s prayer or the disciples’ prayer. I use it as an outline to sort of organize prayer around the topics Jesus articulated:

• Acknowledgement (Our Father, in Heaven)
• Worship (Hallowed be Your Name)
• Allegiance (Your Kingdon come; Your will be done…)
• Provision (Give us today our daily bread)
• Humility (Forgive… as we forgive others)
• Dependency (Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil)

The second passage is a little less well known. A year ago, I was asked to bring a devotion for my Regional Team’s summit. I was given the text found in one obscure verse in the Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 4:10. Often referred to as The Prayer of Jabez, the reads this way:

Now Jabez called on 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 that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!”

And God granted him what he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:10)

This text has become a regular extension of the outline from Matthew 6. Allow me to sketch it out.

Bless me indeed

I first acknowledge that I am approaching God from a place of profound blessing. I have been “blessed… with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) I have been blessed in life in innumerable ways. From the home I live in, to the family God has given me… to provision, friends, ministry opportunities and partners. All my life, God has been so, so good to me. I am blessed, indeed! 

And yet, I want to live in such a way that I recognize the day-to-day blessings God continues to pour into my life. “Bless me Indeed” is not a command to call down health, wealth, and prosperity. It is a reminder of dependency upon God for every element of success or provision… and the importance of pointing my heart toward contentment and gratitude.

“Father, I pray that You would bless me indeed!  I acknowledge that I speak from a place of profound blessing. I thank You for specific people… provision… placement… etc. Help me to live today in dependency upon Your blessing in my life. Keep me humble and grateful.”

Enlarge my border

I want to be a Kingdom-seeker. I don’t want or need more property. My heart’s greatest desire is for His Kingdom to be advanced and His will to be done. With that in mind, I pray that He increase my Kingdom footprint… that He extend the boundaries of my influence for His purpose. It’s not that I believe I am especially …special. I am not a super-ANYTHING. But I am convinced that God uses ordinary, bland people to do extraordinary things in the greater Kingdom reality.

As I pray this way, it conditions my heart to watch for God might be drawing me into. We talk about Him opening doors for us. I watch for those doors. Some are more open than others… some are open for me, and some are not. But when I see them, I pray over them… even pry at opening them when I feel led. If God is expanding my kingdom influence, the door often opens to me. But if it doesn’t, because I am seeking God to do the extending, I don’t have to take anything personally or manipulate circumstances to get “my way”.

“God, extend my borders of influence for Your Kingdom. And give me the wisdom to say yes ONLY to You and not take the “closed doors” personally. Your Kingdom come; Your will be done in my life as in heaven.”

That Your hand might be upon me

Praying that God would extend my Kingdom influence can come across as arrogant or a “be careful what you pray for” overstep. I recently had a church member ask me about my prayer habits. When I told him I had incorporated the “Prayer of Jabez” into my daily routine, his response was one of caution. He was concerned because asking God to enlarge my borders could get me into trouble. I get it. It’s easy to get concerned with the thought that God might put too much on my plate… or give me an assignment beyond my natural abilities. But God is not a “you asked for it” sort of God.

I believe that, asking God’s hand to be upon me, is recognition that I need His direction as I approach the door I mentioned before. AND, I need His enabling to accomplish the things He calls me to.

As a pastor, I have heard the phrase “God won’t give you more than you can handle” too many times. An honest study of Scripture reveals that statement to be a lie. In fact, I think it’s accurate to say the Bible teaches that God almost always gives us more than we can handle – on our own. I could look to Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel …even Paul and the early church, and many more. Those stories don’t highlight extraordinary men but a gracious God whose hand was upon these common individuals, empowering them to fulfill God’s call on their lives. When I pray for God’s hand to be upon me, I am asking for God’s grace and equipping to be effective in the calling He has for me.

Lord God, I look not to my strengths or abilities to answer Your call. But as You extend the boundaries of my influence, I ask for Your hand of provision to be the source of my strength in every area of equipping. Help me to depend upon and trust in You and not my strength – right from the beginning.

That You would keep me from harm

I’m not entirely sure what Jabez meant when he prayed these words. But when I pray them, my mind goes in two directions.

First, I pray God help to keep me from harming anyone else. Especially with my words or personality. I can be caustic and abrasive, even “passionate” when I address people and situations. I love the truth. I never want to back down from the truth. But Scripture calls me to “speak the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15) If the truth offends or hurts someone’s feelings, so be it. But I never want my delivery of the truth to be so callous or insensitive that I cause harm.

Further, I want to be mindful of peoples’ need to be encouraged. There are more than enough Christians who seem to have the “gift” of playful insult and joking. I pray God gives me the grace and courage to engage in edifying my brothers and sisters… not tearing them down – not even in “joking around” with them.

Lord, keep me from harming others with my words, actions, or attitude. May I always stand upon truth and deliver it without shrinking back. But allow to always see the worth of the other person as an image bearer of You and treat him or her with respect and dignity.

Second, I pray that God would keep me from being harmed by others. I long to be unoffendable. I pray that I would not take the words or expressions of others personally and not take myself so seriously that I can’t “take a joke” or honest criticism.

My identity is secure in Christ. The words others use… the attitude they may present… none of these are not my source of worth. That is not to say that the criticism (even the insults) do not sometimes have a ring of truth. I pray for the wisdom to sift that out and apply it as appropriate.

Father, please help me to not take myself so seriously. Help me to become unoffendable so that all of my energy is used to build others up and advance the Kingdom rather than sulking over the words or actions of others. Help me to forgive quickly, as you have forgiven me.

That it would not pain me

Once again, I am not certain that this is what Jabez had in mind… but I pray for my physical and mental health at this place. I ask God to extend my life on earth if it is His will. And to keep me reasonably healthy physically. I realize that suffering and sickness are the anticipated results of the Fall. However, I ask for physical health… that I might serve Him.

I also ask that God protect my mental sharpness. I gladly surrender to God’s will. But I pray that He protect me from the effects of dementia and other cognitive disorders that plague the aged. It is my prayer that my mind, body, and spirit compliment my service to God and not hinder it.

Father, You have been so good to me… protecting my health and the general health of my loved ones. As I continue to imperfectly steward the gift of this body, I ask that You keep me strong and healthy. Protect me from unseen illness and harm.  I pray for a long life in service to Your Kingdom. I, likewise, ask that you protect my mind from the cognitive effects of getting older. I desire to love the Lord, my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength until my last day in this body. I recognize that I am dependent upon Your grace and protection to do that.

I am Yours

You are the King and I surrender to Your Kingdom in every area of my life. It is Your power that holds the universe in place… Your power that draws men to repentance… Your power that works mightily in and through me. Help me abide in You and so bear fruit that honors You. …apart from Your power and presence I can do nothing. Father, I recognize that I cannot add to Your glory and Your holiness. But I wish to live in such a way that Your glory is reflected in and through my imperfect life.

I stand in the name of Jesus, my Savior. Amen