Bringing Back the Prayer of Jabez

"Christianity as a Religion of Responsibility" series, Part 2

Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory and that your hand might be with me and that you would keep me from hurt and harm!” And God granted what he asked.

— 1 Chron 4:10 (NRSVUE)

Back in the year 2000, The Prayer of Jabez hit the bookshelves and sold like hotcakes. It was a fascinating take on one, single, extremely small, and obscure passage in the Bible. In a nutshell, the author argued that God wanted to bless you. In return, all God wanted out of you was for you to ask for that blessing in faith.

What would the blessing be? That was up to you. Just ask yourself, “What do I want?”, and then pray for it in faith.

Think of the options…

• Health

• Wealth

• A spouse

• Maybe, a very healthy spouse with a lot of money

It didn't matter what it was (as long as it was aligned with God’s will). What mattered was that you prayed for it in faith. Remember, God wanted you to have this blessing.