Prayer Of Jabez
~FROM MATTHEW HENRY'S COMMENTARY~
First Chronicles 4:9-10
The most remarkable person in this chapter
is Jabez.
We are not told upon what account Jabez
was more honourable than his brethren;
but we find that he was a praying man.
His inclination to devotion made him truly honourable,
and by prayer he obtained those blessings from God
which added much to his honour.
The way to be truly great,
is to seek to do God's will,
and to pray earnestly.
The prayer he made,
probably like Solomon's prayer for wisdom,
just when he was setting out in the world.
He set himself to God in all his ways,
put himself under the divine blessing and protection,
and prospered accordingly.
Perhaps these were the heads on which he
enlarged in his daily prayers; for this purpose
it was his constant practice to pray alone,
and with his family, as Daniel.
Some think that it was upon some particular occasion,
when he was straitened and threatened by his enemies,
that he prayed this prayer. Observe,
1. To whom he prayed, not to any of the gods of the Gentiles;
no, he called on the God of Israel
the living and true God,
who alone can hear and answer prayer,
and in prayer had an eye to him as the God of Israel,
a God in covenantwith his people,
the God with whom Jacob wrestled and prevailed
and was thence called Israel."
2. What was the nature of his prayer.
(1.) As the margin reads it, it was a solemn vow--
If thou wilt bless me indeed,
and then the sense is imperfect,
but may easily be filled up from Jacob's vow,
or some such like--then thou shalt be my God.
He did not express his promise,
but left it to be understood,
either because he was afraid to promise in his own strength
or because he resolved to devote himself entirely to God.
He does, as it were, give God a blank paper,
let him write what he pleases:
"Lord, if thou wilt bless me and keep me,
do what thou wilt with me,
I will be at thy command and disposal for ever."
(2.) As the text reads it, it was the language
of a most ardent and affectionate desire:
O that thou wouldst bless me!
Four things Jabez prayed for.
1. That God would bless him indeed.
Spiritual blessings are the best blessings:
God's blessings are real things, and produce real effects.
2. That He would enlarge his coast.
That God would enlarge our hearts,
and so enlarge our portion in himself,
and in the heavenly Canaan, ought to be our desire and prayer.
3. That God's hand might be with him.
God's hand with us, to lead us, protect us,
strengthen us, and to work all His works in us and for us,
is a hand all-sufficient for us.
4. That he would keep him from evil,
the evil of sin, the evil of trouble,
all the evil designs of his enemies,
that they might not hurt, nor make him a Jabez indeed, a man of sorrow.
God granted that which he requested.
God is ever ready to hear prayer: his ear is not now heavy.
Different types of prayer
Ephesians 6:18
"Praying always with all prayer and supplications in the spirit"
The bible talks about different types of prayer.
Knowing what type of prayer to pray and when to
pray it is very important to our prayer life.
1. Prayer of supplication.
Luke 11: 9 - 13, James 5: 17-18, 1 kings 8: 37-40, 54 - 55
Supplication means to petition or entreat someone
for something. A passionate zeal and hunger fuels
the prayer of supplication. Jesus wants us to seek
his riches. This is where the prayer of
supplication comes in. It is a prayer that all
Christians should regularly engage in. Ask God to
give you a hunger to seek his face. Notice that in
the above three scriptures people were seeking (or
asked to seek) for something specific which meant
a lot to them. Do you desire to know God's will
for your life? The prayer of supplication can
sometimes lead us into fasting. Nehemiah 1: 1-6
2. Prayer of intercession
Genesis 18: 22 - 33 (Abraham) 1 Kings 18: 41 - 46
(Elijah) 2 Kings 4: 32-36 (Elisha) Acts 12: 1 - 18 (The early church)
To Intercede means to plead or mediate on behalf
of another person. Jesus is interceding for us
(Hebrews 7: 25) so is the Holy Spirit praying for
us and through us as we pray in the spirit.
(Romans 8: 26 - 27).
When we take it upon ourselves to pray earnestly
for other people, we enter into the realm of
intercession. To enter into intercession we must
have a heart that really loves the Lord and cares
about the things God cares about.
3. Prayer of faith
Mark 11:12 - 14, Mark 11: 20 - 25, Luke 7: 1 - 10,
James 5: 13 - 18, Matthew 9: 18 - 26
The prayer of faith is rooted in our confidence on
God's Word. The woman with the issue of blood
(Matthew 9) knew that touching Jesus would get her
healed. Her faith gave her the strength to press
through the crowd. When you are sure that what you
are praying for is God's will for you, the prayer
of faith can be employed. Unforgiveness (Mark 11:
25) and doubt (James 1: 5-8) are the two greatest
hindrances to the prayer of faith. Where the
prayer of supplication is seeking God's will, the
prayer of faith is knowing God's will, praying it
and receiving it from Him.
4. Prayer of agreement
Genesis 11: 1-9, Matthew 18: 19-20, Exodus 17: 8-13,
Psalm 133: 1-3, Acts 4:23, Hebrews 10: 24-25
The prayer of agreement is when two or more people
come together and agree with one another and with
the Word of God that something specific will be
done. People that do not worship God or indeed
worship satan, can also stand in agreement and see
power released (Genesis 11: 1-9).
God has given power and authority to the Church
and when we stand together in unity we can see
more of God's power released (Matthew 28: 16-20).
Unity is standing together with one purpose,
sharing a joint vision and trusting God's Word to
be fulfilled. We need to appreciate the power of
unity if we are to see God's power released.
5. Prayer of praise and thanksgiving
Psalm 100, Acts 16:16-34, Psalm 149:4-9, 1Thessalonians 5:15-19
Praise and worship brings us into the presence of
God. When we praise God in the mist of seemingly
negative situations we are affirming our faith in
Him. This pleases God and helps our faith.
Praise and thanksgiving are powerful weapons to
the believer. It destroys the hold of satan and
unbelief over our life. Praise and thanksgiving in
effect disarm the two most deadly weapons to our
Christian walk; namely, unbelief and satanic
attacks. These two things can manifest in many
different ways. No wonder why the scriptures call
praise a two edged sword (Psalm 149: 4-9)
Summary
1 Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first of all
that supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and]
giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings
and all who are in authority, that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
reverence. 3 For this [is] good and acceptable in
the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (NKJV)
In practise we all use different types of prayer
during our prayer times. What may start as a
prayer of faith can soon develop into
supplications. There is no reason why we cannot
apply any of the above types of prayers to all the
situations that face us.
If any of the above types of prayers are not
present in your life, then you should seek God's
face about it. Ask Him to fill you with more of
His love and make your prayer life richer.
Five Finger Prayer
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers
by praying for those closest to you.
They are the easiest to remember.
To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said,
a 'sweet duty.'
2. The first finger is the pointing finger.
Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.
This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.
They need support and wisdom
in pointing others in the right direction.
Keep them in your prayers.
3. The second finger is the longest finger.
It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president,
leaders in business and industry,
and administrators.
These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.
4. The third finger is our ring finger.
Surprising to many is the fact
that this is our weakest finger,
as any piano teacher will testify.
It should remind us to pray for those
who are weak, in trouble or in pain.
They need your prayers day and night.
You cannot pray too much for them.
5.. And lastly comes our little finger -
the smallest finger of all
which is where we should place ourselves
in relation to God and others.
As the Bible says,
'The least shall be the greatest among you.'
Your pinkie should remind you
to pray for yourself.
By the time you have prayed
for the other four groups,
your own needs
will be put into proper perspective
and you will be able to pray
for yourself more effectively.
Listen to song at:
http://www.accordingtojohn.com/realaudio/songofjabez.ram
Prayer of Jabez Song
According to Your will
According to Your will
I'm praying
I'm praying
According to Your Word
According to Your Word
Your hear me
yes you hear me
According to Your heart
According to Your heart
You answer
When I pray
(chorus)
Father bless me indeed
You're all that I need
Expand my horizons
Beyond what I see
Put Your hand upon me
And keep me from evil today
This is what I Pray
According to Your Plans
According to Your Plans
I'm waiting
I'm waiting
Yes I'm waiting
According to Your hands
According to Your hands
You lead me
You lead me
According to your Love
According to Your Love
You seek me
When I stray
(repeat chorus)
The only blessings that I seek
is to know Your using me
(repeat chorus)
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