Prayer of Jabez

I have prayed this prayer before and God gave me almost more responsibility than I would accept. I felt inadequate! I did not keep up the journey of receiving God's Blessings. I guess I just was not ready. As I again begin the study of the prayer of Jabez, I feel that I am in a place where I am ready to believe and understand what God has in store for me. I have just completed reading the Bruce Wilkerson Book The Prayer of Jabez.

The Prayer of Jabez NKJV

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh that You would bless me indeed

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!"

So God granted him what he requested.

1 Chronicles 4:10

Amplified Bible

Jabez cried to the God of Israel saying,

Oh, that You would bless me 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.

I am going to follow the 30 day plan as outlined in Wilkinson's book:

1. Pray the Jabez prayer every morning, and keep a record of daily prayer prayer.
2. Write out the prayer and keep it where you'll be reminded of your new vision.

3. Reread the Bruce Wilkinson Book once a week.

4. Tell another person of your Commitment and ask him/her to check up on you.

5. Begin to keep a record of changes in your life.

6. Start praying the Jabez prayer for your family, friends, and local church.

To bless means to favor, honor, or bestow special gifts or status. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" Psalm 103:2

Wilkinson is talking about the kind of blessing where God's favor on us--His supernatural gifts that we don't earn that we can't receive from any one else.

The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it.] Proverbs 10:22 Amplified Bible--The Criswell Study Bible notes say: "The blessing of the Lord," not chance or labor, give the increase. This blessing, found in the path of obedience, is completely by grace from the hand of the loving heavenly Father (James 1:17) Nothing is added to that blessing which is totally efficient and sufficient in itself, in order to complete it.

Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation (rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. James 1:17 Amplified Bible

When reading in my Chriswell Bible, I came across these notes I had written many years ago from a sermon on 7/10/83:

God speaks in three ways: 1) through the scripture 2) through the sermon 3) through the spirit.

Three things we all should do: 1) Tune in - swift to hear 2) Tone down - slow to speak 3) Sweeten up - slow to wrath