Tuesday, June 30, 2026 Pray Like Jabez
1 Chronicles 4:10 – Jabez's Prayer for Blessing and Protection
"Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!' And God granted what he asked."
This prayer has caused some controversy. Some people use it like a formula -"name it and claim it" - which lines up more with the prosperity gospel than with the Bible. Because of that, plenty of Christians just avoid the prayer altogether. But that's a mistake. God included this prayer in Scripture for a reason, and we shouldn't throw it out just because it's been misused.
The key to praying this prayer well is understanding where it comes from, and then praying it in Jesus' name - which, honestly, is the key to all prayer. Chronicles was written after Israel returned from exile in Babylon. The whole point of the book was to remind God's people that He hadn't abandoned them or forgotten His promises. Jabez's story and his prayer were part of that reminder: God is gracious, and He blesses His people. The original readers were meant to look at Jabez and think, "I can pray like that too."
So how do we pray it in Jesus' name? Not by demanding whatever we want, but by asking for these things in a way that lines up with God's purposes and brings Him glory. And like every prayer, God won't always answer it the way we expect. We tend to picture blessing as God giving us more stuff. But sometimes He blesses us by taking things away instead - making room for more of Himself, which is the best blessing there is (Philippians 4:11–13).
Let's pray -
"God, I come to You like Jabez did - asking boldly, but wanting You to shape what I'm asking for. Bless me, but not just with more stuff. Bless me with more of You. Enlarge my impact - open doors for me to serve You and love people well, wherever that leads. Let Your hand be with me in [a specific situation you're facing], because I can't do this without You.
And keep me from harm. Protect me from sin that would hurt me and the people I love. If pain is coming anyway, give me the strength to face it without losing my grip on You.
I'm not asking for this so my life gets easier or so I look successful. I'm asking in Jesus' name, for Your purposes, for Your glory—not mine. Whatever Your answer is, help me trust that You're still good." Through Jesus, Amen.
Lord, Lead me to one soul today.
Text Prayer Requests to: 979 - 800 - 3415
