LESSON 1, INTRODUCTION:

It's just  my opinion. But I believe 1st Chronicles 4:9-10, that very short Text, gives us the greatest prayer in all the Bible.

Or at least the greatest pattern of prayer.

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."

God thinks favorably of the prayer too. Read that last line carefully. "And God granted him that which he requested."

And any prayer that is so quickly and so fully answered deserves careful study! That's for sure!

Several years ago I preached these two verses in a number of Revival Meetings, back twelve years I suspect, if not more.

Then that little book was published, nine million copies ago, and praying "Jabez" nearly became a fad.

So I quit preaching the Sermon, the Text, no more two-verse journeys through this passage, not for Brother Bagwell.

The prayer nearly became a little like a "good luck" charm! It was abused more than obeyed.

But now, this many years later, the Holy Spirit seems to have laid upon my heart a sort of "resurrection" of this great prayer.

Its cultural popularity has just about run its course now.

Hey, I am not being critical, but this prayer involves a whole lot more than a sprinkling of "health and wealth" philosophy.

We're going, the Lord willing, to study it nearly a word at a time.

From "Jabez" and his background, the Text's first clause ... all the Way to God and His awesome Power, the very last clause!

I believe this set of petitions desperately needs to be prayed in the world we inhabit.

It's four requests are fundamental to winning the battle over evil that's raging so furiously today.

And perhaps the most amazing thing about the whole prayer is that it is set in one of the most repetitious portions of Scripture.

That's right, the opening nine chapters of 1st Chronicles list nothing but names! Just genealogies!

Except for Jabez!

Except for our two-verse interlude!

Like intermission at the opera, with plenty of snacks and drinks, the Jabez Prayer refreshes our journey through hundreds of years of family blood lines.

A diamond shining in a coal mine!

That's where diamonds are formed anyway!

But before we can say much about the prayer itself, we will be required to study a bit about the man himself, Jabez.

Because that's exactly where our Text begins.

And there we will begin tomorrow morning.

Unless God providentially says otherwise, which translates into, "the Lord willing."

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." 1st Chronicles 4:9-10

Oh, let me say this. I don't know of any prayer I've ever prayed for another person, be it family member or friend or co-worker, whomever, that's been any more quickly answered than this one. I've even prayed it for myself time and time again! Why not? Jabez sure did!

On this nearly everyone agrees.  God especially honors the Jabez Prayer. I don't know exactly why, but He does.

Maybe because it's so full of Bible Truth, literally from one end to the other.

Wow!

I can hardly wait to begin.

I just wish I could preach it this morning. That would be much quicker than writing about it over the next several days.

Oh well, we must take it a section at a time.

                                                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

I just hope you don't get bored.

After all, God's Word is always fresh!

LESSON 2, MORE HONOURABLE THAN HIS BRETHREN:

His name is Jabez. And we know very little about him. Except that the most famous prayer in the Old Testament is associated with the man.

Here's how the inspired historian introduces him "And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren." That's it, 1st Chronicles 4:9.

First, let's define that name. A name in Bible days was synonymous with an individual's character. For example, one Hebrew translation of "shem, " the noun for "name," is "renown!" Another rendering is "report."

And "Jabez" is the Hebrew "yabetzs," pronounced "yah-bates," accenting the second syllable. It means, of all things, "sorrow!"

More about that tomorrow, Lord willing, in our Text's next clause.

"Brethren" is spelled "ach," indicating either "sharing the same parents," or more loosely, one's "kindred."

And the adjective "honourable" is "kabad," something so important it is said to be "heavy," or even "burdensome." In our context "honourable" is meant as a good thing, as a compliment. So we have "heavy" in character, "weighty" in godliness or some other commendable trait.

Now that we've covered the vocabulary, let's put it all together. As we do so the Holy Spirit will provide some details, I'm pretty sure.

"Jabez was more honourable than his brethren."

This at least means that his brethren, as near or as distantly as they may have been related, were not very "honourable!"

Jabez did not come from a family background that would have been called outstanding.

His brethren were less than honourable.

This goes to the nature-nurture argument still discussed among sociologists yet today. Jabez did not have many good examples to led him in the right way.

Truth be told, even His Dad is not mentioned in the Text, both verses!

Likely his Mother was the only good, or anywhere near good, influence Jabez initially experienced.

But whatever the limitations and liabilities those brethren presented, Jabez overcame them!

He rose higher than his family.

That's not to criticize his family, Jabez did not. Neither will I.

But it is to prove that one's background, whether terribly wicked or merely less than honourable, need not hold an individual down!

Need not hold one back!

Often God brings one person, or two,  out of some questionable situation, family oriented or otherwise, and grants them great honor!

It's called Grace!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren," because one day he somehow met God!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren," because he eventually learned to pray!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren," because he studied his Bible, at least enough to know about Jacob, Israel by his other name, who wrestled with God, until God blessed him!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren," because he asked and asked and asked of God, Who granted him all his requests!

Friends today, do not let circumstances and backgrounds and blood lines or anything else rob you of God's intended blessings in your life.

Rise above all these things, with the help of the Holy Spirit of God.

Jabez had dishonourable brethren, but still!

What a name he made for himself, one of the greatest prayer warriors who ever lived!

Wow!

                                                                               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, SHE CALLED HIS NAME JABEZ:

There is more to Jabez than his magnificent prayer!

Today we learn about his birth.

And we learn it from his Mom.

"And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow." 1st Chronicles 4:9

Yesterday we learned that Jabez had some brothers, but they were not very "honourable."

Does that mean they were dishonest? Or immoral? Or lazy? Could be any or all of these things. The phrase saying that Jabez was "more honourable" than his kinsfolk implies some lack of character, though nothing specific is indicated.

Now today we learn that Jabez has yet another hindrance. He is named,  literally, Sorrowful!

Painful!

The verbal root behind the name means "Grievous."

Think of that, especially for a child!

To go through life named such a thing.

Hey "Painful," it's supper time. Come home now!

By the way, let me stop here and say something. The names adults call children or grandchildren often "stick!"

And "hurt" too.

Tell a child enough times that he or she is "dumb," and they soon will begin to believe it. And act that way too, "dumb!" It can even affect their grades at school too, robbing them of faith in themselves!

Call your husband or wife "no-good" or "ugly" or "bad cook" or whatever often enough, and the epitaph somehow rubs off on him or her!

Be careful with names and nicknames and slogans and adjectives!

A preacher recently called me the biggest bundle of "nervous energy" he had ever seen. After I had preached, of course. Later in his sermon he said that he did not intend to "showboat" as he preached. As if someone just had done so! It just so happened that I preached immediately before he did.

Names, names, names!

That old poem about sticks and stones breaking one's bones, while words will never harm me, it is a lie! That poem is a lie!

Words and names and slurs can hurt.

Jabez grew up with one, his name, "painful, sorrowful, grievous!"

By the way, I am no bundle of nervous energy. I am rather calm most of the day. But when I enter the pulpit, something takes over! Someone, I really believe. And I do get a little excited!

Neither have I ever "showboated" either.

I am a Preacher of many years, and I still react when called names, directly or indirectly.

And that was just a passing incident.

Think of Jabez!

A whole lifetime of being called Mr. Sorrowful!

That alone could make a man depressed!

Now quickly, let's discover how and why he was named such a thing!

"And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow."

It all goes back to his Mother's state of mind, her emotional condition when the boy was born!

The verb "bear" refers to childbirth, "yalad" means "to travail," even "to midwife" 10 times in the King James Bible.

When baby Jabez was born, his Mom was in great sorrow of some kind. And that feeling was transferred to her son, via his name.

Painful!

Hard times no doubt followed Mom and Son for years to come. Maybe even as hard as those Job faced. Or Joseph in his early years.

No doubt Jabez and his family would have been "buried" in the genealogical lists of 1st Chronicles chapters 1-9, forgotten long ago, except somehow he learned to overcome this intense "sorrow."

He learned how to lay aside his pain!

And grief!

Wow!

But how?

The only possible answer is this. He learned to pray!

He schooled himself in the classroom of Heaven, making God Almighty His Friend and Protector!

Jabez became a man who prayed right along with the giants of the faith, "Noah and Daniel and Job," all three of whom the Lord mentions specifically as prayerful men of God!

Jabez, a man who has his own "prayer" sort of named after him now!

Yes!

He prayed!

And his past melted away!

He prayed!

And his pain and tragedy and sorrow evaporated!

He prayed!

And he came to trust God for four things, four great things!

And they are the heart of the so-called "Jabez Prayer!"

We must examine them one by one, all four of them, before we finish these lessons.

Folks, listen. You regular readers here on our Pages, students I like to call you, listen carefully please.

Whatever we have suffered.

Whatever bad deals life has offered us.

Whoever hates us or has abused us or just "fill in" your own blank here ____________, we can leave all that behind.

And become "honourable" in the Eyes of God!

Jabez did!

This powerful prayer did more for its author than I ever imagined!

He whipped the problems of a bad heritage.

And unshackled the chains of a painful past.

To become a man we all talk about today, in the most respectful of terms!

And this is what I'm thinking this morning, boldly so maybe.

If God can do all that for Jabez, and He certainly did!

Then that same God can do that for you!

And for me!

Yes he can!

Praise His good Name!

                                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

This Jabez prayer is powerful.

One precious piece of divinely inspired literature.

Come again tomorrow and let's wade a little more deeply into it. It may get over our heads, but we'll have fun trying to fathom it anyway.

LESSON 4, THE GOD OF ISRAEL:

The statement is pivotal.

The whole history of prayer at least partly hangs on this fact, this event in First Chronicles 4:10.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel." That's "called" as in "praying" to the dear Lord Himself.

Thus we are introduced to the man who unknowingly spawned the most popular book on prayer ever published! Well over eleven million copies sold so far.

Jabez prayed.

And as we've all heard, "Prayer changes things."

It does!

Or God does, changes those things, through prayer.

Using the word definitions alone, we here have "Jabez" meaning "painful or sorrowful," by prayer connecting with the Lord Whom Paul called "the father of mercies and the God of all comfort!" 2nd Corinthians 1:3

Mr. pain and sorrow meets Mr. Comfort, the Comforter Supreme!

By way of prayer!

Wow!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel."

The next most critical Old Testament prayer statement is, I think, Genesis 4:26, where "Men began to call upon the name of the Lord." At least early Old Testament. Jeremiah 33:3 is a classic too! Where God invites us to pray! "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Amen!

But back to Jabez.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel."

The tense or time frame for the verb "called" is quite significant. It reveals "incomplete" action, meaning that Jabez never did completely get through praying these petitions, these requests. He asked God over and over and over again these things! Constant prayer! Nearly identical to Paul's "pray without ceasing" model.

Apparently Jabez prays and prays and prays, as a way of life!

This is the heritage of all God's children!

Then in our Text the God of "Israel" is mentioned, specifically. "And Jabez called on the God of Israel."

Twelve times in the Old Testament the "God of Abraham" is mentioned. But here we specifically have "the God of Israel," with Israel being a person, not the Nation! At least that's what I think is being taught us.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel."

And Israel's other name when he is considered as an individual?

It's Jacob.

Jacob to whom God made this name change in Genesis 32:28. "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

Even here the man Jacob has "power to prevail," in the very context where Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, and was blessed for being so persistent!

"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day. And when He saw that he prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh; and the hollow of his thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with Him. And the Angel said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And Jacob said, I will not let thee go, except Thou bless me." All from Genesis chapter 32.

That's the very spirit of the Jabez prayer!

"Lord God, I will not let thee go, except Thou bless me."

Or in other words, "Bless me indeed!"

And guess what?

Despite everything else, Jabez, just like Jacob before him, was blessed of the Lord! Manifestly so!

Oh, what a prayer!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!"

And what an ending!

"And God granted him that which he requested!"

Wow!

And if God did so for Jabez, surely He can do the same yet today!

For you and for me.

We know He can!

                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, BLESS ME INDEED:

Time has come to study the first request Jabez brought unto the Lord. There are four such petitions in the whole prayer, now mostly known as "The Jabez Prayer."

Here it is. "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed." That's all!

A deep hunger for God's blessings!

The key word here is "bless," a Hebrew verb spelled "barak."

The prayer opens with a conjunction, not in English but in Hebrew. It's "im," pronounced "eem." But here comes the difficult part, its meaning. In the King James Bible it is rendered in the following ways, "if, whether, or," but then also "when, surely, doubtless, and verily!" There are a few more too, but I've listed the major ones.

This means that Jabez is saying one of two things.

Here's the first possibility. "Lord, I sure do pray that Thou wilt bless me, if Thou seest fit."

And the other one now. "Lord, no doubt Thou shalt do this thing, Bless me indeed!"

I know it sounds strange, but "im" allows both viewpoints.

And our King James translators, scholars that they were, worded this request in such a way that it reflects both possibilities! "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed."

Talk about beautiful translation work!

It in English almost reads like a subjunctive verb, to us. Which expresses "possibility, desire, potential," not necessarily an accomplished deed.

But this is not so, not in Hebrew.

"Wouldest bless" is a single verb, "barak," as I stated earlier.

Jebez goes like this, "Lord, I believe You can do it. Bless me indeed!" Then, "If you choose do do this, I know you can!" But maybe also there's a hint of, "Lord, I sense as soon as I ask, the blessings are on the way!"

Wow!

Maybe these possibilities are inherent in this verse because God wants us to know we can pray to Him if our faith is weak, average, or strong!

What a Book, the Bible!

Now let me show you another thing about the verb. In the Hebrew Text it actually reads, "barak barak" me! A doubling of the verb! For emphasis!

One verb is a piel infinitive and the other a piel imperfect!

God is about to bless Jabez all over the place, out of bounds, super abundantly, hyperbolically!

Lord, energetically bless me, then bless me some more.

That's why our Bible adds the word "indeed." As a compliment to the verb structure. Bless me real good!

And what now is the grammatical definition of "bless?"

Get this.

"To kneel!"

Especially to kneel down to meet someone!

To help him or her!

"God, let Your Presence be with me, as never before! Closer than ever! Sweeter than ever! More precious than this world has known in all its history!"

Wow!

See this too.

Jabez does not specify the blessing or blessings he needs! Or wants! Or things that are essential at that given time!

He lets God decide those things!

And maybe God just coming down and walking and talking and communing with him is quite enough! Maybe to Jabez God is the Blessing!

Gracious!

That "imperfect" form of the main verb which I earlier mentioned, it reveals continuous action!

"God, start blessing me and please don't quit!"

The verb action is not complete, almost as if he's respectfully saying "start and don't stop" blessing me.

A man praying for himself!

This is not intercession. That's praying for others. This is not thanksgiving either. Neither is it adoration.

It is pure petition.

Asking God for something.

Something personal.

Something that, had not Jabez been so "honourable," could have easily drifted into selfishness.

"Give me this and this and this, please."

But not with Jabez, He lives so close to God that God has already promised certain special blessings!

For example, and we can claim this too, if we're right with the Lord: "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

And yes, we can pray the Jabez prayer yet today.

God is still answering it.

That I know.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed." 1st Chronicles 4:10, this is good.

Oh, the end of the verse, "And God granted him that which he requested." This is even better!

How must I close today?

There's only one way.

Let's all go somewhere ... and pray!

                                                                             --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6, ENLARGE MY COAST:

I realized this rather obvious fact yesterday. It had just never possessed me before then. Jabez is a member of the tribe of Judah. That section of 1st Chronicles in which his name appears belongs to the lineage of Judah.

This means that Jabez is related, distantly of course, to the Most Important Member of the tribe of Judah Who ever lived!

Jesus Christ our Lord!

Jabez, whom we would call a prayer warrior, is kin to the Man whose very name is "Prayer!" According to Psalm 109:4 anyway. There Jesus, prophetically, says "I give myself unto prayer." But do notice that our King James Bible, its translators, were careful to italicize three words there. The Hebrew Text, the Masoretic Text, reads Jesus as saying, "I ... Prayer!"

In other words, "I am Prayer."

Wow!

And as my Great High Priest right now, Jesus is interceding for me! Praying for me, and you! "Wherefore He is able also to save (deliver) them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Jesus at prayer, evermore, Hebrews 7:25.

Jabez and Jesus, Men of Prayer!

But today we must also consider the second plea in the Text, the Prayer  we're studying.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest enlarge my coast." 1st Chronicles 4:10

Yes, that's it, "Enlarge my coast."

But what does that mean?

The verb "enlarge" is a causative form of "rabah." It is what the Greeks would some day call "durative" action. Whatever he's asking, Jabez wants God to do it again and again, habitually, constantly!

Grammatically "rabah" means "to make big, great, much, numerous." Also "to multiply, to have in abundance," a plenteous condition indeed.

One's "coast" is "gebul," meaning "border, territory, space, landmark," even "boundary" a time or two.

In Jabez's particular case, he surely is asking for God to help him fight and drive the enemies out of his allotted territory, his land, given him by grant from Almighty God.

Each Jewish family was deeded a portion of the land of Israel. They were to keep it and treasure it and farm it forever.

But often, though the land was theirs theologically and spiritually, hordes of heathen, like the Canaanites, still lived on it! Idolaters! Wicked, lewd people, remnants of the old culture Joshua and the army had failed to expel.

People whose longstanding iniquity had finally brought God's fiercest judgment upon themselves.

Jabez is at least asking the Lord to give him all the land that was promised him! All his heritage!

"Lord, enlarge my coast."

"It's mine, just let me claim and possess it!"

Oh, what a prayer!

Most of the current books and booklets on this Jabez Text use "enlarge my coast" as a free ticket from God for ... a pay raise, new cars, wardrobes, material gifts of all kinds!"

A cash bonanza!

But that may not have been Jabez's intention at all.

Just to possess what was his in the first place, via the magnificent Grace of God!

Then if so, how can we pray this part of the prayer?  Specifically the "Enlarge my coast, O Lord," part?

Something like this maybe.

"Lord, I still think some very questionable thoughts from time to time. All right Lord, daily. Yet You have promised me a clean heart and mind! I want to ask you to help me expel any thoughts that do not glorify Thee. Let me expand my thinking abilities to include vast portions of the Word of God, the fruit of the Spirit and last Sunday morning's Sermon as well!

In my though patterns, "Enlarge my coast!"

Jabez might not get any more actual acreage, but more use of the spread he already possessed! That still would have been an enlargement program! Possessing more of what's really yours!

This "enlarging one's coast" prayer can include other areas of spiritual development, too.

Greater plots of clean, separated, living!

More room in my schedule for Bible Study or witnessing or prayer.

Go get what's yours!

Claim it by faith!

Then live it by the Power of the Holy Spirit!

Then too, in this whole process God can give you a raise! Or keep your roof from leaking! Or not let your health digress as quickly!

Or add to your life experiences, in a pure an holy way of course.

Things like these ...

Travel!

Education!

New friends!

No telling what!

God is in the acquisition and construction business!

Listen to this from Isaiah 54:2-3. "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left."

Wow!

Now that's a coast-enlargement program!

Pray this, and see what God's does!

Do not tell Him specifically how He must handle your request!

Let Him choose!

Let Him decide!

And then enjoy the surprise He sends you!

His definition of "enlarging your coast" will be the best!

That's what will bring you the most joy anyway. His Will being accomplished in your life.

One quick review so far. "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and ..." 1st Chronicles 4:10

There's more tomorrow, the Lord willing.

                                                                              --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 7, THE HAND OF THE LORD:

Jabez prayed, among other things, "Calling on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that that Thine hand might be with me." 1st Chronicles 4:10

He is asking for God's "Hand" to be with him in all his endeavors!

This sent me searching for Bible instances or statements concerning God's Hand or Hands.

Like Psalm 118:16, which says: "The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly." The word "valiantly" translates "chayil," a little noun that is rendered "army" 56 times in the King James Bible.  Yes, God's Hand is equal to an army!

Proverbs 21:1 says that world government rests in the Lord's Hand too. "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." God's "Hand" thus hints at great persuasiveness!

How's this for a blessing, promised originally to Israel? "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Isaiah 62:3, "In His Hands!"

Or this? For us New Testament Believers, talk about security! "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:27-29, irrevocably protected!

Furthermore, Jabez was merely asking for what other Bible heroes would some day enjoy.

Ezekiel knew the Hand of the Lord. "But the hand of the LORD was strong upon me." Ezekiel 3:14

So did Nehemiah! "And the king granted me lumber, according to the good hand of my God upon me." Nehemiah 2:8

And little John the Baptist, even as a baby! "And the hand of the Lord was with him." Luke 1:66

Ezra the Scribe knew God's Hand, too. "And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me." Ezra 7:28

I have also noticed this in studying for our Lesson today. So many of these "Hand of the Lord" passages are militant.

We need God's Hand to help us "fight the good fight of faith," as Paul once said. In First Timothy 6:12 I think.

Yesterday Jabez asked God to help him "enlarge his coast," to somehow gain more territory for his children and grandchildren and future generations. This is land that belongs to Jabez, to his tribe, to the people of Judah anyway, yet is still proudly inhabited by idolatrous people.

To get that land, a battle will be necessary.

To fight for and claim these many acres, even though God has already promised them, one will need "help!"

God's Hand in battle!

Even the Hebrew alphabet seems to agree, joining the ideas of God's Hand and subsequent warfare! Their letter "Koph" is especially significant here. It means the "palm" or the "hand" of a person. It's one of the "k" sounds in their language, of course.

Remember, we are talking about the prayer of Jabez. That God's Hand might be with him.

The letter "Koph" I just mentioned, when used as a verb, means "to subdue!"

See it?

God's Hand ... and Overcoming one's enemies!

Here's how a Christian might talk when he or she is absolutely assured that God's Hand is on him!

It's a literal promise from God to Israel, by the way. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 54:17

Pretty bold!

Better not talk that way, unless you are sure!

Sure of what?

That God's Hand is upon you!

Jabez style!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thine hand might be with me."

We can pray that too.

Moses to God one day, "And Moses said unto the Lord, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Exodus 33:15

Moses is, in so many words, begging for God's Hand to be with him!

By the way, the little preposition Jabez used, "with," is simply spelled "im" in Hebrew. It is, according to the textbooks, "the indicator of fellowship and companionship." Then "of actions done jointly!" Also used of persons "sharing a common lot!"

Wow!

Then, I want it!

God's Hand with me!

All my days!

I sure do not want to step into a pulpit, anywhere or anytime, without God's Hand being upon me!

Grant it, Lord, I pray.

                                                                         --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 8, KEEP ME FROM EVIL:

I just do not agree with the way some expositors handle the last clause of the Jabez Prayer.

The petition is fairly clear in meaning, if we take it literally.

Jabez prayed, in the end, "Lord, that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" 1st Chronicles 4:10

The key word is "evil" I think. Seems to me our hero here is praying along the same lines Jesus used in what we now call "The Lord's Prayer." Precisely, "Our Father, Which art in Heaven ... lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:13

To be "kept" from evil and to be "delivered" from evil seem to be the same thing, at least in my mind.

But let's check the Hebrew word "evil." It is parallel to the Greek word Jesus used, both are virulent, active, malicious forms of iniquity! Spelled "ra," it means that which is "wicked, bad, mischievous, hurtful, naughty," actively so. Surely sin is in view, rebellion and transgression and the like. "Ra" is derived from the verb "raa," that is, "to be wicked."

Jabez is asking the Lord to keep him from sin!

Can that be?

Can God actually restrain a man from sinning?

In direct answer to prayer?

Or in accordance to His Will?

Watch this carefully. From the life of Abraham, when he had lied about Sarah being his wife. "But God came to Abimelech, the King, in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her." Genesis 20:3-6

Wow!

God truly kept Abimelech from evil!

Here's another example. This time from the life of Jacob. Whose Father-in-Law mistreated him egregiously. Jacob is talking to Leah and Rachel. "And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me." God kept Laban from grossly sinning, from actually physically hurting Jacob! Genesis 31:4

Here's Abigail to David. "Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal." Here God kept David from killing a man, Abigail's very husband! 1st Samuel 25:26

Then here comes God keeping a woman from sinning, both literally as Gomer, Hosea's wife, and symbolically as Israel, Gods chosen people. Do keep in mind, God is talking in these verses. "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now." Hosea 2:6-7, God's restraining power, once more!

Go ahead, Jabez, pray it again.  "Lord, that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" 

Yes.

The verb "keep" just can't be omitted from our Lesson either. It is not the expected "shamar," meaning "to protect." Instead the Holy Spirit uses "asah," the word that means "to do, to fashion, to make, to accomplish!"

Goodness gracious!

Jabez believes that God actually "builds" his days, one by one! That's "asah!" And he asks the Lord, as He is constructing tomorrow, please not to let it contain any sin, any iniquity, any evil, not at all!

This is astounding!

But can we find any Scripture that even hints at God's being in control of our "tomorrows?"

Here's one.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." Psalm 37:23, both today's and tomorrow's steps!

This one is even better, Psalm 17:5. It's a prayer, too. "O Lord, hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not."

Mercy!

Even Psalm 119:133, still addressed directly to the Lord. "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

I today have seen this part of the Jabez more clearly than ever before!

Simply by comparing Scripture with Scripture, too.

This may be the best part of the whole Text!  "Lord, that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" 

Sorry.

We did not get to discuss the "that it may not grieve me" clause. But we will tomorrow, Lord willing.

That's best anyway.

                                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Let's all pray it.

Before we do anything else today.

It's like "preventive" maintenance!

"Lord, that Thou wouldest keep me from evil."

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

LESSON 9, THAT SIN GRIEVE ME NOT:

The task I face today is explaining the consequences of evil!

In the eyes of Jabez anyway.

He last asked the God of Israel, "That Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" That exclamation point is in the King James Text too, 1st Chronicles 4:10. I did not place it there.

Evil, plain old sin really, causes "grief!"

Paul once said that sin pays "wages."

James says that sin is part of a chain reaction! "Lust ... sin ... death!" James 1:15 to be precise. "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

And Jeremiah 7:19 indicates that sin brings confusion to its adherents! "Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?" Their many sins had provoked God to anger. Thus, they had been given confused faces! A synonym here is shamed.

In Psalm 51, David's great prayer of confession, sin did a lot of detrimental things. For example, sin is very "heavy!" It crushes one's spirit! Furthermore, it took away David's "joy" in the Lord! He prayed, "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." Psalm 51:8, but maybe verse 12 is better. "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation."

There's no telling all the damage sin can do!

I mean to the Christian!

Jabez knew the Lord, and loved Him!

And he somehow knew that sins cause "pain!"

"That Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!"

That's the whole idea behind that word "grieve." In Hebrew "atzsab" means "to vex, displease, hurt, make sorrowful," and even "to twist, wrest or pervert"

Wow!

Truth be told, the verb "atzsab" here is grammatically related to the noun that gives us the very name "Jabez!" That's "yabetzs."

Sin hurts a person!

It displeases God!

It causes sorrow in the life of its perpetrator.

And yes, it even twists or perverts its followers!

Jabez knows all that, and begs God to spare him from sin of any kind!

How does Jabez know?

It has something to do with his past life, and his Mother's history as well.

Remember one verse ago?

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow."

Sin indirectly played a part in Jabez being given such a depressing name, “Mr. Painful, Mr. Sorrowful, Mr. Filled-with-Grief!"

That being the case, Jabez having been stung again and again by the effects of sin, he asks the Lord to keep him from it altogether!

"That Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!"

Thus he would avoid sin's consequences, sin's grief!

Wow!

This is preventive action!

Not "I have sinned, God, please forgive me."

But instead, "Keep me from sinning, Lord, please let me avoid that terrible pain and heart stabbing tragedy!"

If you miss every other feature of the Jabez Prayer, don't fail to utilize this one.

Pray it every day!

For yourself and your family members.

"Lord God Whom I love, build my day so that no 'evil' can approach me. Keep me away even from its temptation, it allure, its enticement. That way I will not have to endure its pain and sorrow!"

What a wise prayer!

I once heard a prudent Man of God say this, "Magnify the consequences of sin! And minimize its pleasures!"

Good advice!

Hebrews 11:25 gives us an example of minimizing sin's so-called good points. It’s talking about Moses. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt."

God's hard times are better than sin's good times! Christ’s reproaches are superior to sin’s pleasures!

When you consider the end results, anyway.

Wow!

Thank you, Jabez.

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!"

I now want to say, "Period!"

But today I must say, "Exclamation Point!"

Jabez is quite emotional as he prays this request!

Sin to him is that very dangerous!

And painful.

                                                                              --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Are we listening?

LESSON 10, AND GOD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER:

The result of Jabez's prayer?

All four parts of it!

"And God granted him that which he requested." That's the exact way First Chronicles 4:10 ends!

But it's an unusual sentence, at least in Hebrew.

The Name God here uses for himself is "Elohiym," which emphasizes two great facts about Deity.

First, He is a God of Power! "El" is a root noun which to the Jews meant "Might, Strength!" It also indicates great Rank!

Nowadays we say God is omnipotent, possessing all Power!

Second, Elohiym is a plural noun, indicating God’s Triune Nature! One God, manifest as Three Persons! Father, Son and Spirit!

This "hints" that in our prayers all Three Members of the Godhead participate in the answer!

Wow!

The Holy Spirit motivates my prayer, puts it in my heart to request the matter in the first place! The Epistle of Jude, in its 20th verse, talks about "Praying in the Holy Ghost!"

The Lord Jesus is the One in Whose Name we pray! He is the Mediator through Whom we approach the Throne of Grace!

And God the Father answers the prayer, according to His perfect Will!

And this great God has all the Strength and Power needed to handle any request imaginable! Even to this point, "Being able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

Amazing!

That's the God Who granted to Jabez that which he requested!

Word for word: "And God granted him that which he requested." 

Now we must study the verb, "granted."

It's an anomaly.

Spelled "bo" in Hebrew, it generally means "to come!" In the King James Bible it means "come" 1,435 times!

But it can also mean "to come" with something in your hand! Therefore in our Bibles it is often translated "to bring," by actual count nearly 500 times!

God did not merely send Jabez these blessings, these answers!

No, no!

God brought them to him, apparently personally delivering them!

And if we were right in interpreting that first petition "Bless me indeed" as a hungering for God's Presence, God sure did answer it, completely!

God came all right, and with a basket full of other blessings too!

"Bo" also carries this additional idea: "to come upon, to fall upon, to light upon," someone, even unexpectedly!

Jabez prayed.

Maybe for a long, long time!

Then one day, out of the blue, God dropped by and blessed Jabez indeed, and enlarged his coast, and put His Hand of protection on him, and kept him from evil. Sparing Jabez from any further pain and sorrow!

Wow!

Grammatically the verb here is in the hiphil stem too, meaning there is a "cause" behind God's action!

A reason!

Why did God do all these things for poor Jabez?

Because he asked!

Because Jabez prayed!

Remember what James said in his short Epistle. "Ye have not because ye ask not." James 4:2

Well, Jabez asked!

And God came, with the answers!

This verb has a sense of "time" too. God did not just answer once! He kept on and kept on and kept on answering and meeting Jabez's needs!

This is precious!

Last of fall, the verb "requested."

"And God granted him that which he requested." 

It's "shaal," of course meaning "to ask or inquire." It can even mean "to beg" too. It's the common Old Testament verb for praying.

Get this too. Six times in the Bible "shaal" is rendered "to borrow!" We may be just borrowing these blessings from God! They may be "on loan" from the Almighty! I know our mates and our children and grandchildren certainly are!

And here "requested" is a perfect verb, meaning that the action is now complete.

Jabez prayed the prayer.

For a season.

But now he is going onward in his life with the Lord, perhaps to other prayers, different needs, maybe even new areas of serving His God!

But that prayer lives on!

In God's Heart and Mind!

And God answers it again and again and again!

Are we being taught that our prayers never die?

The grammar here sure suggests such a fact!

So does Revelation 5:8, where the prayers of God's children have been stored, preserved, in vials or bottles!

God is a "Collector," then!

He gathers our prayers and saves them, still answering them all along!

He also, says the Psalmist, saves our tears, which are very closely related to our prayers I think. "Thou Lord tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" Psalm 56:8

Any way you look at it, God honored the faith and prayers and character of the man we call Jabez.

Who is now one of my heroes!

"And God granted him that which he requested." 

I am so thankful we have studied these two short verses!

From the genealogies of First Chronicles, of all places!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." 1st Chronicles 4:9-10

I hope the Lord leads me to preach this real soon!

                                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 11, A NEW NAME:

I was reading what one old Preacher said about Jabez. This particular man of God has been "with the Lord" a long time now.

He was of the opinion that in Heaven, Jabez would probably not be called Jabez any longer! That's Heaven, Revelation 21:4 says, which is a Place of "no more sorrow, or crying or pain!"

Do remember what that name Jabez means, please.

Sorrowful!

Painful!

Grievous!

Apparently the circumstances surrounding his birth were very dark and dreary, foreboding even.

Sadness prevailed, for some reason.

Hence his Mother named him in reference to those depressing conditions.  "And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow."

But, praise the Lord! Jabez and his family, having "sprung" from the Tribe of Judah, eventually lived up to their heritage, to their reputation! Things got better, through prayer!

"Judah," as you no doubt know, means "praise!"

But still that dreadful name stuck with Jabez, all his earthly life. He never was able to fully shake the past grief, that memory!

Other Old Testament Mothers faced the same dilemma too, with similar results.

Think of Rachel, with her last child. She died giving birth to him. We know the boy as Benjamin, but that's not what his Mom called him! She named him Benoni, which means "Son of my Sorrow!" Here's the Scripture: "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, for she died, that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin." Genesis 35:18

She did not want to die! She was sad. Scared too, no doubt. Exceedingly sorrowful!

Of course Benoni’s Dad had other ideas. And renamed the boy Benjamin, "Son of my right hand!"

Wow!

The new name was a better one, by far!

By the way, Benjamin is a Type of Jesus! Who at first was the "Man of Sorrows," parallel to Benoni. But after His Death and Burial and Resurrection our Lord was called "The Son of God’s Right hand," exalted and honored as None has ever been! See the "hint" of Benjamin here, more than a hint really!

Here's another example, the Daughter-in-Law of Eli, his Son Phinehas' Wife, who gave birth at the very moment she learned of her husband’s death in battle and that the Ark of God had been captured by the Philistines! She too, like Rachel, died under the weight of that stress and trauma! But she named the little child before expiring! He shall be called "Ichabod," which means "no glory!" Or as she explained with her last breath, "The Glory has departed!" Here's that Text. "And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband." 1st Samuel 4:19-21

And we're absolutely sure of this, the rest of his days little Ichabod, then later teenaged Ichboad, then fully grown Ichabod, and finally even the elderly Ichabod, bore that name of shame and reproach!

Wow!

Oh, yes, back to what the old Preacher said.

About Jabez.

He believed that Jabez would not longer carry the weight and shame of his old name in the days ahead!

In Heaven!

Probably one reason the Bible told us so carefully that Jabez was an "honourable" man was due to the fact that his name possibly suggested otherwise.

Something went wrong or he would not have been called "Mr. Sorrowful, Mr. Painful, or Mr. Grievous!" 

Yes, a case can be made, and a strong one, that in Heaven Jabez has been given a New Name!

If not when he first arrived There, at least in the future, at Jesus' Second Coming!

Here's the Proof Text. "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." Isaiah 62:2

 Yes, Jabez now has a New Name!

And it does NOT mean Sorrowful!

Then in Revelation 3:12 we learn even more. We’re all going to be somehow associated with a New Name! But with a slightly different shade of emphasis. Jesus is talking here. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him My New Name." Revelation 3:12

We'll be given His New Name!

Our Lord’s New Name!

We’re actually going to be called by our Saviour’s Wonderful Name!

I read recently in a Book about God the Warrior, discussing Exodus 15:3, that a conquering General, or even the Commander-in-Chief of a whole Army, if successful in Battle, would be given a New Name!

A New Title!

Honored to that extent!

For His awesome Victory!

What kind of name, Brother Bagwell?

Something like “Ruler of the World!”

Or “King of Kings!”

Or get this one, “Lord of Lords!”

Thrilling!

Therefore, if you look for Jabez in Heaven, better get a directory!

He probably won’t be listed by that old name!

This all reminds me of that great song of days past, "There’s a New Name written down in Glory! And it’s mine!" The choir sang it last night at the revival Meeting, in fact!

Praise the Lord!

                                                                        --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Yes!

This is the way to conclude the Jabez Series, the Jabez Prayer!

I’m sure.

God granted him all he requested, then some!

A new name as well!

LESSON 12, JABEZ AS A TYPE OF CHRIST:

I need to complete this Series of Bible Studies on the Prayer of Jabez.

We've looked at 1st Chronicles 4:9-10 in some detail, each facet of this Text revealing more and more truth! Spiritual beauty, indeed!

And yesterday I thought I had written the last Lesson, but not so!

Last night at Church, before I preached of course, the Lord began flooding my mind with thoughts about Jabez ... and Jesus!

We've already learned that Jabez was of the Tribe of Judah. And that he knew how to pray fluently. And that God granted him all he asked!

But you know what?

All those features are true of our Lord, too!

Then I wondered, are there others ways their lives are parallel?

In theological terms, is Jabez a "type" of Christ?

In other words, is he a "symbol" or "picture" of the Lord Jesus?

I now think so.

And here are a few reasons why.

First, both are introduced into God's Word, into the Bible narrative, in the midst of copious genealogies! In Jabez's case, nine chapters of names upon names! For some reason their forefathers must have been very important! I don't know the reason as far as Jabez is concerned, but Jesus had to be both Virgin Born and a distant relative of King David, for future Kingly purposes of course, occupying that Throne some day! His genealogy proves both facts to be accurate.

Second, as I briefly mentioned earlier, both were from the Tribe of Judah. Hebrews 7:14 says, "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah." This is the Tribe that was known for its producing great leaders. Royal leaders! The Davidic dynasty controlled Judah nearly all its years. Jesus is even called "The Lion of the tribe of Juda," in Revelation 5:5. Even way back in Genesis 49:10 Jesus was prophesied in this way: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Jesus will some day hold that sceptre, as King, and serve as Lawgiver, during the Millennium, and gather all the people, while He's reigning in Jerusalem! The City that is destined some day to be the very Center of the earth, politically and socially and spiritually!

Third, both Jabez and Judah are said to be "honourable!" Amen, Jesus a million times more so that Jabez, of course. Jesus, Who according to Hebrews 7:26 is: "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." The word "honourable" means "heavy" with significance and importance and power and glory and purity!

Next, in both birth accounts, of Jabez and Jesus, plenty of attention is given to the Mother, but none to the Dad! Jesus does not even have an earthly father. Being born of a virgin! This explains part of the strangeness of no Dad whatsoever being mentioned in the Jabez material. He's a "picture" of Christ in this respect.

Fifth, both men "called" on God! Each was a prayer "warrior!" That's Jabez's very purpose for being in Scripture! "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying ...." And oh, how Jesus could pray! So much so that His Disciples wanted to learn! "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Luke 11:1

Sixth, and this is unusual too, the words each man prayed were so significant that they are actually given verbatim! Think of what we call "The Lord's Prayer" or "The Model Prayer," word for word! And even John 17, Jesus' longest recorded intercession, every letter inspired! Preached and taught and memorized too, not counting the times we've all prayed it or a part of it!

Seventh, these men are centered, their lives were, around the grand theme of Blessing! Jabez says, "Lord bless me indeed!" And Jesus says "Blessed" seven times in his longest Sermon, in that lovely Beatitudes section! Jabez is the blessee, the receiver of all such gifts from God! Jesus is the Blesser, the Giver of all such boons. And what is a "boon" you might be asking? The Free Dictionary says: "A benefit bestowed, especially one bestowed in response to a request."

Eighth, both Jesus and Jabez are men who excel, who are superlative in their respective worlds! "Bless me indeed," pleads the one! A regular blessing would not have been enough! In Hebrew the verb for "bless" is both doubled, and intensified! And Jesus? "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." Quoting Philippians 2:9. Yes, Jesus is the Superlative, Supreme, Unique Son of God! None other is like Him, not even close! Yes indeed!

Also, when it comes to "coast enlargement," Jesus is the Leader! On the Cross of Calvary He entered the biggest expansion Program ever imagined! Saving a whole lost world, potentially! Here's how Isaiah 53 expresses it. "He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many." Get it? His "seed" includes you and me, saved by His Blood! The "many" who are to be justified are still being counted! Jesus' coast is still being enlarged, every day! Ha, every hour, every minute, maybe even every second worldwide!

Wow!

Tenth, when it comes to God's Hands! Jabez needed God's Hand to be with him! He asked for such. "That thine hand might be with me." And in a way, Jesus is God's Hand! Some will argue here. But Isaiah 53, once again, opens with these words, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Let me tell you Who God's "report" is! It's Jesus! And Who is God's Arm in this Text? Jesus also! If the Lord Jesus is God's very Arm, He is automatically God's Hand! The one being a part of the other. Oh, let God's Hand, the dear Saviour, be "upon" me for good! All day long! My whole life long!

Eleventh, Jabez hated evil and wanted to avoid it. "That thou wouldest keep me from evil." And Jesus hates evil too. Here's a 100% Jesus description. Jesus is the Perfect Fulfillment of this verse. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." This is Proverbs 8:13. Jesus also taught us to pray, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Very Jabez like!

And this too, still about evil. Jabez knew its consequences! "That thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" The pain and sorrow of evil! Truth be told, as you well remember, Jabez's very name is related to this word for "grieve." Jabez actually means "sorrowful!" Grieved one! And Jesus, again in Isaiah 53, third time today, is described. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." The pain and grief and sorrow of sin that Jabez so badly wanted to avoid, Jesus faced it squarely on the Cross! Our Lord swallowed every bit of it, for you and me, stripped sin and death and the grave of their terror! He suffered that horrible grief so I would not have to do so! Oh, how I need to worship Him more.

Last of all, but I'm sure not exhausting the list of possibilities, "God granted Jabez that which he requested." He got all he asked, then some! So with Jesus, I think He never asked of His Father a single petition, but that it was granted, or will be granted some time in the future! Including the prayers at Gethsemane! The Man Who can say this, "I always do those things that please the Father," John 8:29, can certainly be assured that His prayers will be answered! Always!

Fourteenth, God said "yes" to Jabez, about everything it appears. And I'm glad to announce today that Jesus is God's "Yes" to lost mankind. To us saints too! Paul in Second Corinthians 1:20. "All the promises of God in Him are Yea, and in him Amen." Where "yea" means "yes!" Truly, assuredly, even so, verily, Jesus is God's great big YES to the needs of every human being! I mean past, present, or future!

Fifteenth, I must close this Lesson! And this whole Series on Jabez. You may have to read this one in sections!

But why all this today about Jabez and Jesus?

Because Jabez just may be mentioned in Scripture to give us all a little "snapshot" of what the Real Jabez, the Lord himself, is doing in Heaven right now for you and me!

Praying!

Praying what?

1. Father, bless him or her indeed, my precious child. Put your name here in the blank __________________, dear brother or sister

2. Father, also enlarge her coast today, too, expand her mentally and emotionally and spiritually and every other wholesome way possible!

3. Then Father, keep Thy Hand on them today, for good! Empower and encourage and protect, as only Thou canst do!

4. Holy Father, also shield him and her from sin today, from any form of it, even its very appearance. That they may not suffer its terrible pain and agony and consequences!

If I am anywhere near close to right, the Jabez Prayer will be prayed for you today, by the greatest Man of Prayer Who ever set foot on this earth! By the dear Lord Jesus Christ, by God the Son Himself!

Wow!

Remind yourself today several times, "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Hebrews 7:25, straight from the Right Hand of the Throne of God!

Amen!

                                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Glory to God!

What a Text, the Prayer of Jabez!

1st Chronicles 4:9-10