Who was Jabez?
A simple man, like you and me... (1 Cr.4:9) says that Jabez enjoyed greater respect than his brothers, he was a religious man, living in Elohim... his mother named him Jabez (sorrow maker), "because I bore him in pain".
1- "Jabez cried out to the Elohim of Israel":
This was the attitude of Jabez; he lived constantly in the presence of Elohim... "Trust in Elohim" is the message of every page of the Bible... "Faith in Christ" in the New Testament, which is almost the same...
Do your best... and then "trust in Elohim"... it is the formula that never fails in this life... and in the next!... the one of Joshua in his first chapter.
- Rejoice and delight in Elohim, your Father.
- Give thanks to Elohim with joy in every circumstance in your life (1 Thes.5:16-18, Eph.5:20).
- Believe always in Elohim, your Creator, your Father...
- Make your prayer requests to Elohim... "Our Father who are in Heaven..." (Mt.6:9)
- Rebuke Satan in the name of Yahusha. (Mr.16:17).
- Use the name of the Elohim of Israel as your shelter and your strength.
2- "Oh, that you would bless me!”
This is what Jabez was crying out in every circumstance of his life... his first request.
What that is mean to be blessed by Elohim in the Bible:
Let's read it in (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
If you fully obey the LORD your Elohim and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your Elohim:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your Elohim will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your Elohim and walk in his ways.
Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity--in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground--in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend too many nations but will borrow from none.
The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your Elohim that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
Do like Jabez who literally cried out to Elohim to bless him... it is very biblical... try it! you never know!... until you see the blessings Elohim wants to give you... Jabez did like Jacob, a most perseverant man in the Bible: "I will not let you go until you bless me"... and Elohim blessed "Jacob", which means "cheater", and changed his name into "Israel", which means "prince of Elohim"... Elohim changed the whole life of Jacob, from the most deceiving man in the Bible into the most kind in the Bible when he was in Egypt (Gen.32:24-28).
In the New Testament... let's read it in (3 John 2):
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in good health, just as your soul prospers"... just has faith in Yahusha the Christ, the Lord Elohim.
Elohim Himself wants you to prosper! in all things!... in your job, at home, in your social life, be in good health... just ask for His blessing with the simple prayer of Jabez.
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."That’s what Yahusha says to you right now! (John 1:10)
- Ask Elohim, you’re Father, to bless you... Elohim wants to bless you... it is very biblical.
- Pray about your personal needs... your own crisis.
- Pray to Elohim for the little things and the big ones...
- Ask Elohim to have abundant life.
- Pray for your family, friends, enemies, neighbors... for your church, the nation, the world.... Elohim is great! He can do it! he wants to do it!... He just needs your trust in Him, shown in your perseverant prayer of faith and love.
3- "... and enlarge my territory!”
Yes! Jabez asked Elohim to give him a larger home, a better job... do the same! this was Jabez's second request.
Yes! another bold request... Ask Elohim to give you big things... He can do it! He wants to do it!... to enlarge your wisdom, and understanding, and humility, and patience, and your love and joy... to have good health, to enlarge your physical strength... to enlarge your charismas in the mind, in the spirit, in your character...
Ask Elohim of Israel to give you more influence to help others, your family, your church, your city, the nation, the world...
Pray Elohim to make you an apostle, an evangelist... one of His friends... you may start by telling your friends about this small page...
Pray the Elohim of Israel to fill you with the Holy Spirit, in the name of Yahusha, for the glory of the Father, for the good of the Church, and for your own good... this is a bold request for your life, and Elohim wants to do it!... just pray and trust in Elohim!.
4- "Let your hand be with me":
This is Jabez's third request: Let your hand be with me, your presence, your love, your power, in every minute of my life... Jabez's life was centered in Elohim... try to do the same!
With so many blessings in your life come more responsibilities... you, by yourself, can do nothing...? (Jn.15:5)... but you can do everything through Him who gives you strength, alleluia! (Phil.4:13).
"And my Elohim shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Yahusha" (Phil. 4:19)... not according to your needs, but according to His riches in Glory!
5- "... and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
This was the fourth and last bold request of Jabez... keep me from harm, from pain, from sicknesses, from suffering...
Ask you the same to Elohim: Keep me from harm, from physical pain, from anxieties, from fears, from slander, from bankruptcies, from the evil one... deliver me from evil... me and my family, and my friends, and my enemies... deliver all of us from evil... it is a very biblical prayer (Mt.6:13).
Cry out to the Elohim of Israel to deliver you from alcohol, drugs, tobacco, overweight... from loneliness or from being abused... from your problems at home, with the wife or husband or children... from the struggles at work... from all harm and evil to be free from pain!.
6- "And Elohim granted his request.”
It needs no explanation, no comments... Try it! it has helped thousands, millions...
If you are neither a Christian nor a Jew... Try it! many have profit from it... it costs you nothing... and you never know!.
The little, bold, prayer of Jabez:
"Jabez cried out to the Elohim of Israel,
- "Oh, that you would bless me
- And enlarge my territory!
- Let your hand be with me,
- and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
And Elohim granted his request."
Jabez prayed! when he had a problem, a crisis, he did not decided to go to school, nor to the influenced men, nor to work much harder... He just prayed!
Jabez prayed with boldness and perseverance, like Jacob! When things didn't work out for him, he did not complained, or started a strike or a riot... he just prayed, he cried out to the Elohim of Israel!
When Jabez had a hopeless and desperate situation, he prayed Elohim-size prayers... Elohim can do the impossible! (Lk.1:37).
Prayer is the fine thread that moves the hand of Elohim... it is the atomic bomb of old times, and of our days!
Do you want a breakthrough in your spiritual life? At home? at work?... Pray, pray, pray!
Start praying the Prayer of Jabez every morning...
Pray with faith and humility and confidence and perseverance, like Jacob! until Elohim blesses you!...
Pray at home with your family... the family that prays together stays together...
Pray at work, with some co-workers... or with your friends or neighbors... in small groups...
Pray always, continually, without ceasing! (Lk.18:1, 1Thes.5:16-18)...
In Two Ways:
1- Giving thanks to God with joy in all circumstances, at all times and for everything in the name of Yahusha (1Thes5:16-18, Eph.5:20).
2- Seeing Jesus in your neighbor... Whatever you do unto your neighbor, you do it to Yahusha (Mt.25:31-46).
And watch out! In any storm in your life, Elohim always answers every prayer with a BIG YES! in two ways:
1- Either He calms the storm... the sickness is healed, the problem solved...
2- Or He calms you... and you will pass the storm with peace and even with joy... your child may die, but you will be at peace... and even with joy!, when you realize that your 3 year-old child went to eternal Heaven so soon in life...
Start a diary on how Elohim answers any of your prayers... Elohim makes miracles daily in our lives...
... But we often look like Herod in (Luke 23): He heard much about Yahusha, he wanted to see Yahusha, he wanted to see a miracle made by Yahusha...like you and me?... and Yahusha did not made a miracle in his presence!... but, wait a minute!: Imagine the scene: Herod gave Yahusha a glass of water and asked: Convert it into wine... and nothing!... he gave a piece of bread, and asked Jesus to multiply it... and nothing!... but read the end of the story in (Lk.23:12), "Pilate and Herod who were enemies before, became friends from that day"... and it is harder to convert an enemy into a friend than water into wine!... and more profitable!... So, Herod had his miracle! but he didn't see it!... like you and me every day?...