This is an image of the Jabez Prayer written in Persian, the language of Iran- perhaps this was a language that Jabez would have known well.

Prayer of Jabez:
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God 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 God granted his request.
~1 Chronicles 4:10 - NIV

“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.”
~NKJV

"Bless me, O bless me!
Give me land, large tracts of land.
And provide your personal protection--
don't let evil hurt me."
~The Message

I want to share with you a little bit about each part of this famous prayer each day for the next few days. first lets take "Oh, that you would bless me indeed,"

Here's what Webster's Dictionary says it means to "bless:"

1 : to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2 : to hallow with the sign of the cross
3 : to invoke divine care for
4 a : PRAISE, GLORIFY b : to speak well of : APPROVE
5 : to confer prosperity or happiness upon
6 archaic : PROTECT, PRESERVE
7 : ENDOW, FAVOR

Someone once told me that in Hebrew, "to bless" simply means "to make happy." Surely All seven Webster's definitions are things that each of us need. So when you pray the Jabez prayer, ask God to do these 7 things for you:

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

1 : hallow me, make me holy, consecrate me- Set me aside for Your use, for Your holy purposes. 2 : Put your mark upon me, write Your name upon my heart.
3 : Keep me and care for me as Your child
4 a : May I bring you honor and draw attention to Your love and Your power- b : Lord, find favor in me and may I be worthy of your approval
5 : Dear God, PLEASE provide for me, if it be Your will, even grant me material prosperity, certainly, please help me to find happiness in this life
6 Lord, preserve and protect me
7 : Lord, make me useful to You, grant me skills and talents so that I can be Your instrument.

In Jesus' Name,
Indeed! Let it be so! Amen

Some Christians have been very critical of this prayer because they're afraid that it's a selfish prayer. First of all, why would He put in inthe Bible if it's somehow wrong or sinful to pray it? Secondly, look back at what you just prayed, think about what it means to bless or be blessed. Surely God wants to bless you, His child. How can it possibly be wrong to ask Him to bless you?

Bless us, Lord, bless us indeed!

How to Bless Your Neighbors Through Prayer

How to B.L.E.S.S. Your Neighbors Through Prayer

Yes, I believe that "Oh, that you would bless me indeed," means that it's Okay to as for God to provide for you and even to prosper you. And yes, I think that includes materially.

But yes, I do believe that it is better to give than it is to recieve. I do think that Jesus set an example for us to be humble and selfless, not proud and shelfish.

So, why not ask God to bless your neighbors, to make them happy, make them holy, use them for His glory, protect them and yes, to provide for their needs and bring THEM prosperity?!

How can you do that? Click on the link above to learn more. It's all about usung the BLESS anagram:

WHAT BLESSINGS SHOULD I PRAY?
Think of the word BLESS to remember five important ways to pray for your neighbors:
Body – health, protection, strength
Labor – work, income, security
Emotional – joy, peace, hope
Social – love, marriage, family,friends
Spiritual – salvation, faith, grace

Numbers 6:14-26 Prayer:

GOD bless you and keep you,
GOD smile on you and gift you,
GOD look you full in the face
and make you prosper.

Enlarge my territory

“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.”
~1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

So what does it mean to ask God to "expand your territory? Critics of Bruce Wilkinson's book The Jabez Prayer, feared that readers would try using this prayer as a get-rich-quick-scheme, as if God were some kind of Santa Claus who'll give you lots of STUFF.

But I think it's more like Saint Francis' prayer asking God to make him into His instrument.

"My willingness and weakness, plus God's will and supernatural power, equals... my expanded territory." ~Bruce Wilkinson, The Jabez Prayer

God wants to use you- to bless others, to pray for others, to help others, to challenge others.
We are our brother's keeper. Even if it's just offering a cold glass of water to a thirsty child, God wants us to be His hands and feet.

That's what expanding territory means, it means expanded responsibility.

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." ~Mother Teresa

But look what that tiny woman, Mother Teresa did! Once, when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed and inadequate my pastor told me something that has stuck with me for YEARS. He said "It's not how much YOU can do, its what the Holy Spirit can do THROUGH you!"

What a thrill to not just be safe in God's hands, but to be His tool while He goes about His handywork. Gives new meaning to the bumper sticker, "My boss is a Jewish carpenter," doesn't it?

But it can still be a little intimidating to think that God wants you to take on greater responsibility. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale suggested conditioning your mind with positive thinking by repeating Philippians 4:13 ten times a day.

Try it. It's bound to inspire confidence:

• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~NKJV
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Prayer:

"Lord,

Let me
make a difference
for You
that is
utterly
disproportionate
to who I am."

Amen

~John Piper

that your hand would be with me,

"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."
~1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

Certainly, this means you're asking for God's protection, but it also means you're asking for His guidance. And, frankly, I believe it also means you want His company, His companionship.

Think about our relationship to God, what would it compare to? Parent and child, right?

There were times when I was a little boy when I wanted my Dad to hold my hand. Like when I had to get a shot or when I went through a haunted house at the fair. Now that I'm a dad of two little girls, there are definitely times when I want them to let me hold their hand. Like in a crowded store or in a busy parking lot.

When I was little, I wanted that hand for the feeling of comfort and security. As a parent, I want to offer that hand for protection, safety, but also for guidance, for direction.

Who wouldn't want to hold hands with God. What a bodyguard, right? With God's hand upon you, nobody is gonna mess with you. On the other hand, you're not going to be able to get too far away from your Father either, are you?

The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, "Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you."~Ezekiel 3:22

See what I mean about guidance?

One of the neatest feelings in the world when I was little was when my Dad would put his hand on my head and muss up my hair. He'd usually say something like "how ya doin, tiger?"
That hand meant approval and affection.

I don't read Hebrew, I don't know much Hebrew but one of my favorite Hebrew words is "PAGA." The Hebrew word for intercession, "paga," means "to meet" or "to touch."

I don't know whether or not paga is used in the Prayer of Jabez, but I understand that it appears 44 times in Old Testament. It means "to encounter, meet with, reach or stretch unto, to entreat, to strike, to touch, to attack"

Paga breaks down into two words:

QAL "to meet, to light upon, to join (used of kindness), to encounter, to fall upon (used of hostility), to entreat (used of a request), to strike, to touch (used of boundary)."

and HIPHIL "entreating, to interpose, to make attack, to reach the mark (as used in Phil. 3:13-14- striving on for the goal witch I haven't quite reached yet)."

A great way to think about that second part is to remember that Christianity is all about a relationship. "Hiphil," to me, is like when my 2-year old reaching up to me to try to get me to pick her up.

Prayer:

Dear Father-God,

May Your holy hand be upon me,

to protect me and guard me
to comfort and assure me
to guide me and lead me
to correct me and urge me
to let me know that You love me,
accept me,
enjoy me

I'm reaching out for You too,
I want to serve You, please You, be held and carried by You.

Thank you for your hand
for your protection
guidance
and for Your presence

Amen

“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.”
~1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

Other translations put it "that I might not KNOW pain."
It's a big difference in inference. One may sound more selfish- don't let evil hurt me, and the other more altruistic-don't let me hurt anybody. evil is not necissarily synonimous with Satan. Evil is the fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing. Evil is something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity. There is evil in the world, and has been ever since the fall of Adam. Like it or not, there is evil in each one of us due to our sinful natures. And of course, Satan uses, delights in, and initiates all kinds of evil.

1 Timothy 6:10 says that money is at the root of all kinds of evil. Does that mean that praying the Jabez Prayer, is asking God to deny you money? Not at all.

If anything, this last petition is really a repitition of the first one. If you are being made happy (blessed), than you're being kept from sorrow and distress. What's the best way for that to happen? By surrenduring our will to Gods. Think about it, if you want what He wants, you'll always be happy.

"I cannot pray in the name of Jesus to have my own will; the name of Jesus is not a signature of no importance, but the decisive factor. The fact that the name of Jesus comes at the beginning does not make it a prayer in the name of Jesus; but this means to pray in such a manner that I dare name Jesus in it, that is to say, dare to think of Him, think His holy will together with whatever I am praying for." ~Sören Kierkegaard

There are two aspects of the Lord's Prayer here. Both the "Thy will be done on Earth on it is in Heaven," and "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."


PRAYER:

Lord,

If it's Your will,
protect me from suffering and misfortune.
don't let me have to experience sorrow or distress

Since You want to use me as Your instrument,
don't allow me, by what I say, do, or fail to do
to cause misfortune or suffering to others.
Don't let me cause sorrow or distress for others.

Protect me from
evil, sin, and temptation in the world
from my own sinful, evil human nature, drives and desires
and from Satan and his demons...

so that I will not experience or cause pain.

In Jesus' name,
Amen