Journey into the Prayer of Jabez: Day 1
January 27, 2010
I decided in my morning devotional to read the prayer of Jabez: “Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory….” ~1Chronicles 4:10
Enlarge my territory, give me more to do - more people to influence. I suppose the losing of something causes one to reevaluate their influence. Life often presents opportunities for the shedding away of something: an unhealthy relationship, job, bad habits, and this shedding, though painful at the time, is God’s way of telling us that whatever we were doing was not enlarging our territory. Instead of being discouraged, feeling rejected, or unworthy, we must have been doing what God desired us to do all along.
In the midst of a loss, it is necessary to change ones thinking in this direction, “I must be doing what God intends. He has been directing my path all along. He knows what I need and it is my faith in His almighty power that will carry me through this difficult loss.”
Losing something, or someone important to us is painful. The separation that often follows causes many questions and fears. The thing or person probably brought some joy, some excitement, or some sense of purpose to our lives. If the loss was unexpected then the questioning often begins, accompanied by regret, rejection or shame. “Why did this happen? What did I do wrong?”
But maybe there is another perspective God asks us to consider. Not the one of hopeless failure and despair, but maybe, just maybe the answer to a prayer. “Expand my territory,” we prayed and God answered, closing one door, yet opening at least one more. To realize we have no clue as to what this means, or where we are headed, yet to follow with action is the true meaning of faith. To have no idea what the expanded territory will look like is both exciting and scary. Perhaps our territory is so large, we only get to spend a short time in some places. All the more reason to enjoy where we are, to take full advantage of the present moment. God knows we tend to hang on a little longer that what is good for us. Perhaps he is saying, “I have more for you to do, a wider, deeper, larger territory in mind for you to cover. So I need you to move on. I am showing you the emergency exits right now. Follow them to the territory you asked for. Trust me.”
These are the words of comfort, hope and strength God offers. In reply he only asks us to say, “Yes God, I will go where you would have me go, see who you would have me see, do what you would have me do.” Now you have followed the words of Jabez, “Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge me territory…”
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2 comments:
Having written a book titled "A Journey Into Prayer: Pioneers of Prayer in the Laboratory," I picked up your essay today.
www.SpindriftResearch.org conducted the most tests of people from various backgrounds as they prayed.
As regards the thought of your essay, both a selfish prayer and a selfless prayer occasion results. However, selfish prayer that loads one's desires on one's wants is a type of praying amiss we would say. Why? Because the Father-Mother God of Intelligence is aware more than man of what is needed.
Often what we want isn't what we need. It can be, but again, prayer needs to be guided by not first what we want to happen which is hard to erase from the mind.
You might find the FAQ page of some interest on the Spindrift website. Best wishes, Bill Sweet author and researcher
Thank you for your reflection. To ask for what we want, yet be aware to the answer that often shows up - often in a form, if not paying attention, we will not recognize is the true nature of prayer. To be selfish in our asking, yet selfless in our acceptance, aah, that is the trick.
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