Earlier this week, I read a bold prayer. This prayer inspired me. I hope it does the same for you! I was reading about a man in the Bible called Jabez. Very little is said about him other than he was more honorable than all his brothers. The next verse was a record of his prayer.
This prayer caught my attention, it filled me with a fresh perspective and renewed hope! I was sure you would find it encouraging too!
“He [Jabez] was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.” – 1 Chronicles 4:10
I don’t know about you, but I often pray that the Lord would bless my efforts. That He would take me farther than I can go on my own. And I pray for safety, especially when I’m tired and not on my game. I’m very quick to utter a prayer asking for God’s help!
But when I’m going about my day, when I’m securely following the next step I’ve been given, I don’t take my prayer to the next level. Only when I’m tired and feeling weak. But how much farther might we go if we claimed God’s blessing and divine safety and security initially? What if we didn’t wait until we were worn down and discouraged.
Jabez’ prayer was bold.
“Bless me, expand my territory, be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain.” Wow! Not “major” trouble and pain – the kind I can’t handle on my own – but all trouble and pain. And what did God think of that bold prayer? He granted Jabez’ request!
The Bible says that if we ask anything in the Lord’s name (in line with His Word), He will do it. In my prayers and in my requests, I find that I have a tendency to keep things attainable. But I want to break past this. I want to ask incredible things of God and instead of setting my expectations at human levels, I want to expectantly see Him accomplish more than I can ask or imagine!
This doesn’t mean that I’ll be sitting back, waiting for Him to show up and do my work for me. But rather as I’m going about my day and giving Him my best, I will think higher thoughts, ask larger things of Him! All the while, knowing that not only is He capable of blessing me in remarkable ways. And in these blessings, He will also protect and direct me!
I want to accomplish incredible things for Him.
Not go to the moon, become the next Madame Curie, or fight world hunger. But I want to show up for Him in the everyday moments. Lean on Him and expect wonderful things from Him, knowing that it pleases Him to bless His people! All we have to do is ask!
What about you?
Where is life taking you? Are you leaning in and asking Him to show up in your life? It’s not that He can’t or won’t without your request, but rather He will so much more if you will but ask!
Remember Christ saying, “Ask, Seek, Knock”? If you want to live an exceptional life, that’s what you must do! Don’t just lean on Him when you are low and discouraged. But look to Him in everything! His very presence, your very awareness of Him, will make your life sweeter and better than you can even imagine!
And in all this, pray bold prayers.
Don’t just ask for bare minimum for yourself. Ask for abundance so that you might be a blessing to others! Claim His protection and guidance. He is so willing and He is always faithful!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. I love to ask God to show me something new. And discovering this prayer, the boldness of it, seemed to me to be just that! This request and the story behind it comes from the story that I share here: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2016/11/07/i-never-thought-of-that/