March 15, 2024

Author: Pastor Dave Miner
March 15, 2024

Reading: 1 Chronicles 4 | Optional Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-3, 5-9 [LONG reading, stay awake, it is mostly genealogy]
“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]

This prayer might be a good guide for anyone who seeks God’s blessing. This prayer reveals that the author wanted the blessing God had specifically for him. What blessing was that? He did not know. But he believed God wanted to bless him. He did not demand riches, honor, fame, power, or anything like that. No, he just wanted God to bless him in whatever way God wanted to.

That should cause you to ponder his prayer. Are you praying for all kinds of things in your life? But what if God has better, greater blessings in mind? What if God really wants to bless you with something incredible, but because you are always praying about something else, you have missed it?
That was the secret of this prayer. There are times when we should and do pray for specifics. But in the case, the author just asked God to bless him however He wanted to. That is a great prayer. Why? Because it lets God be God, and you the blessed one.

Heavenly Father, help me to learn to pray with power. Amen.

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