I remember years ago, reading a book, “The Prayer of Jabez” by Bruce H. Wilkinson. The book was very popular back in the early 1990s. I had mixed feelings about the book— I remember it as a collection of stories of thinking and praying big, and big things happening. It is inspired by a short passage: I Chronicles 4:9-10.
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,[a] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 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.
This passage speaks of Jabez saying a prayer that God and God answering that request. It says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. It is not clear the relationship between his recognition of being honorable and God granting the request. Was Jabez more honorable for praying a somewhat self-serving prayer? Was the prayer answered because he was more honorable? Is that how God does things? Or was his being honorable completely disconnected from his motivations and God’s response?
I don’t know, but I think a better prayer is “The Prayer of Agur.” This is from Proverbs 30:7-9. It is from a chapter of the sayings of Agur the son of Jakeh.
“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
The prayer doesn’t sound as inspirational as the one by Jabez. However, I think it applicable and appropriate to a larger percentage of the population. Perhaps Jabez was “more honorable” in that he was able to handle greater prosperity than most… or at least his brothers. But for the rest of us… we don’t necessarily do so well with prosperity. Far too many Christians crumble under the burden of too much wealth… too large of territory… and too little suffering.
Most of us grow through some suffering and some limitations. Yes, we may crumble under severe deprivations— we need certainly need our daily bread— but we don’t do well if we have a whole bread factory either.
Paul says something similar to Timothy (I Timothy 6:6-10)
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Maybe we all should start with the Prayer of Agur. Maybe there are a few that can nervously try the Prayer of Jabez… but I certainly won’t be one of them. Be careful what you pray for.
