Troublesome Topic: WHAT ABOUT THE PRAYER OF JABEZ?

In I Chron. 4:9-10 we read the prayer of a man named Jabez.

Those two verses say, “Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not experience pain.” And God granted his request” (Christian Standard Bible).

Does that mean that this was an example of true prayer? Is this how we should always pray?

No. This is an example of asking God for favors. It is also an example of how God, in His great mercy and grace, sometimes gives us favors. The fact that God answered that request is not a reflection on the nature of his request; it is a reflection on the nature of God.

Many have been impacted by the book The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. Unfortunately, it has only served to increase our bad habit of praying about ourselves and for ourselves. We are in the habit of using prayer as nothing but asking God for favors, and when a book like The Prayer of Jabez comes along, it seems to justify such bad habits. 

WHO WAS JABEZ?

His name means “pain or sorrow.” His mother named him that because she bore him in pain, implying exceptional pain.

I find it interesting that Jabez was inserted into a genealogy without any connection to his father.

From the names mentioned in the paragraph just before this, I Chronicles 4:9-10 may imply that Jabez belonged to the family of Coz, and probably to the clans of Aharhel (see v. 8).

Regarding earthly accomplishment, Jabez was not considered important enough to mention in the normal way that genealogies were used – with a clear connection to his father. But in a spiritual sense, he did accomplish important things, and therefore, he has been inserted into the text in order to highlight what he did in the spiritual realm.

I Chronicles 2:55 says that a clan of scribes lived in the place called Jabez, probably named after the man we are discussing. It appears to have been close to Bethlehem (I Chronicles 2:54). The Jewish Targum explains a belief held by the Jews that Jabez was a doctor in the law and founded a school of scribes. Even though Jabez does not appear to have been an important man in a physical or material sense, he had a town named after him, which gives certain validity to the implied connection between the prayer of Jabez in I Chron 4:10 and the existence of a clan of scribes at the town of Jabez in I Chron 2:55.

SUMMARY

The Bible’s short mention of Jabez presents Jabez as a faithful God-follower. His prayer was answered positively because of who God is, not because it was an example of true prayer, for God was not obliged to answer it that way. We should follow this man’s example of holy living, but we should not lift his prayer up as anything beyond a request for a favor.

The next lesson in this series is ARE MOST OF OUR PRAYER REQUESTS TRUE PRAYER?