The Lords Prayer 3

The Lords Prayer 3.

Prayer should be a constant 2 way flow of communication in the relationship between God and man.

If we must request of him then we must also be attentive and allow Him speak or respond to us by any other means he so chooses that we may come to know His will and obey accordingly.

Nothing authenticates our relationship with our creator more than our persistent communion with Him in prayer. 
Prayer is the proof that His word abides in us and the catalyst that will bring it to pass.
Where there is no relationship with God there will be no abiding presence or overcoming strength.

Any Christian that doesn't have a prayer life is like a soldier without weapons, and defeat is inevitable.

Unfortunately man's propensity to go it alone, oblivious of His creators purpose for him, and man's impatience in waiting for God's reply or his choice to disobey, has been the bane of the relationship from time immemorial.

During the journey of life we will indeed have some highs and lows but God forbid that we bring trouble upon ourselves by the foolish things we utter.

In 1 Peter 3: 10, it is written, 
.., “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil ..."

This reminds me of the terrible name the mother of Jabez gave him and thank God that a heartwarming prayer to his Creator was all that was needed to turn his life around.

Lets take a while to reflect on the short account of Jabez and his famous prayer as recorded in 1 Chronicles 4: 9 to 10:

9. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, 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.
It can be deduced that because his mother gave birth to him in pain she unfortunately decided to give him a name synonymous with what she experienced during childbirth, rather than giving him a prophetic name that would speak blessings into his future.

The name probably characterized his existence, till he could handle it no more and one day, cried out to God in prayer.

Note that the first thing that was mentioned to his credit was that he was more honorable than his brothers.

This could have various meaning starting from him being of great renown, to respectable, to him being characterized by his unwavering integrity in the midst of the pain and suffering he could have been undergoing - for a major part of his life, until he sought God's intervention.

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, for 4 things, namely that:
1. God would bless him, 
2. Enlarge his territory, 
3. Let His hand be with him, and 
4. keep him from harm so that he would be free from pain.

One could infer from his prayer that:

1. Jabez cried out for God to bless him because of the consequence of the cursed name he was given due to his mother's ignorance of how powerful words and names were.

2. Jabez requested that God enlarge his territory because all his struggle to improve and expand had always fallen short of expectation.

3. We are the works of God's hand.
We are the clay, and He, the potter.
Jabez's request that, "God's hand be with him", was a plee that God would be active in his life, that God would guard and guide him in life so that God's good, pleasing and perfect will would be accomplished in his life. (The opposite is in Acts 13: 11).

A heartfelt prayer to God like that of Jabez can turn your life around, so don't fail to make your supplication unto the Father in faith, because if He can do it for Jabez, He can do it for you too.