Pray like Jabez for No Limits, No Labels

Jabez, the Bible tells us, was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” But Jabez prayed to God, “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. When Jabez reached out to the Lord, he was reaching for more! He refused to let his own mother label him and determine his destiny. Instead of living below his God-given potential, he determined to look for more in life. He asked big. He prayed a short, but life-changing prayer. And he made four powerful requests of God that changed his destiny forever. 1. Pray: “God, bless me!” God has more for you, if you will only ask God for it. 2. Pray: “God, enlarge me!” Have you determined: I am not settling for where I am today. I am ready, God, for you to do something new in me. 3. Pray: “God, let your hand be with me!” Jabez didn’t want to go anywhere without God’s presence, favor, and blessing. 4. Pray: “God, keep me from a life of trouble and pain!” He decided that his mother didn’t have the authority to choose his destiny for him, and he didn’t want to cause pain to anyone else as he had experienced. You don’t need to repeat the bitter or ugly cycle of your parents or upbringing or community any more than Jabez did. And all you have to do to begin to break the cycle is ask, “God, bless me!” and wait and see what God will do. Excerpt from You Are Made For More!