“And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Scripture spotlights Jabez amidst an otherwise plain chronology in 1 Chronicles 1–9. Three aspects of his model prayer show the kind of heart the Lord appreciates.

First, Jabez resisted the temptation to treat God like a vending machine by asking Him for any self-serving thing. He instead prayed, “Oh, that thou wouldest bless me indeed,” leaving the Lord to choose what, when, how, and even if to bless. Now that’s trust.

Second, he asked that the Lord “enlarge my coast.” He did not say, “Enlarge my bank account.” Rather, it could be that he wanted a wider sphere of influence for the Lord. This would imply that Jabez really desired others to know “the God of Israel.”

Third, Jabez asked the Lord to help keep him holy—not necessarily happy. He invited God’s hand to “be with me,” not to make him wealthy but to “keep me from evil.” He had the same mind as Peter, who wrote, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16, quoting Leviticus 11:45).

How many of our prayers have we wasted in either seeking selfish gain from our Lord, seeking secure circumstances instead of Him, or seeking His blessing amidst a refusal to do what’s right in one area or another? It’s a good bet that the Lord would appreciate it if we instead, like Jabez, seek His blessing according to His will, ask Him for help in pointing more people to Him, and cling to His help to live holy lives set apart for Him. BDT