Jabez’s prayer....

Jabez’s prayer...

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 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.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10

The pastor spoke of the prayer of Jabez yesterday....

My husband and I were driving across the salt flats on the way to Salt Lake City, not sure why...but we were reading this booking by Bruce Wilkinson...”The Prayer of Jabez”...we discussed it and then we were challenged to pray it ourselves there in the car as we were traveling...

It wasn’t for monetary gain as some have taught, but for growth in whatever direction God saw fit...my husband’s gifting was in giving, administration...he desired to give more to the kingdom...mine more in serving and encouragement...we simply wanted to increase our “territories “ in the services He had for us...

As I sat listening yesterday, I was overwhelmed with how the answers that I have seen have come...
Yes, now I am a widow...these territories have not been without pain...
But, God answered....

We were able to do some short term mission trips, now my grandchildren are doing them as well...
The legacy of giving is continuing on...
Service of some kind or other is continuing on...
God has indeed blessed in ways I can’t even imagine....or even foreseen as we prayed in that vehicle so long ago...

Then it hit me as we were reading yesterday, one answer that wasn’t even touched on, wasn’t even really thought about...”that I will be free from pain”...God even answered this...my husband had no pain from his brain cancer as others do...that was huge....

God is a God of the big things as well as the small...nothing goes unnoticed...

He increased my husband territories in blessings....thank YOU...help me to seek all that you have for my life...as we sought this in the past...