The Prayer

hey brothers.. just wanted to share this with u guys... on my way back from Taiwan on Monday, God put me in between two interesting characters on my return flight to Singapore. Initially I was disappointed to not be able to sit with either Joshua Lau/Chong or Angus and Camy.. but I believe God put them next to me for a reason.. the man on my left was a taoist "Tao Zhang".. not exactly sure what role that is.. but he's someone who does work in the temple.. and on my right was an old retired doctor from Taiwan.. a Christian man with lots to say! I was intending to just sleep my flight home but Doctor Lee wouldn't stop chatting with me.. which was good as well... because amongst other trivial things, we talked about the churches, Christians in our countries, and God.. Along the way, we talked about a verse in 1 Chronicles and discussed about it and he shared some interesting views on it and so i went back to read and pray about it... We were talking about the prayer of Jabez..

1 Chronicles 4:10
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.

I believe all of us have come across this verse because it has been preached on at service but having come to read it again.. along with Dr. Lee's comments on it... I have renewed thoughts about it and how to apply it to my life. Dr. Lee suggested I try drawing the meaning of Jabez's prayer to God from the last words to the first... so reading first that..

I will be free from pain
I do not believe God ever intended to tell his people that believing in Jesus would mean a life without pain.. However, although we will feel the pain that is caused by the injustice of this human world, it is only short-lived. Because we have a God that is above all the struggles that we will face.. and therefore, we can ask God to..

keep me from harm
God's love and grace for us has often shielded us from the disasters that our sin and pain would've caused us.. Being children of God, we pray for covering from Jesus, that the pain in this world will not lead to our disaster and our downfall... How is this possible? In order to be free from the devil's schemes to destroy us, we must pray...

Let your hand be with me
That God's hand will be with us to shield us and to cover us with his anointing. This part of Jabez's prayer is pivotal, in the sense that it is so important, that we pray for God's presence and action to be asserted and displayed in our lives. Often we view God's hand only as a source of provision... but it is so much more than that! It covers us from the harshness of the penalties of our sins... yes it provides bountifully... and it also desires to discipline us into being more and more like Jesus Christ..

enlarge my territory!
The Christian soldier would take on this war cry with much vigor and fervor.. taking this request for a bigger ministry and bigger influence to touch the world to God as very much an outward bound prayer.. However, I believe that God also wants us to enlarge the territory for God not only in the market place.. or where we are planted or sent or commissioned.. but also to enlarge the boundaries we have set for God in our own hearts.. No matter how much of "God's work" you do, it is more important that as you do all these, God's territory is not only expanded around you, but within you... allowing more of Jesus into every area of our lives, that we will be fully summited unto Him.

bless me
These words would then speak for themselves. If we can endure the pain in our lives because of God's love... and avert the disasters of our sins because of His Grace.. Keeping God close to us and enlarging God's territory in our hearts and around us... we would surely be able to proclaim God's blessings in our lives!