Introduction
• If you’ve been involved in church for more than a few years, you’ve likely heard the Prayer of Jabez. It’s been printed on coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and in books that promise material blessings if you repeat it fervently enough. But what if that’s not what Jabez prayed for at all?
• In this episode, we will strip away the glossy interpretation and uncover what Jabez really asked for—transformation, not accumulation.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 58 of The Bible Unplugged. We take a close and critical look at the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4 and how it should apply to how we live.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com. While you are there, check out my devotional series that I publish Monday through Friday.
Background
• To understand the Prayer of Jabez we need to take a step back and look at the historical and cultural context of the book of 1 Chronicles. This book was written around 450-400 BC. The people of Israel were in the process of returning home from the Babylonian exile.
• The people wanted to reclaim their lost identity and their lost land. Creating the genealogies of the tribes found in this book helped determine who had rights to the land.
• We find the brief story of Jabez in chapter 4 which represented a period in history over 600 years before the book was written.
• In Jabez’s time, the people of Israel were still settling into the promised land for the first time. As with all humanity, transitions could be difficult. This period in history included disunity among the tribes, frequent wars with neighboring countries especially the Philistines, scattered religious places of worship, and social instability. A family could rise in influence in their tribe through hard labor, God’s favor, or by less noble means.
Jabez’s History
• Jabez’s story is found in the book of 1 Chronicles 4:9-10:
• Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.” Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested.
• The original Hebrew, when correctly interpreted, gives us a different picture than what many accept as true about this story.
• There is a theme throughout this brief passage that gives us a pathway to interpreting this prayer correctly. In Hebrew, the name “Jabez” means “he causes pain.” His mother branded him with an unfortunate name which likely impacted how he felt about himself and maybe even how he was treated by others. Jabez had to find a happy life in spite of his name.
• The word “pain” shows up 4 times in this verse and is used in different ways that impact the meaning.
• In his prayer the request is for God to free him from causing pain. In Hebrew, this phrase uses a different form of his own name.
• This is motivation for this prayer, asking God to free him from causing pain to himself and others, which influences the meaning.
Jabez’s Prayer
• Now that we know the context, what did Jabez really ask God to do for him? There are several requests in this prayer:
• He asked God to bless him. The Hebrew word means “to kneel in reverence before God’s favor.” He didn’t demand a blessing; he submitted himself to God to receive it.
• He asked God to enlarge his border. In our culture it’s easy to think this meant he wanted more land, but that isn’t the real meaning.
• The people of Israel believed that all the land belonged to God. Every tribe and family had an allotment of land that God gave them. They could not sell the land to cover a hardship; they could only lease their land. In the next Jubilee year, all land reverted back to the original owner.
• If Jabez wanted more land, he could only acquire more through the misfortune of others and for a short time. Another, equally accurate, translation of the word “border” means influence or social standing.
• What Jabez asked God to give him is much more significant than material wealth. Verse 9 tells us that Jabez was “more honorable than his brothers,” meaning, he saw the evil and wrong around him and did not want to repeat that.
• Jabez asked these things from God so that the purpose of his life would be greater than his name. He wanted to be a blessing, not cause pain for others like he did for his mother.
The Real Purpose of the Prayer
• What Jabez really asked of God is to expand his soul, not his wallet. Jabez wasn’t seeking more possessions; he was seeking freedom from the pain of defining his life by them.
• Jabez understood that seeking blessings without a mission or purpose becomes greed; expansion without love becomes oppression.
• Jabez did not mistake God’s presence and protection for earthly prosperity. Sometimes, the hand of God may lead us through wilderness experiences before we understand God’s blessings.
• Jabez lived in a cycle of pain. His prayer asked God to break that pattern so that his life would not be defined by his name.
Takeaways from Jabez’s Prayer
• There are several takeaways from the real meaning of this prayer.
• Faith rewrites scripts. If you are living in a cycle of pain, regret, guilt, or defeat; know that God is gently and softly calling you to look to Him for a different path in life.
• The measure of God’s blessing isn’t comfort, but capacity. This is the ability to carry His purpose without collapsing into the temptation of seeking meaning through accumulation of material gain.
• God grants prayers of expansion. As Jesus said, we should seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness first. When we do, we expand in God’s direction and with God’s blessing.
• Our prayers should be genuine, heart-felt, and purposeful. Fervent repetition of empty prayers ends in empty results.
Practical Challenge for This Week
• My challenge for you this week is to rewrite Jabez’s prayer in a way that makes it personal to you.
• Ask God to expand your influence in an area that has divine impact:
• A relationship that’s broken
• A calling you’ve ignored
• A cause or purpose you’ve been too timid to accept
• When you feel God’s hand moving you in a new direction, act on it.
The conclusion
• Yes, we have reached the end of the episode, but I’ve got a lot more on the way.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we look at the faith of a young slave girl that had a tremendous impact on her master and the nation.
• My prayer for you is that you will see God’s hand moving you toward blessings that far outweigh anything in and of this world.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. If you listen long enough, you’ll agree with something.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
