Vs. 9,10 “Oh that You would bless me indeed, expand my borders, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

A petition like the other three that is more than meets the eye.

We have all prayed this prayer in some form or another?  When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” When you prayed, “Lord, keep me safe.” “God don’t let any harm come to me.” “Jesus watch over me.”  All too often we pray these prayers with the same mind set that some children are brought into the church to be baptized.  In spite of what I read this morning concerning the meaning of the sacrament of baptism, a major reason that parents have their child baptized is fear caused by superstition.

In truth the water of baptism is not going to ward off temptation, or sickness, or sin from Kayleigh’s life, just like our baptism did not put a spiritual Teflon coating on you or me.  By baptizing Kayleigh this morning the church has not put some mystical spiritual blessing on her that will keep her from evil.  No more than the prayer of Jabez prevented him from experiencing evil in his life.

But, Pastor the Bible says,

This does not mean that Jabez’s life was void of trials, temptation, suffering, pain, or any of the other of life’s hard cruel realities.  What the writer of Chronicles is telling us is that Jabez was faithful in living out his prayer and God was faithful in answering Jabez prayer.

I base this belief on the fact that the purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change the person doing the praying.  How often do we get this backwards?  How often do we pray to God and tell him what we want Him to do instead of going and seeking what God’s will for us is?

The prayer of Jabez’s is not a prayer where I is the center of attention. It is a prayer where God is the center of attention. While Jabez makes his requests to God, Jabez doesn’t tell God how He should bless him. Or how He should expand his borders. Or how His hand should be upon him. Or how He should keep him from evil. NO, Jabez leaves that to the will of God. What Jabez is willing to do is to surrender to the will of God. He is willing to trust God and the evidence of trust is obedience.

I say this particularly in light of the last petition,

Notice Jabez didn’t say that I may not feel pain or experience pain. He said,

How do we cause pain to others? Sin is the simple and truthful answer. Sin takes all forms. Paul gives us a good list in Galatians 5:19,20

(dishonesty, corruption, wickedness),

Whenever you or I exhibit any one of these behaviors in any degree or fashion we inflict great pain.

Sadly we cause pain even when we are serving God.  When our serving of God fosters a spirit of self-satisfaction instead of fostering a meek and quiet spirit.  When we serve God with a zealous determination to serve Him in our way. When we serve God for our will to be done, instead of God’s will.

The prayer of Jabez is not like some miracle ointment that you see on an infomercial when applied to your arthritic joints and aching muscles will bring instant relief. The prayer of Jabez is a life changing prayer that requires your willingness to submit to God’s will not just daily, not hourly but minute by minute.

Fortunately, God has given us the tools to be kept from evil, so that we will not cause pain.

Paul said,

These tools, God’s Word, God’s Spirit, are just the first half. The second half is your mind to know the truth, your heart to love the truth and your life to live it. You can choose good with the help of God and thus find good. Or you can choose evil through ignorance or ungodliness and thus find pain and evil.

It all comes down to you. God has and will continue to do His part, what about you?