The Prayer of Jabez… “Your hand be with me”. In this prayer, Jabez didn’t just ask for God’s hand. In a larger sense, Jabez needed God’s presence in his life. A loving and trusting relationship with God through His presence is what we all need to have a life fulfilled. God wants us to freely choose to love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind (Matt 22:37). Therefore, God doesn’t want to control us (because God respects our independence, if we so choose) and God needs nothing from us (because God creates everything and everything belongs to Him).
People feel safe and proud when they know someone higher up, perhaps who could protect them or help them in times of need. How about having the most high, most powerful, and most magnificent God, Creator of the universe, on your side?
Jabez asked for God’s hand to help him to handle his new wealth and responsibilities that he expected to receive from God. By asking for God’s hand, Jabez humbly asked God to lead him and surrendered his success to God.
The boy in Matthew 14:13-21 selflessly gave 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to Jesus. God multiplied it and fed 5000 people. In God’s hands, the simple items that a boy had became a miracle. Pastor Rick Warren has started giving back 90% of his salary for more than 10 years now. He leads a mega church based in California with 19 branches all over the world and currently delivers 6 sermons each week. In God’s hands, an obedient servant like pastor Rick has become a blessing for many people – a miracle. As members of the Saddleback Church, my family and I receive God’s blessings through pastor Rick.
Let's pray. “Father-God, I lift up my brothers and sisters to you. I am prayerfully asking for your hands over their lives. Please remove heavy burdens, worries and fears in their hearts, so that they will be able to have an intimate, loving and trusting relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen”.