The blessing of Jabez

I’ve met so many Christians who believed that poverty was somehow more spiritual than being prosperous financially. It seems the vow of poverty taken by many Catholic priests seeped into the lives of countless believers. I’ve got some great news for you: God wants to bless you in every way. Jabez understood this truth, and he was unafraid to ask: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:10, NKJV)    

Jabez’s secrets of prosperity were quite simple:

1. He believed God wanted to bless him.
2. He made an effort to be honorable.
3. He asked God to bless him and was specific about it.
4. He was humble and tried not to mess up. He prayed that God would keep him from evil so that he wouldn’t cause pain. It reminds me of the Lord’s Prayer: “‘And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one…’” (Matthew 6:13, NKJV)

These secrets can be applied to your life if you want to be blessed. Does God want to bless you? Of course, He does. You’ll be able to do so much more, help so many more people, and build a legacy for generations. Paul said, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11, NIV)

Can you imagine providing a good education for your children, tithing, giving offerings on all occasions, and helping the poor? I remember paying for my own university and going hungry to buy my school books. I’ve got to be honest with you—I like prospering so much better. My wife and I have given cars to needy families, a home to the church, my salary for two years, my wife’s salary, and many other valuable things to God. We love to give to God and others. We can be generous because we’ve learned to sow like Isaac and ask like Jabez.

friend, I pray you will start working like Isaac and asking like Jabez. You’ll see the results because you are a miracle.