Prayers From the Bible Part 1預覽

Jabez's prayer

Jabez isn’t mentioned much in the Bible, yet the little we know about him teaches us a lot. What we know of him is that he was more honourable than his siblings, but his birth caused pain, prompting his mother to name him Jabez, which means, ‘he will cause pain’.

Despite the labels placed on him, Jabez sought God for his provision, asking Him to bless him and keep him from harm and pain. And God granted his request. Like Jabez, many of us have negative labels placed on us by others, whether we like them or not. But it’s how we respond that matters.

If we allow it, negative labels and names will start to form our identity and strip us of our peace. They can shape how we live and act, shifting our hearts away from God. But labels are not who we are. Like Jabez, we can and should seek the one who made us for comfort and provision and to reinforce who we are and who we belong to.

Only God can tell us who we are, and He tells us that we are His beloved. Let’s not look to the world around us for our identity and provision but to God. Let’s lift our prayers to the only one who can answer prayers, God, and let Him lead and guide us today.

Written by LEILA ARMSTRONG