Many were unaware of the little-known prayer uttered by Jabez in the Old Testament of the Bible. That is until Bruce Wilkerson published the book, The Prayer of Jabez some years ago. It was an international bestseller, drawing both praise and criticism, as things in the spotlight do.
I read the book and was fascinated by this simple prayer that Jabez uttered: “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10. Set as it is among a genealogical record, this prayer that God answers is easy to miss as the long list of names progresses.
It lined up with what I had come to believe as the power of the simple prayer. Jesus admonished, “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7. I believe that God hears simple, short prayers and answers them.
One day around the time I read that little book, I was expecting some visitors, people I didn’t know well but with whom I was going to spend a day on a boat out at sea. As expected, my introverted self was apprehensive. Preparing for the day, I prayed silently, “Lord, please bless this day for me. May it be better than I expect it to be.”
The day turned out great! There was unexpected ease, joy, and laughter. When I got home after the outing, I looked back on all that had transpired and realized that something supernatural had happened. (If you’re an introvert you will understand how miraculous this felt!) God heard and answered my prayer to bless my day. I was so grateful!
As a result of what happened that day, it became a habit of mine, and still is (although sometimes I forget) to pray before outing, events, or trips that make the introvert in me concerned. Recently, heading out to one such event, I remembered the first time I prayed this little prayer and how that day out at sea had turned out so great. So I prayed a prayer for blessing. God answered by smoothing out paths, bringing great conversation, helping me see people the way He does, and giving me something I didn’t know I needed. I grinned from ear to ear as I left that building, being able to spot at least three ways that God had answered my prayer for blessing.
We serve a big God who already knows what we need before we ask. (Matthew 6:8). Maybe the simple prayer for a blessing is actually a big ask that demonstrates our dependency on God. It is our acknowledgment of the fact that He really is in control and that He can make anything better by His presence.
When going to an event or an outing we do all the physical things we need to get ready like buying tickets, picking out our clothes, packing, preparing snacks, and whatever else is needed. I’m encouraging us to do one more thing: ask God to bless our time there. In so doing we’re acknowledging that we are open to Him moving in ways that we can’t even ask or imagine.
Praying simple prayers might seem so small as to appear insignificant and not worth trying. However, consider the fact that Jabez’s simple prayer interrupted the narrative of the genealogical records so that the writer could record that God gave Jabez what he requested!
We may go one step further and ask someone to agree with us in prayer for a blessing on our event or trip. I did this before my husband and I attended a convention last week. At the end of our church service when the prayer team was available, I went up for prayer, believing that I needed a blessing at the convention. God answered that prayer and gave me so much more than I could even have asked or imagined, and I came away from the convention blessed indeed!
This isn’t only for introverts, but I believe we introverts recognize that dependency on God’s grace to get us through interactions with people in a healthy way. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, or wherever you find yourself on the spectrum, be expectant that God will answer your prayers for a blessing as you go to different meetings, places, events, and trips. And He will do more than you can ask or imagine!
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed!”
© Debbie Mendoza, June 2023
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