"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, '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.'

And God granted his request."

-1 Chronicles 4:10 (NIV)

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"They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands,

because they cried out to him during the battle.

He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him."

-1 Chronicles 5:20 (NIV)

 

As we began our journey into understanding "supplication" we expounded on the idea that supplication is not simply a prayer, but it is a petition or plea that is rooted in humility. It is a cry of dependency that rests its full trust in the sovereignty and power of the Almighty God. It is a humbled request.

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There are many examples of supplication throughout the bible, some having the word supplication directly attached to the narrative and some not. In Part One of "The Art of Supplication", in order to better understand what supplication is, we explored two biblical passages that had the term "supplication" used within the text of these verses. Now we'll explore two passages of interest that are examples of supplication although the term itself is not used within these particular passages.

 

1 Chronicles 4:10-"Oh God of Israel"          

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The Prayer of Jabez is a very familiar passage. There are many individuals that have heard of the prayer of Jabez even if they have never explored the context of this very familiar verse. And for those who have taken the time to explore it, there are but two verses to explore and only one other mention of the name Jabez throughout scripture. This is perhaps why many viewed this prayer as being both significant and powerful. It was not a long-winded prayer rooted in fancy words or poetic expression. Instead, it was an honest and humble cry of "HELP ME LORD" that Jabez used to cry out to God and God responded granting Jabez what he had requested.​ ​We don't know much about Jabez aside from the fact that he was a descendant of Judah, and as verse 9 of 1 Chronicles 4 tells us, "[He] was more honorable than his brothers" and "His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain" (NIV).

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We can all come up with our own assumptions and ideas as to what caused Jabez to pray this prayer, but the truth is that we simply don't know. However, if we were to reflect on what we are told about Jabez, perhaps the fact that he was birth through pain and was named accordingly caused him to not want his name to be a stigma that followed him. Perhaps Jabez, thinking that he would always be viewed according to the meaning of his name, did not want to take a chance and live out his life as a representation of its definition. Perhaps Jabez had experienced much pain himself that he wanted to be freed from. However, one of the first things that stood out for me concerning Jabez is that scripture tells us that he was more honorable than his brothers. This shows us that how we view ourselves and how others view us, is quite often not how God views us.

 

Here it was Jabez perhaps thinking that he was not worthy and perhaps thinking that his life would always be painful because of his beginning, yet God labeled him honorable despite how he might have viewed himself or how others might have viewed him. Here it was, his mother naming him Jabez because he was birth through pain, yet God still considering him worthy.

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Of even more interest is the fact that to some degree, we are all birthed through pain, so what was it about Jabez's birth that caused him to be labeled as the one who was birth in pain? What was so different about Jabez's birth compared to that of his brothers? And not only was he birth in pain, but perhaps his mother naming him as such caused him to also be born into pain because her labeling of him put him in a position to be stigmatized, to be hurt, to have to live with this label that could have possibly caused him to feel UNWORTHY.​ Her labeling of him perhaps inflicted pain upon him, therefore subjecting onto him, the very pain that she birthed him through. Her naming him as a result of her physical pain perhaps caused mental, spiritual, and emotional scars for Jabez. It also causes one to ponder if her pain was simply physical or could it have been much more. Are there emotional wounds that also contributed to this pain that she experienced in birthing Jabez?

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There are so many facets and revelations that we can both gain and explore concerning both Jabez and his mother. And what makes it so profound is that all of these revelations come from two verses that many of us might quite easily read over or disregard. It is perhaps a verse that would have continued to go unnoticed had it not been for the various authors that began to focus on the phenomenon of this passage as a standalone verse.

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Regardless of what caused Jabez to cry out to God, his cry was a humbled one. It was one rooted in supplication and a reverence for who God was. And it was simply not mere things that Jabez was asking for, but his request perhaps goes deeper. There are many different views, opinions, and perspectives of exactly what Jabez was asking for when he asked God to "enlarge his coast" (KJV). Let's explore the New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV) of this verse and reflect on Jabez's request.

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NIV-Enlarge My Territory!                    

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"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, '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.'

And God granted his request" (NIV).

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If we explore the Word of God from the books of Genesis up to Judges, we will find that it is not unusual for God to both promise and allot territory. Within the Word, we read how God promised to make Abraham into a great nation and to give him territory. We know that God allotted territory to the tribes of Israel, the descendants of Abraham according to the tribes that were of the sons of Jacob (Genesis 49). In this sense, we know that God often enlarged one's territory by the bestowing of physical territory.

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God gave the children of Israel land. However, in enlarging their territory, that enlargement was not just about the land alone, but along with giving them this land, God also kept His hand upon them and gave them victory over their enemies. God battled for them and defeated their enemies on their behalf. God drove out who He saw fit to drive out of the land that He had promised the Israelites so that they could inhabit what He had promised them. When God promises us territory, He also protects us within the confines of the very thing that He promises to give us, even if and when it may not feel as such.

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God is no stranger to providing rest to those that He makes a covenant with or makes a promise to. If we look at the root of Jabez's request, it is a reflection of the very thing that God promised Abraham and his descendants. God promised Abraham and his descendants territory. He promised to bless them with a land flowing with milk and honey. He promised to be with them, go before them, and subdue their enemies. And God did just that.

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In a sense, Jabez was asking God to grant him with what he had already been promised as a descendant of Abraham. Whether this was intentional or not, we do not know. What is of interest though is that Jabez's request is aligned with something that he had already been promised by way of inheritance.

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In reflecting on the definitions of territory, there is another perspective to be gained. Territory is defined as:

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• a certain area that's owned or under the control of someone,

• a geographical area subject to the sovereignty, control, or jurisdiction of a state or other entity,

• an area that one person, group, animal, etc. considers as their own and defends against others who try to enter it.

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In asking God to enlarge his territory, Jabez in a sense could have also been asking God to extend him outside of the box that his name may have placed him in. Jabez could have also been asking God not to allow him to be controlled by what he might have been labeled as. Jabez perhaps did not want his future to be owned by the limitations that some who could not look past his name placed upon him. Jabez did not want his life to be under the control of man, but he wanted to rest in the sovereignty, control, and jurisdiction of an unfailing God. Jabez wanted God's hands to rest upon him so that God would defend against anything that tried to cause him harm. Jabez recognized God as the source of his blessings, territory, and protection. Jabez recognized God's authority and control over both the spiritual and natural things in his life.

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ESV-Enlarge my Borders!            

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If we explore the English Standard Version (ESV) of 1 Chronicles 4:10, it reads as follows:

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"Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border ,

and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!'

And God granted what he asked."

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The English Standard Version uses the words "enlarge my border". A border is defined as:

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• a strip that goes around or along the edge of something,

• a physical or political line that separates geographic areas,

• separates one thing from another, most famously countries.

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Much more than God blessing Jabez with borders of land, Jabez wanted to be surrounded by God. He wanted God to be his fortress. Besides physical borders, Jabez could have also been asking God to separate him from the pain that he was both birth out of and born into.

 

Jabez wanted God to be that line of separation between him and anything that might try to bring harm or inflict pain upon him. He did not just want God to expand his physical borders, but by definition, in asking God to allow His hands to be with him and keep him from harm, Jabez was also asking God to be the border that surrounded him.

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If we explore the Word of God, we will find that increase is not just about material gain. While God does give us increase by means of land, territory, riches, and wealth, God also increases us in other facets. God can give us an increase in our health. God can increase us in our knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of His word, His revelations, and who He is. God can increase our faith. By His Spirit, God can increase within us, those attributes of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Increase can be manifested for us both naturally and spiritually. Territories and borders are no different.

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Whether we agree on what led to Jabez's prayer, exactly what it was that Jabez was truly asking for, or if Jabez's request of an enlargement of "territory" was literal or figurative, what we can't argue is the authenticity of his supplication. Jabez was genuine in his prayer. He was humble. He had a desire and he was pleading and trusting God to fulfill this desire for him. He was not afraid to ask for what he wanted. Jabez's prayer is one that covers all those areas that we quite often struggle with trusting God with. What is of interest is that his prayer is both concise and to us it may also seem broad in context but that is perhaps because we don't know his truth concerning what he was requesting.

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Jabez is asking God to bless him, increase him, be with him, and protect him. This is parallel to another familiar prayer that we also discussed in Part One of "The Art of Supplication" and throughout many of our posts. "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:11-13, KJV). Jabez's request to God seeks after some of the very needs that we find in "The Lord's Prayer", which is the example that Jesus used to teach us the manner in which we should pray. Both of these prayers contain an acknowledgement of who God is. Both prayers look to God for provision. They seek God for guidance. They look to God as our fortress and source of protection. They are rooted in a reverence of the sovereignty and omniscience of God.

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In Jabez praying this prayer and in the next line of this verse reading, "And God granted his request", it led me to reflect on Genesis 15:6. In Genesis 15, Abram inquired of the Lord how he could possibly receive what God had promised him when he had no children of his own to leave an inheritance to. In God then assuring Abram that He would give him a son that was of his own flesh and that his chief assistant would not inherit his estate and in going on to tell Abram that He would make his descendants numerous, the 6th verse reads, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (NIV). There had to be some faith that backed Jabez's plea. We see Abram having a concern, God assuring him what it is He would do, and God crediting Abram's belief as righteousness. We also know that God bestowed Abram with the very things that He had promised. We see Jabez, with a wholehearted request, crying out to God, and God not hesitating to give him what he asked for which leads us to our next scripture highlight.

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1 Chronicles 5:20-Supplication Rooted in Trust          

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"They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands,

because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him."

-1 Chronicles 5:20 (NIV)

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This verse involves the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (from the tribes of Israel). Scripture tells us that they had raged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh perhaps knew that they stood against a mighty army. They did not trust in their own strength regardless of how many men they had or based on how many victories they might have had before. They placed their trust in God and cried out to Him while in battle, which is of extreme significance.​ When faced with those giants, those overwhelming battles, that we might often find ourselves being faced with, there are many of us who take our eyes off of God and become overwhelmed with the complexity of what stands before us causing us to try to come up with our own plans, tactics, and what we think are winning strategies to help us fight what we are standing against.

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However, regardless of the mistakes that any of their descendants might have made, and despite any of their own mistakes, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh knew who to turn to when faced with what appeared like the unconquerable. Scripture tells us that they defeated many others because the battle that they were fighting was not theirs, but it belonged to God. And they had no problem turning it over to Him. But what about us?

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How often do we choose suffering over supplication because we are stuck in the battle trying to make it happen for ourselves?

 

How often do we choose being defeated over being victorious because our pride wants to win our battle in a way that makes us feel like the victory is ours by means that appease the "vengeance" that might at times find its way into our hearts and spirits when we become both angry and disheartened by the attack that our enemies have inflicted upon us.

 

How often do we choose suffering over supplication due to the fact that since we can't figure out how to "win" on our own terms, we forget to both recognize and acknowledge that not only does God already know how to win, but He has already won. We must learn to move out of God's way and turn the battle over to Him? This is why it is imperative that our supplication is also rooted in surrender!

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What are you Fighting With?               

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Trust is an essential element in our prayers and supplication unto God. 1 Chronicles 5:20 does not just tell us that the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won the battle, but it reveals to us that God answered their prayers when they called out to Him, BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED HIM!

 

This takes us back to last week's discussion of Daniel. Daniel 6:23 in part reads, "And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God" (NIV). God will NEVER ALLOW us to be defeated in battle. And He will protect us from those things that seek to wound us when we place our full trust in Him. When we cry out to God in prayer and supplication, making our requests known unto Him, we must TRUST HIM to grant us with what we have asked Him for.

 

Supplication to A Fail Proof God!        

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In the modern society that we live in, we have become hooked on telling our gadgets what to do. We have become dependent on telling our phones, televisions, audio players, cars, smart devices, GPS, and other tech products, what we want and what we need them to perform. And no matter how many errors these devices (who have no spirit in them and are nothing more than a manmade device made of some breakable material) make, we continue to trust that they will perform. We often know that our GPS is going to take us in the wrong direction, yet no matter how many times we wind up lost as a result of following it, we still use it repeatedly, because something in us trusts that maybe this time around, the GPS will get it right.

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However, here it is, God, being of divine Spirit, and having all dominion, majesty, and power in His hands, along with all sovereignty and omniscience, who we don't trust will act upon what we are requesting of Him. And unlike our tech products, HE IS UNBREAKABLE AND FAIL PROOF.

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In many cases, when we find ourselves feeling like GOD GOT IT WRONG, we refuse to try again. We give up on that request that we've been both seeking and asking God for and we relent. We throw in the towel. Yet, we spend 15 minutes on the phone telling an automated system that we want to speak to a customer service representative only to get frustrated, hang up, and call right back.

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We refuse to give God another chance to show us how He can and will perform on our behalf while our tech products are benefactors and recipients of our consistent effort and loyalty. We remain in our Jonah feelings when God doesn't move like we want Him to. Yet we continue to pay high costs for these technologies and services that have constant glitches while the companies that create these products and provide these services, keep adding on the surcharges proving that they have no loyalty toward us. We remain committed to companies with poor service but give up on our FAIL PROOF GOD the minute He does not respond how we want Him to.

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Whether it be material or spiritual things that we ask God for, He is faithful in providing us with both. God will give us both riches and revelation. He will give us both assets and anointing. He will give us both wealth and wisdom. But our belief must align with whatever we are requesting, whether natural or spiritual.​ Trusting God is an essential ingredient in our prayers and supplication unto Him. God is moved by our faith, trust, and dependency on Him, but we MUST make an effort to get there.

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When you know who God is and what He can do, trusting Him should be easy, but the truth is that it not always is. Trusting God is most definitely one of those things that can be easier said than done because our flesh and spirit are constantly at war. Our wants and God's will might quite often clash. What God is requiring of is not always what we are in the mood for or think we have the energy to give Him.

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Trusting God should be something that we should be able to do without the sweat of a brow. I mean Joseph did it. And so did the Hebrew Boys, as well as those such as David, Daniel, Job, the Apostle Paul, and many many more, that we read about in the Word of God. But here's the thing, we don't know what GOT THEM THERE! We can all reach a point in which our faith and trust in God becomes easy. We are all capable of reaching a point in which we can stand firmly against whatever pit, giant, or lions' den we have to face, but it is going to require some will and work on our behalf. We are going to have to put a game plan into action to help us get there. And we can't do it without God.

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In order to get to a point in which our ability to simply trust God is where it should be, it is going to take some spiritual cardio. It is going to take some seeking God for His direction and guidance as well as some giving in to whatever it is that He is requesting of us. It is going to take our yielding our flesh to what His Spirit is requiring of us. It is going to require us to take a step back from focusing on what stands against us and instead focusing on WHO is enthroned above us.

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When we cry out to God, there are times in which our faith is going to be broken and our trust is going to have emotional scars, but we have comfort in the fact that God knows our hearts. When God sees us trying and truly seeking Him, when God knows that we have a desire to both follow and please Him, HE WILL HELP US TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN HIM!

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God gives us examples throughout the bible that both show and prove to us that faith is possible. However, God is not expecting us to be the people that we read about in His Word, but He is expecting us to develop our own faith, one that is rooted in Him, and aligned with where He is calling our faith to be.

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You might fall apart if your siblings throw you into a pit. You might run if someone tried to throw you into a lions' den. You might not find comfort in being falsely accused. But maybe those things aren't your battle to overcome. So, the question is, will you be able to trust God in whatever it is that He places you in? It might not be a physical pit, lions' den, or jail cell, but what are you willing to do and give to be able to trust God in whatever confine or battle you are placed in?

 

Don't lose hope simply because you don't think you're equipped to be a warrior of faith like those that you might read about in the bible. Don't be discouraged if your faith doesn't mimic the people around you who seem to easily overcome. The person that you think has more faith than you, might buckle under pressure if faced with some of the personal things that you have had to endure and conquer.

 

Ask God to equip you to fight your battles with faith. Your faith might not be equipped to fight the battles of others and their faith may not be equipped enough to fight yours. While our journeys of faith might inspire others and while God uses our journeys to motivate and be an example to others, all of our faith journeys are both unique and customized to who we are and what God has purposed us for. They will never be the same even if they appear to be. Our journeys of faith are as distinct as we are. Therefore, BE ENCOURAGED AND KEEP TRYING BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THERE!

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Perhaps this is an opportunity to cry out to God in supplication not about a material need, but about a spiritual need that will give you the strength, courage, and will to develop the faith that is needed to "BACK UP" your prayers and requests to God. Perhaps your "AMEN" needs to be strengthened so that your request to God are confirmed with your trust in Him.

 

We all might struggle to stand firm but if we don't learn to do so and try to develop a heart, mind, and will to trust God, we will miss our opportunity to soar.

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            Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator

            of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

            He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

            But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint       

                                                                                        (Isaiah 40:28-31, KJV)