Frank's Desk - 08/15/10

YOUR PRAYERS WILL TELL ON YOU

". . . and, Lord, give me that new SUV truck I so desperately need. And help me to get a raise at work and a promotion too. Help me, Lord, to hit a home run in the church softball tournament tonight. These things I pray in Jesus' name, Amen." 

Have you noticed how selfish we sometimes are in our prayers? We're more interested in getting our way than God's will. Many years ago there was a man in Israel named Jabez. Verse 10 of 1 Chronicles 4 gives us good insight into Jabez. It records his prayer, and you can tell a lot about a person by what they pray. Listen to what Jabez prayed for. "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!" Jabez' was more interested in honoring God with his life than just using God to get everything he wanted. Jabez was committed to God and God blessed him.

It takes a heart committed to God to be more interested in doing what He wants than what we want. Read Jabez's prayer for yourself. Discover more about this little known hero of the Bible who honored God with his life.

Frank Coleman