A call for blessing:

“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

Jabez asked for big things from God. He was not afraid of being greedy for blessing as he approached the throne of mercy. He wanted more and better! He wanted God to be with Him always, and knew that there is a way to better things. He wanted God’s hand to be with him and keep him everywhere, and especially keep him from evil. He had no desire to hurt, and knew that freedom from sin was the best way to not hurt himself or others.

What a prayer to pray! “Lord, give me more, more of everything..” No holding back, no reserve, no brakes! This is the prayer of a holy person, who wants to experience God is their lives in a big way, bigger than big, the whole thing. Jabez wants God to fill his life and take control of it all. He wants to make sure that the circumstances of his life are not injurious to the people around him that he loves. We should not be hurt, nor hurt others in what we do, say and in any outworking of belief that we hold.

A call for righteousness:

“This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths: Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them. Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.” As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”

Micah 3:5-8

Micah, the prophet, also curses those who do not have God, and knows their terrible fate. He is filled with the Spirit of God and has power and justice and courage to declare the sins of the people, that they might be saved. He says that these false prophets and seers, who claim insight and a hot line to God, will be disgraced. He seeks the true way to God, and a way that negates sin and embraces righteousness. Micah is hungry for it, and has night visions about these dreadful days when the sun will go down on the life and work of these prophets. The prophet of God, Micah, is filled with the Holy Spirit even as he writes, and is able to have true insight into the peace of God, and what it means. It means we must be holy and seek only the one true God.

In our days, we have the full light of the gospel, and know that the way to God is through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who Micah knew was coming into the world. We can know Him, and be forgiven by Him, and walk worthy lives for God’s glory.

A call for victory:

“And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’”

1 Chronicles 4:11

Asa is clear about his position before God. Without the Lord, there is no power and no victory over the enemy. Sin will reign in our mortal bodies, if we do not prevail in prayer and overcome in the power of the Holy Spirit. Though multitudes come up against us, we will prevail through the blood of the everlasting covenant, and the promises of God, which we have recorded in the Holy Scripture. We go against the enemy of our soul, with the sword of the Spirit by our side and the Word on our tongue, as we confess Christ and bring many daughters and sons to glory with us. This is the deepest of spiritual fights in these last days of earth’s history. Humankind cannot prevail against the power of God. We rest wholly of the character of God and His great love for those He has chosen and who love Him back.

Only He can strengthen us and cause us to pray such prayers as these.

“But You have seen, for you observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”

Psalm 10:14

God knows our weaknesses and pities us in our troubles. He raises those He loves and puts down those who hate Him. He can change us and bring us to the state of repentance, giving us new life and new desires. We are all helpless, in our human reality, and fatherless, in spiritual terms. Let us return to the Lord, for He will abundantly pardon and repay us with blessing.