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The God Kind of Prosperity

When you think of a prayer to God for blessing, the name Jabez in the bible comes to mind. Though not much is known about this man other than the fact that he prayed for the desire most of us can identify with…that is the desire to be blessed. If we mull over the word bless, we see that it could actually mean a lot of things considering that the word was used in the context of prayer.

Firstly, it could mean “To honour as holy or to glorify” as in when we say, “Bless the Lord!”

Secondly, it could mean, “To endow with a talent” as in when we say, “He’s been blessed with the ability to make people happy”

Thirdly and most likely what he meant in his prayer was for God “To confer or invoke divine favour, well-being and prosperity on him”. In his prayer, he basically made four petitions. We read:

Now Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." 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: 9

Looking at the prayer, it is clear Jabez was in a less than favourable situation. It clear he understood God is willing to bless those he created. It is also obvious he knew God to be the ultimate benefactor, hence he prayed, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed!” He wanted God to prosper him. God indeed wants to bless us, Jabez understood this and he asked for it. And we read, “God granted what he requested.” What a privilege? Some have sort to call this a prayer that was made out of selfish ambition. However, analysing the prayer, we can conclude it was not so, because amongst other reasons, God granted his request. Let us take a look at the prerequisites for receiving answers to prayer which he met.

• Jabez waited on the Lord for help according to the Psalms. This culminates and is seen in his prayer. (I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth ~ Psalm 40:1 – 3)
  
  
• Jabez asked in faith according to and Matthew 7:7 which says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”
  
  
• Jabez feared and loved God. This can be heard in the tone of his prayer. Psalm 145: 17 – 20 tells us that, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
  
• Jabez asked in response to God word/promise (For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope ~ Jeremiah 29:12)
  
  
• Jabez asked according to God’s will according 1 John 14 - 15 (Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.) This point is related to the next one in that if your will/motive is wrong; God is not obliged to grant your request
  
  
• Jabez’s prayer was Apt, not Amiss according to James 4:3 and Isaiah 58:6 – 11 (Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.  The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.)

In the last part of his prayer we see that he did not regard iniquity in his heart, (that I may not cause pain) but instead he wanted to do right. God indeed hears the prayers of the righteous. Righteousness is the underlying factor to meeting every requirement for receiving answers to prayers. To be righteous is to be in right standing with God and when this is the case, it is easier to wait on the Lord, pray in faith, respond correctly to His word, ask according to His will etc. John the Apostle voiced the will of God for man, when he prayed for Gaius in 3 John 1:2, saying, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” That is what I call “The God Kind of Prosperity”. God wants us to prosper in ALL things and be in health even as our soul prospers. He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His people…basically speaking, God is concerned about the well-being of His children. His will is for us to be whole or complete. (…lacking nothing)

As with Jabez and Gaius, God wants to bless us all indeed, but it all starts with the prosperity of the soul. God can only begin to bless or grant you His kind of prosperity if you soul is prospering. His will is that you “Prosper in ALL things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” This brings us back to the issue of righteousness. The prosperity of your soul has to do with you being in right standing with God. Dear friend, as you read this article, you cannot but ask yourself whether you are in right standing with God. Even if you have all the riches in the world, it does not compare to the immeasurable blessing God has in store for you now and in the life to come. Yes! He also wants you to have material blessings, but how you first of all desperately need to have your soul made whole. This would ensure you have a right relationship with God and that your sins are forgiven. God granted the prayer request of Jabez because he was a righteous man who feared God and desired God will. The truth is if you do not fall into the category of the righteous, you are not a member of God’s family. You are counted among the wicked as there is no middle ground. We know that God does not grant the desires of the wicked (Psalm 140:8) and hence I encourage that you would join the family of God. If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your saviour, ask God to forgive your sin and invite Jesus into your life today.

Pastor Francis Obasogie.

The author regularly speaks and writes on relationships i.e. Man’s relationship with Man and Man’s relationship with God.