As we enter another graduating class into the world, I have a suggestion – Ask God to guide you in your life. Whether you are going to college or entering the work force, God can help you in whatever direction you are going. Prayer is a powerful force.
Even if you are not a graduate, it is important to pray and ask God to help you in your life.
I found a prayer in the Old Testament that has helped me. It has been called The Prayer of Jabez. Jabez is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible but his life ended extraordinarily well and can be traced to this prayer. There is something about this simple, direct request to God that brought a positive answer from God.
And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)
If you desire a life that is fully blessed by God, I encourage you to pray for the same four requests from God as Jabez.
Ask for a Blessing.
Jabez didn’t ask for anything specific or selfish but left it entirely up to God to decide what the blessing would be – as well as when, where and how he would be blessed. Ask God for nothing more and nothing less than what God wants for you. God’s blessing is limited only by us, not by God’s resources, power, or willingness to bless us. God’s nature is to bless and He loves to answer this petition. Ask God to bless you according to His will, not yours.
Ask for more Influence.
Jabez wanted God to enlarge his coast or territory. He wanted his land and life to have a greater impact for God. He wanted more influence, more responsibility and more opportunity to make a mark for God. Our territory is our social sphere of influence in which God has placed us to impact the lives of others. Ask God to increase your influence in order to bring more glory to His name.
Ask for God’s Help.
Jabez asked for God’s hand to be on him. Though he wanted God’s blessing and God’s increase, Jabez did not want to lose God. Sometimes as life gets busy, we overlook our dependence on God. The second you are not dependent on God is the second you’re headed in the wrong direction. Ask for God’s hand to be with you so you will rely totally on His help instead of your own.
Ask for God’s Protection.
Jabez requested that God keep him from evil. As you progress for God, guess who doesn’t like it? Satan. He doesn’t want you to succeed for God and will start tempting you to sin. So we should ask God to keep us away from temptations and strengthen us to endure temptations and situations we can’t avoid. Ask God to block the temptations of Satan from your life so he does not cause you to stumble.
I encourage you to pray these four simple prayers every day. Maybe, like Jabez, God will grant your request and you will experience the blessed life in God’s will.