The Prayer of Jabez — Oh That Thou Wouldest Bless Me Indeed (KJV)

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!

Amen.

— 1 Chronicles 4:10 (KJV)

About This Prayer

Jabez appears for only two verses in a long genealogy in 1 Chronicles. His name meant "sorrow," because his mother "bare him with sorrow" — yet Scripture says he was "more honourable than his brethren," and records this single bold prayer: for blessing, for larger borders, for God's hand upon him, and for protection from evil. The chapter ends simply, "And God granted him that which he requested." It is not a formula for getting rich; it is the prayer of a man who refused to let a painful beginning set the limits of his life, and asked God for more.

When to Pray This

Pray it when you are starting something new — a job, a ministry, a season of life — and want God's hand on it, or when your past feels like a ceiling. Ask boldly, then hold the answer with open hands, trusting God to define what "blessing" means.