The Prayer of Jabez for Women [NOOK Book]

First Chapter

C h a p t e r O n e

Made for MoreEvery summer I look forward to attending our town's annual Fourth of July parade. This year the weather is perfect-sunny and warm with a light breeze. Hundreds of people line the streets, which are abuzz with anticipation. I maneuver myself for a better position in the crowd as our local high school band rounds the corner. The sound of trumpets reaches my ears. Finally, horses, clowns, and floats come into view. That's when I notice her-a little girl with curly blond hair just a few feet to my right. She is standing on her tiptoes, stretching her small frame as high as she can to see over the heads of the children in front of her. Moments later, an extra-wide man moves in front of the girl, and she's left looking at the back of his belt. As I watch, she begins to jump up and down, desperately trying to catch a better view. She is standing on her tiptoes, stretching her small frame as high as she can. Finally, unable to handle her frustration any longer, she cries out, "I can't see, Daddy! I want to see more." A tall, nice-looking man who has been standing a short distance away comes over, reaches down, and tenderly lifts her up into his arms. She smiles with delight. Finally she's able to fully enjoy the parade.That's the picture that comes to mind when I think about what happens when God knows I am "stretching for a better view" of my life. It's as if He picks me up in His loving arms and shows me something I couldn't see from my current or limited perspective. The powerful little prayer I'm about to share with you is also about seeing things from a new vantage point. I believe that God brought you to this book because He wants to show you something surprising and amazing about His intentions for you. He has a special plan to abundantly bless you and then bless others through you-and He doesn't want you to miss out on a minute of it! He has a special plan to abundantly bless you and then bless others through you. A Change of Heart The first time I heard about the prayer of Jabez, I didn't really give it much thought. At the time I was busy working on my Ph.T. degree (putting hubby through school). After seminary, Bruce took a teaching position, and I became a stay-at-home mom with our first two children, David and Jennifer. I loved my role as wife and mother and was enjoying my dream come true. But then it happened. The endless list of things to do to raise a family, run a household, and be the wife of a traveling husband convinced me of the truth of the statement "A woman's work is never done." Don't misunderstand, some days I felt like the richest woman in the world. But other days left me thinking something I never thought I would think: I was made for more than this. Meanwhile, Bruce would come home from teaching school or giving Walk Thru the Bible seminars and tell me about all the exciting things God was doing in his life. I, on the other hand, could give an account of how many Cheerios I had picked up off the floor, how many loads of clothes I had folded, and how many books I had reread to the children. It wasn't hard to decide who had the more significant life-or so I thought.Until then I had considered the prayer of Jabez something Other days left me thinking something I never thought I would think: I was made for more than this. that might as well be labeled "For Men Only." After all, Jabez himself was a man, and in addition to my husband, most of the people I knew who prayed the prayer were men.Now I began to wonder, Is it possible? Could the prayer of a herdsman who lived thousands of years ago bring blessing and abundance to a woman's life today? If so, what might that look like?Spurred on by the exciting stories I heard from Bruce and others who prayed this prayer, I began to use the words of Jabez to express the deepest longings of my own heart. I pleaded with God for a better and bigger view of my life, one that would reveal what He had in mind for me.Ever so gently, God began to challenge some of my earlier conclusions. Could it be that my world wasn't as limited as I sometimes deemed it? Was I missing important opportunities right in front of me to see God at work? Might it even be true that I was born for more and God was now inviting me to experience something grand and significant that I had overlooked? Each time I prayed the prayer of Jabez, I had more understanding about what I was really asking God to do. Soon I began seeing His character, my own life, and the circumstances around me in a new light. God's blessings began to flow into my life and, even better, to flow in obvious ways from me into the lives of others! I wanted to keep praying the prayer because God kept answering it. Why Jabez for Women? As you may already be aware, God is using the prayer of Jabez to change millions of lives. Men, women, and teens have responded to the message and embarked on the Jabez journey. So why write a Jabez book especially for women? At first I wasn't sure there was a need. After all, the message of Jabez is already aimed at both men and women. But as women all over the world began to write letters to Bruce in response to Jabez, I noticed that they raised questions and talked about issues that were important and wholly unique to women. I observed that God is equally excited to answer this prayer for both men and women but that we experience those answers in very different ways. This only makes sense. As women, we do face different challenges than men. We experience different kinds of temptations, and we look for different kinds of help and provision from God's hand. Many of us are caretakers and Soon I began seeing His character, my own life, and the circumstances around me in a new light. spend a great deal of time nurturing our families and friends. As a result, we approach ministry and relationships differently than men.For these reasons and more, there's much to be gained by looking at what happens when we pray the prayer of Jabez as women. I don't promise that you'll find every answer for every woman in this book, but Iwill try to help you understand what it means to live out Jabez's life as a woman. By the time you're done reading, I trust you'll agree with me that Jabez's ancient, simple is surprisingly suited to the modern-day woman who longs for God's powerful touch on her life.