Quick answer: The Prayer of Jabez is a short, four part prayer found in 1 Chronicles 4:10. Jabez asks God to bless him, enlarge his territory, keep His hand with him, and protect him from evil. The Bible says God granted his request.
Many people have heard the phrase “Prayer of Jabez” without knowing where it comes from or what it actually says. The prayer takes its name from a little known man in the Old Testament whose story is only two verses long, yet those two verses have shaped the prayer lives of millions of believers around the world.
This article walks through what the Prayer of Jabez actually says, what each part of it means in context, and how you can pray it in your own life today.
Who Was Jabez?
Jabez appears in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, tucked inside a long list of genealogies. His name means “he causes pain,” because his mother named him Jabez after a difficult and painful childbirth. In a culture where names carried real weight, growing up with a name that literally meant pain would have shaped how Jabez saw himself and how others saw him.
Scripture tells us that despite his name and his difficult start, Jabez was “more honorable than his brothers.” He did not let his name define his future. Instead, he turned to God in prayer, and that prayer is recorded word for word in 1 Chronicles 4:10.
The Full Text of the Prayer of Jabez
The prayer itself is short, just one verse, but it is packed with meaning:
“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 4:10, KJV)
That is the entire prayer and its answer. Four simple requests, and an immediate, direct response from God.
What Each Line of the Prayer Means
“Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed”
Jabez does not ask for a vague or partial blessing. He asks God for blessing “indeed,” meaning real, substantial, unmistakable blessing. This is not a polite or half hearted request. It is bold and specific, and it sets the tone for the rest of the prayer.
“Enlarge my coast,” often translated “enlarge my territory”
This phrase has caused the most debate. Some read it as a prayer for personal wealth or property. In context, it is better understood as a prayer for greater influence and greater opportunity to serve God and others. Jabez is asking God to expand the scope of what his life can impact, not simply to grow his bank account.
“That thine hand might be with me”
This is a request for God’s active presence and guidance. Jabez is not asking for blessing and then expecting to handle it alone. He wants God’s hand on every part of what follows, which turns the prayer from a request for personal gain into a request for partnership with God.
“Keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me”
The final request is protective. Jabez asks to be kept from evil, not only so he avoids wrongdoing but so that his life is not marked by the pain his name represents. He is asking God to break the pattern his name predicted for him.
Is the Prayer of Jabez Just About Prosperity?
When Bruce Wilkinson’s book “The Prayer of Jabez” became one of the fastest selling books in publishing history, it also became one of the most debated. Some critics felt the book encouraged a prosperity gospel mindset, where blessing is treated mainly as material wealth and personal gain.
Read in its full context, though, the prayer is not a formula for guaranteed riches. It is a model for approaching God with boldness, asking Him to expand your capacity to serve Him and others, and inviting His presence and protection into every part of your life. The blessing Jabez asks for is tied directly to God’s hand being with him, not to blessing pursued apart from God.
This distinction matters. A prayer asking God to enlarge your influence so you can serve more people, teach more disciples, or reach more nations looks very different from a prayer asking only for personal gain. The posture of Jabez is dependence on God, not entitlement.
How to Pray the Prayer of Jabez Today
You do not need special wording to pray this prayer. You can use the words of 1 Chronicles 4:10 directly, or you can pray its meaning in your own words. A few practical steps can help:
- Start with honesty about your limitations. Like Jabez, you may carry a name, a history, or a label that feels limiting. Bring that honestly to God before you ask for anything else.
- Ask boldly, not vaguely. Instead of praying in general terms, ask God specifically for the blessing, opportunity, or growth you are seeking, and be honest about why you are asking.
- Ask for His hand, not just His gifts. Make sure your prayer includes a request for God’s active presence and guidance, not only for outcomes.
- Ask for protection alongside blessing. Pray that God would keep you from evil and from the patterns that have caused pain in your life.
- Watch for the answer, and respond in obedience. Scripture tells us God granted Jabez’s request. When God answers prayer, the appropriate response is gratitude and continued faithfulness, not just moving on to the next request.
Why This Prayer Still Matters for Discipleship
The Prayer of Jabez endures because it models something every believer needs, the confidence to ask God for more, paired with the humility to ask for His presence alongside it. It is not a prayer about escaping difficulty through personal achievement. It is a prayer about inviting God into every part of a life that is still being shaped, even after a painful start.
This theme runs through much of what Teach Every Nation teaches. Our founder, Bruce Wilkinson, wrote this book because he wanted believers to approach God with the same boldness Jabez did, while staying rooted in dependence on Him rather than on themselves. That same posture shapes TEN’s approach to discipleship, from pastor training around the world to the practical, Scripture centered courses offered through TEN.
If the themes in this prayer resonate with you, asking God to be near you during hard seasons is closely connected to what Scripture teaches about trials and testing, and the same posture of dependence on God runs through the practice of forgiveness as well.
Common Questions About the Prayer of Jabez
Is the Prayer of Jabez in the Bible?
Yes. It is found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, in the Old Testament.
Who wrote the Prayer of Jabez book?
Bruce Wilkinson wrote The Prayer of Jabez, a short book that popularized this prayer for a modern audience. Wilkinson later founded Teach Every Nation to continue training believers in biblical discipleship.
Is it okay to pray for blessing like Jabez did?
Yes. Scripture repeatedly shows God’s people asking Him for blessing, provision, and expanded opportunity. The key, as modeled by Jabez, is asking with dependence on God’s hand and presence, not asking apart from Him.
How long is the Prayer of Jabez?
The prayer itself is one verse, 1 Chronicles 4:10, containing four requests.
A Prayer Worth Praying
Jabez prayed four honest requests, and God answered him. His story reminds us that a name, a past, or a difficult beginning does not have to define what comes next. Whatever your own Jabez moment looks like today, you can bring the same bold, dependent prayer to God and trust Him with the answer.