Have you heard of the Prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4? Or at least the famous book about it that treated the passage as a template for prosperity theology?
Wyatt Graham presents a study of the passage that gives careful attention to the literary, biblical, and historical context of the book of Chronicles. By considering Jabez’s prayer in light of God’s promises to Israel, Graham explains how we pray similarly to Jabez whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
It is an irony then that the prayer of Jabez has become so associated with prosperity theology. Far from enriching himself, Jabez prayed for God to bless him as part of Israel, in line with God’s promises. This would be equivalent to us today praying for God’s kingdom to come. In both cases, it is good and right to pray for these things.
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