A Tale of Two Prayers

By Wayne Harmon

Two prayers recorded in the Bible have really been on my mind lately. The first is what we commonly call “The Prayer of Jabez”. The second isn’t really a prayer as such, but it is the heart’s cry of one of the Bible’s leading figures.

Let’s look at Jabez first.

Jabez is mentioned in two verses in I Chronicles 4:9-10.

“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request.” (NLT)

That’s all we’re told about him. He was considered to be an honorable man, more so than his brothers. His birth seems to have been a rather difficult one since his mother named him “Pain” (I’ve said that about my own kids from time to time, but I never actually named them that!)

Jabez honored God by acknowledging in his prayer that God was the “God of Israel”. God honored Jabez by granting his request.

The second prayer I want to look at from Paul in Philippians 3:10-11.

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” (NLT)

To me this is a prayer, because it is the cry of Paul’s heart. And here is what strikes me about the two prayers: they both speak of suffering. One is asking God to keep him from pain, and the other wants to embrace it. What is going on here?

Jesus. He is the difference. Paul had seen Jesus!

Philippians was probably Paul’s last letter. He had learned that Jesus is more than enough. But what really strikes me about this passage is that Paul actually yearned for the “fellowship of His sufferings” (KJV).

Sometimes Jesus just wants some company.

Two men.

Two prayers.

One prays for a lack of suffering.

The other prays that he might share the suffering of Jesus.

God says, “Yes,” to both.

Copyright 2013 Wayne Harmon