Rev. & Mrs. E. Anderson
A JABEZ EXPERIENCE
n spite of the fact that I had read the Bible for many years there were still people and things that I was not really acquainted with in the Scriptures. I had familiarised myself with the sacred books over a long passage of time, yet there were still things that needed to be quickened and revealed by the Holy Spirit to my heart. It was in the mid 1970s that I was reading the early chapters of the first book of Chronicles when I was suddenly hit personally with regard to a man named Jabez.
I nearly missed it because these two verses are found right in the midst of a host of names, many of them difficult to pronounce. How easy it would have been to have by-passed them because of their seeming irrelevance! But then I came to chapter 4: 9, 10. It was then I was briefly introduced to this man by the name of Jabez. Although only two verses are ascribed in relation to him, they were to impact my life in a powerful manner.
Although this man had a very difficult start to life, yet somehow he scaled the problem and emerged significantly owned of God. His mother gave him the name Jabez which means ‘pain’ because she evidently had a tough time in and around his birth. But that was not going to dictate his life because he believed all that could be overtaken by God’s blessing. He went in for asking God to do the incredible by blessing him in such a way he would make enormous progress and become a success in life.
I was the dean of the Bible College at that time with a very responsible task of ministry. Each morning I would rise early and go for a five mile jog to keep myself naturally fit. In the course of the daily run I would regularly pray the prayer of Jabez – ‘O that you will bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast….’. It was a genuine heart-cry that came from my spirit and the Lord was to truly hear and respond to it. This web page is too brief to be able to recite the blessings that have been my lot over 35 years since that prayer was prayed by me. It is still one that is in my heart and one that I still pour from my lips because the Lord is ever in the business of blessing and expansion. Over the years one has preached on this remarkable man and prayer and seen the same thing happen for other people. They have been infected and inspired by the word of truth and seen God respond to them as they have taken up this prayer.
Just over a year ago, (2006), a man said that since he had heard, received and applied this petition his whole situation had been turned around. The principal of the Bible College became inspired by it and told me he had begun to preach on it! A few years ago we had a minister colleague staying in our home. He was due to speak for a week at a place called Cfin Lee in North Wales. I shared with him about my experience and its relationship with this Old Testament character. He became deeply affected and for the next few days spent time in my study preparing messages around this man and his petition. He told me later that the blessing on his ministry that week was significant. In returning to his church in Edgemead, Cape Town, God has blessed in an outstanding manner. At present they have had to vacate their premises in order to extend because of the growth. Over 1,000 people are now associated with the fellowship he oversees.
was pleasantly surprised to find that a man by the name of Bruce Wilkinson from America had been challenged by Jabez and witnessed the same in his own life. He went further and wrote a best-seller called ‘The Prayer of Jabez’. Millions of copies have been sold and no doubt countless lives challenged and changed. I was so impressed by his writings that I sold a lot of his books in order to see others enter into the legacy of this prayer.
The Lord has some very pleasant surprises for us as we journey with Him doing His will. It was while I was in South Africa a few years ago that a dear pastor-colleague, Anthony Liebenburg of Cape Town, invited me to go to a book launch that was taking place in an hotel. He was to chair the gathering. The speaker concerned was none other than Bruce Wilkinson and he had written another book ‘The Dreamgiver’ and he was to be the speaker. What a joy and privilege to listen to this man who had been so inspired and blessed in such a way! As he ministered that evening, as I sat on the front row, I felt the Lord using him to speak to me. It seemed that the Lord had many more prayers to answer and dreams to be fulfilled in my future if I was ready to go with Him.
The Barnabas Ministries web site is one of the things that has been birthed from that time and is being owned of the Lord. Never did I think from a natural angle that in my 74th year I would be engaged in such a ministry that is blessing many people.In taking the extract out of my life to share with you it is that you may be stimulated to make the prayer of Jabez your prayer so that you will also enter into a new era of growth and blessing as a person and in your ministry.
A young man, who is now quite a renowned evangelist in England, and a good friend, too, went out with my wife and I for a day. We called at a Christian bookshop and there was a plaque with the prayer of Jabez on it. Seeing it was my wife’s birthday and knowing how much this prayer had impacted us, he bought it for us as a sacred reminder of Jabez and himself. He has moved on and the Lord has enlarged his territory. The plaque adorns our bedroom so each day we are constantly reminded of this inspired utterance. God wants to truly bless and advance you and as you walk in faith and in agreement with Him so the same will come to pass in and for you.
