Years ago, Dr. Boteler heard a sermon by Dave Wilkerson outlining the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9,10).  The prayer is tucked into a long list of names in a genealogy.  The last phrase says that God granted Jabez’s request.  Dr. Boteler applies Jabez’s four requests to modern life.

• LORD, BLESS ME.  It is biblical to ask God to bless us in our work, at home, or any situation we face.

• INCREASE MY MINISTRY.  Only God can give us the strength, power, and desire to seek His will in the workplace. Prayer is the key ingredient.

• MAY YOUR HAND BE WITH ME.  Most of us hesi-tate to ask God to increase our ministry because we feel we have more respon-sibilities than we can han-dle now.  But God wants us to ask Him to handle our ministry as it expands because we can’t.

• KEEP OTHERS AND ME FROM HARM.  When God expands our ministry, He sends us into enemy terri-tory. When we ask God to deliver us from evil, He protects us from enemy attack.