1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain". Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory. "Let you hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Parents want to give their children a good name. They usually give their children names that embodies the hopes they pin on their children. Jabez's mother though, named him "pain". Now, "pain" isn't a very good name, but Jabez lived an honorable life still, more honorable than his brother in fact.

Let's look at how he prayed.

1)He prayed for blessing.
He prayed with an open heart and did not limit God in His blessing.
God can answer your prayers and bless you through many ways. It doesn't necessarily need to be the way you imagine it to be. For example, God can heal through medicine, help you through the people around you.

2)Always thank God for everything.
Yes, even the littlest things.
James 1:16-17 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
A good way to remember God's goodness is to record down all of your prayer requests somewhere.

3)Believe and enjoy God's blessings.
Many people would stop and start to think if they are good enough for God to answer their prayers. Many people think that they aren't as good as someone else and therefore God would not grant them their requests. Do not have this mentality.
^{Matthew 7:7-8}
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Nope, none of us actually deserve anything, but that is why whatever we receive is a gift from God.

4)Share your blessings with others.
1 Timothy 6:18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Only God can cause changes to happen. It is neither:
God is responsible for the results, I am not NOR
I am responsible for the results, God is not.

When you pray, "enlarge my territory" as Jabez did, huge and seemingly impossible tasks will come your way. God will enable you to do something different, new, and larger!
He will sharpen your skills, enabling you to do what you do better. He will also improve your strategy, enabling you to do something more effectively.

5)Pray a prayer of protection.
Jabez prayed, "Let you hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." He prayed this prayer because he did not want his name to become a prophecy.

Pray for deliverance from temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Pray against Satan.
Ephesians 6:12-13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

We must not fall into the trap of 2 misconceptions:
1) I am invincible to temptation because I already prayed.
2)I do not need to pray for God's protection when I am serving him.
On the contrary, the more, you serve, the more protection you need.

We have to pray even more when we are
1)Just about to serve God.
2)Physically and spiritually weak after serving God.

That's all. Remember to fast!
And oh, this is the verse we are going to meditate on for the rest of the week:
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.