This morning as I was completing my morning reading and meditation, the last item on my list was my slow and deliberate journey through The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. It’s a small book and can be read in a short period of time. I haven’t read it in quite a while, but recently I’ve been led back to it… and I am taking it in slowly, one section at a time, as a daily reading and study. Today I was punched in the face with the question, “While you are sitting here, waiting, hoping, and praying, did you even really ask?!” as I read the section Mr. Jones Goes to Heaven in Chapter 2 of the book. It seems that while taking the tour of heaven after his arrival, Mr. Jones prevailed upon St. Peter to allow him to see what was in a particular room. Reluctantly, he was allowed entrance and in it he found box after box, unopened, wrapped with a bow. He found his way to the one that was designated for him and upon opening it, he discovered blessings that were never delivered to him simply because he didn’t ask. I began to wonder what is still “boxed up” and not able to be delivered to me because of my missing the mark in the area of asking with a surrendered, submitted attitude and heart? What does God desire me to receive and yet I am being my own “blessing blocker” because I have not asked?

Sometimes we think we’ve asked and we haven’t really asked. We are pretty much pining away and hoping, waiting for something to happen, promising God that we’ll give Him the biggest and best testimony ever about it… but we aren’t actively paricipating and being proactive to exercise our faith and grow in the relationship that the Father longs to have with us. After all, we probably have asked once – and believed that we’ll receive it, that it will come to pass. But are we limiting God in ways about which we are not aware? Can it be that there are things that may be trying to make their way to us and yet we are not even exercising our faith, expectation, or our commitment to be good stewards of what God desires to bless us with? After all, it is NOT about us and we are often the intended conduits through which God desires to channel blessings and encouragement to others.

To daily ask and expect God to “bless me indeed” is not meant to be a selfish request. His blessing is to be placed in our hands to be used in the territory, sphere of influence, platform, arena, and strategic assignment that is uniquely ours. Jabez asked that his territory be expanded. Jabez asked that he be blessed. The expanded territory meant expanded responsibility to be a good steward and positive influence of those attached to that territory, that sphere of influence. The daily blessing would involve the tools that would be placed in his hands to help bring glory to God and to bring about awareness of how mighty His God is. What about us? Are we willing to to be blessed, to have our territories expanded, and to be instrument through which God can change lives? Hmmm… Did you really ask?