Enlarge My Territory: Lupita Nyong’o says the prayer of Jabez in the Bible prepared her for success
Article By Rebecca Johnson // EEW Magazine // Prayer
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o credits a very specific Bible-based prayer for preparing her for the success that came into her life like a whirlwind.
“I remember, my mom always had this prayer—the prayer of Jabez,” said the actress who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave in 2014. “And it’s about making room for abundance in your life. So, that is one of the things that I was meditating on in that time.”
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Lupita Nyong’o celebrates winning an Oscar in 2014 (Credit: Getty)
Jabez’s whole story is contained in two verses in the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, which say:
“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 your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”
Jabez, in Hebrew, means distress, pain, or affliction, and the meanings of names in the Bible were significant, in that they had a destiny-shaping quality. Jabez prayed to change is destiny, and Nyong’o prayed to change hers.
Both got their prayers answered.
Lupita Nyong’o plays Nakia in Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ (Credit: Marvel)
“Well, that’s so wonderful to hear,” said Winfrey, who hosted Nyong’o for an “Oprah at Home” special on the OWN Network.
“I have experienced over the years talking to so many hundreds of people, that people don’t make that room, and they don’t know how to receive it, and it blows them out. They cannot handle it,” the 65-year-old told her guest.
Nyong’o, author of new children’s book Sulwe, said, “In school, in drama school, they would prepare us for the struggle of the world of an actor.”
The Black Panther star said she was taught, “Prepare to hear ‘no,’ and remain sturdy in the presence of ‘no,’ but what they didn’t do is prepare us to hear ‘yes,’ and sometimes you can hear ‘yes’ and reject it, you know?”
Thankfully for the Nairobi, Kenya native, her expectations and capacity for enlarged territory were increased by prayer, and she was ready for and open to the multiple yeses to follow.
Watch the full conversation below: