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64 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring...IF you place it in its proper perspective, April 10, 2001
This review is from: The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life (Hardcover)
I don't necessarily buy Christian books because they are best-sellers. Much of what sells is just "Pop Religion", which I differentiate from true Christianity. But I took notice when I saw that this book was being listed on the "secular" best-seller list right behind that Cheese book, so I decided to take the plunge since the book is relatively inexpensive. One thing I appreciate about "The Prayer of Jabez" is that it spotlights a scripture that 99 out of 100 Bible readers totally miss. I was a bit wary at first, because the prayer starts out as a "Bless Me" prayer, and could be contstrued as being rather selfish. But the author makes clear that asking for God's blessing in this case is not a thinly-veiled get-rich-quick idea. It's important to allow God to bless you the way HE wants to bless you. Of course, that is just the first point of the prayer, there are three more to follow. If nothing else, it will help you get over any guilt you may have about praying for yourself. HOWEVER... Don't fall into the trap that this prayer is the be-all and end-all when it comes to praying. After all, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn't say "Well, let me tell you about a little prayer by a guy named Jabez..." It can certainly be incorporated into your daily time of prayer, but if the prayer of Jabez is ALL you ever pray, then yes, it becomes extremely selfish. There are many prayers in and outside the Bible that can be used as well, not to mention your own spontaneous prayers, for others as well as yourself. And this is not to be used as some kind of Christian mantra. In short, this is a pretty good little book, but keep it in perspective to the whole of your devotional life.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Possibilities, April 29, 2001
This review is from: The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life (Hardcover)
I had heard about this book quite awhile ago but hesitated at picking it up, since fads tend to make me wary. I eventually received it as a gift--an enthusiastic gift--and so I sat down and decided to see what the buzz was all about. After reading THE PRAYER OF JABEZ I can see why it is so popular. The core message of the book is appealing, both to those who understand it (and are seeking God's will, and holiness) and to those who don't (and are seeking personal gain). Wilkinson immediately makes it clear that the prayer of Jabez is not about selfish greed (and has nothing to do with the name-it-claim-it preachers). He states "when we seek God's blessing as the ultimate value in life, we are throwing ourselves entirely into the river of His will and power and purposes for us. All our other needs become secondary to what we really want--which is to become wholly immersed in what God is trying to do in us, through us, and around us for His glory." So right away we can see that many of the superficial criticisms of this book here are misguided and inaccurate. I admire THE PRAYER OF JABEZ for the importance it places on prayer. Prayer is a vital element in the lives of all Christians and anything that encourages more time with God is a plus. I also applaud how Wilkinson challenges us to take a step of faith in our prayer lives and move out of our comfort zones. Praying this prayer, and having it answered in the affirmative, would be a fantastic and desirable thing in the life of any Christ follower. The one problem that I do have is that God doesn't always answer our prayers in the affirmative. Sometimes he says "wait," and sometimes he says "no." A simple glance at the Bible into the lives of men like Job, Paul, and Peter shows us that is true. Wilkinson should've dealt more realistically with that possibility. While I'm pleased to see how God has moved in his life and answered his prayer, not all of us will have that same experience. Disappointment with God, and dealing with God's silence, is a very real reality in the lives of many Christians; even those who would faithfully pray a prayer such as this. That being recognized, THE PRAYER OF JABEZ does do a great job of showing us the POSSIBILITIES of a more focused and faithful prayer life, and for that it should be applauded. To complete the picture, I recommend reading it along side Philip Yancey's REACHING FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD. I give it Four Stars.
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189 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
WARNING: Danger Ahead!, May 1, 2001
This review is from: The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life (Hardcover)
To Wilkinson the key is that Jabez stumbled upon the right formula for asking things of God. His emphasis is on Jabez finding the correct method, instead of on God and His Sovereignty. However, for Jabez the focus of Jabez's prayer was on God and His provision and protection. Jabez simply asked and God gave him what He requested - not because Jabez said the right thing or manipulated God into granting his request. The danger is that Wilkinson's teaching leaves no room for God to say "NO" or "WAIT." It simply puts God in a box. However, the Bible clearly teaches that God has the absolute right to do whatever He pleases with us. And yes, that may mean that God says no to our prayer requests. This debunks Wilkinson's claim that sin in our lives is the only thing that will stop the repetition of Jabez's prayer from working. We must remember that God's purposes for us and our lives are far beyond what we're able to comprehend, and we can't know the mind of God and we can't coerce Him into blessing us. He can't and won't be controlled or manipulated. If He could, then He wouldn't be God, and He wouldn't be worthy of worship, honor, and praise. To pull just two quotes from the book, Bruce's states "I want to teach you a prayer that God ALWAYS answers." and "I believe it (prayer of Jabez) contains the key to a life extraordinary favour with God." Regarding the first point, where in scripture does it state that praying the prayer of Jabez will always get God's ear, and require Him to answer? According to the Bible I study and read, when Jesus taught us how to pray, he taught us "Our Father, which are in heaven . . .", not "Oh, that You would bless me indeed . . .". Second, where in scripture does it teach us how to get extraordinary favour with God? Again, the Bible I study and read teaches that God is love. There is no height, nor depth, nor length to the love of God. Since God already gives us ALL love ALL the time, how can we get even more favour? We already are God's children and have as our inheritance ALL of God and ALL of what God offers. Ponder this. There are no formulas to God. There is but one God and he can not be put in a box and be our personal genie. God has the absolute authority to do whatever He pleases with us, even if that means God says no to our requests. God's purposes for us and our lives are far beyond what we're able to ask for, or comprehend. God can't be coerce into blessing us. He can't and won't be controlled or manipulated. If so, God wouldn't be God. Now, if Bruce instead taught about a deep, abiding, loving relationship with our Father who will sustain us through heartaches, failure, and success, then this would be a great book. Instead, Wilkinson's teaches a shallow "results-oriented" faith that is supposed to guarantee success, as opposed to a deep, abiding, loving relationship with our Father that will sustain us through heartaches, failure, and success.
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