Interesting article about the Prayer of Jabez author

[GloryBound]

This article was in the Altanta paper last Saturday. Bruce Wilkinson has apparently given up his prosperity message and is now in Africa working with AIDS victims. I've heard quite a few "prosperity preachers" recently say on TV that it isn't about money and getting stuff, but I haven't seen anyone actually do anything about it and abandon their lifestyle and go to the missionfield. At least until this article appeared.

http://www.ajc.com/saturday/content/epaper/editions/saturday/faith_values_f35b354186b8529d007e.html

:thumb

[Singlesis]

Maybe it's me, but I NEVER got the prosperity message out of Prayer of Jabez. Sure, that's what everyone said it was, but reading the book it indicates a prayer to enlarge your territory for witnessing / ministry opportunities, etc. That is what I prayed for, and always received just that... to be used in more ways to reach more people. Maybe he got the answer he sought - further out on the mission field. My 2 cents.

[KrispyKritter]

I'm not knocking the Jabez book because I think a lot of people got some truth out of it, like the post above. And praise God the author is following God's direction in his life.

Having said that, I would like to point out the biggest obervation I got from the Prayer of Jabez .... and that is this:

Christianity has created some of the slickest marketing I have ever seen. There was Prayer of Jabez this, and Prayer of Jabez that... and you name it. Prayer of Jabez for Dogs, and Prayer of Jabez for Dummies. Yuck... what started out as a nice little book that was nothing more than a devotional, really ... turned into a feeding frenzy for the money-people who sell the gospel for profit. I'm not talking about the bookstore folks persay... but the publishing companies.

[GloryBound]

Singlesis, that's what I got out of it, also. I had been working in a situation where there was a lot of spiritual warfare. I thought that I was working in a den of iniquity. So I prayed for my area of spiritual influence to be increased. It was. And other Christians started working there instead of running away.

It looks like the author is getting this now, too! And I think that's wonderful!

Krispy, I agree that most of the marketing wasn't done by the author, but as a money making scheme by others.

[Jael]

While I agree that the author focused more on ministry and service when he spoke of "enlarging our borders"...I was concerned by the element of repetitious prayer...

The next morning, I prayed Jabez's prayer word for word. And the next. And the next. Thirty years later, I haven't stopped.

That almost sounds like a Protestant version of the rosary or a Christian mantra...Jesus specifically taught against repetitious prayer. The power is in God, not in the recitation of specific words.

In addition, I heard and saw many, many people who took this book to mean that you can get whatever you want if you pray this particular prayer, just right. The author did not teach this, but so many people came away with this twisted message, so I fear the book did as much harm as good.

But from this story, the author seems to have his heart in the right place and appears to be following the Lord's leading and I wish him all success.

[Singlesis]

Let me add that I only bought the original little book. My interpretation was the HEART and model of the prayer, not a repetitious mantra. Sort of like when we recite the Lord's prayer that Jesus gave us - it's a "model".

But then I started hearing how others accused it of being prosperity gospel... I wondered how many critics actually read the book. Then I was also sickened with all the "stuff" that came out with it (notebooks, study guides, for teens, for dogs, for whatever). THAT was ridiculous, and I never touched the stuff. Sadly, I wonder how many millions were made. :tsk

[jenniofYahushua]

I never read the jabez book because it seemed to be outwardly about getting stuff to me and all the other jabez merchandise didnt help me wanna check it out lol but i did read the secrets of the vine did anyone read that? that is one of the first christian books i bought when the Lord delviered me and i think it was for the most part a good book for babes. now that i am a *bit* older in the Lord i disagree with a small part of it and i dont think it would feed me now but i think it is good milk for babes.:nod

[Christine]

Originally posted by Singlesis
Maybe it's me, but I NEVER got the prosperity message out of Prayer of Jabez. Sure, that's what everyone said it was, but reading the book it indicates a prayer to enlarge your territory for witnessing / ministry opportunities, etc. That is what I prayed for, and always received just that... to be used in more ways to reach more people. Maybe he got the answer he sought - further out on the mission field. My 2 cents. I am with you on this 100%!!

When I read it, I got the same message, although, knowing WoF like I did, I also saw that it was a golden opportunity for those with the wrong motives to turn it into something completely different than intended.

:doh

[hopemail]

Singlesis, I agreed 100% with your first post,... I never even thought of a prosperity motive when I read Wilkerson's (first) book,... that is, until I read the criticism by the anti-WOF people...

your second post surprised as well,... I didn't know about the merchandizing...
I'm still glad I read the book and saw what I did about praying,... which is the point I think Wilkerson was trying to make...

[Heavensent]

Originally posted by jenniofYahushua
I never read the jabez book because it seemed to be outwardly about getting stuff to me and all the other jabez merchandise didnt help me wanna check it out lol but i did read the secrets of the vine did anyone read that? that is one of the first christian books i bought when the Lord delviered me and i think it was for the most part a good book for babes. now that i am a *bit* older in the Lord i disagree with a small part of it and i dont think it would feed me now but i think it is good milk for babes.:nod

Yes I read it. There was a story in there about a mother and daughter. The daughter couldn't forgive her mother. I think God used that little book. When I read that story I knew it was time for me to forgive my mother for abandoning us. I remember crying out to God that night. I realized that God had forgiven all of my sins, but I had not been able to forgive my mother. Who did I think I was that I couldn't forgive her. I had carried that hatred around for almost 40 years. It was time to let go.

It's funny because I had just been saved when I got a coupon for that book. I know there are no coincidences in life and God placed that book in my hands for the purpose of forgiving my mother. It changed my life.