Rating: 
Summary: It's All About Motive
Review: Sadly, it seems that many people believe that Dr. Wilkinson's book is nothing more than a "get-rich-quick" scheme, but it is nothing like that at all. His book is NOT about a man who wanted God to give him a bunch of money, but it is about a man who wanted God to bless him in every area of his life, and if there is anyone who doesn't want that for himself/herself, they are not being completely honest. When he prayed for God to expand his territory, I believe it had more to do with expanding the realm of people he was able to touch for God, than about expanding his wealth. I am particularly reminded of the present-day great men and women of God who started out with very small ministries. Today, many of them are impacting the world for Christ. So, when you pray the Jabez prayer, you should ask yourself "Why do I want God to enlarge my territory, why do I want His hand to be with me, and why do I want Him to keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain? If your answer is to serve Him by serving others and to live out the purpose and destiny that He has for my life to the fullest possible extent, I believe you have the right idea.
Rating: 
Summary: highly recommend
Review: This book is easy to read and offers a lot of insight to prayer. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I feel that this book is definitely in line with Christian ways...."jump into the river...[and]...let the loving currents of God's grace and power carry you along..." In other words it teaches how to pray for God's plan for your life and not yours. I don't think it is meant to replace other prayers or to be the only prayer you pray. The criticisms in the other reviews are quite harsh. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Very American; not very Biblical
Review: In this book, Wilkinson takes a small verse said in a specific context and extrapolated that if we pray it regularly, we will basically get what we want. (Expand our territory). We don't know too much about the person praying (Jabez), only that he's a Judaite and that he was more honorable than his brothers (we don't even know whether his brothers were honorable at all).Sure, there are people in the Bible that the L-rd prospered -- Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David. But there are others He didn't prosper materially or weren't even kept from harm. I'm not sure that Isaac prospered materially, although he was the son through whom G-d's promise to Abraham was carried out. Moses didn't prosper materially and wasn't even permitted to enter the Promised Land. In the New Testament, Paul was not kept from harm. Even more to the point, Jesus himsef was neither kept from harm nor did he prosper materially. Significantly He also promised that those who follow him would suffer as well. It's time to put away this Yankee prosperity doctrine and seek loftier goals of establishing G-d's character.
Rating:
Summary: Great encouragement for those who dare to ask for God's best
Review: I have found a clear and interesting divide among readers of this little treasure book: those who get its powerful meaning, and those who don't. Typically, those who KNOW ABOUT GOD through an intellectual understanding of Christianity and Christian theology just don't get it; but those who KNOW GOD through a living, growing, thriving personal relationship with Him through Christ Jesus -- facilitated by the reality of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them -- do. The "Prayer of Jabez" will be an affirmation for those who dare to know God's character as revealed to us in Scripture, for those who understand -- from their experience in relationship with Him -- that God honors and rewards those who truly and earnestly seek Him and His blessings with their whole being, just as Jacob wrestled with Him all night long and wouldn't let Him go until He blessed him (Genesis 32:22-32). The "Prayer of Jabez" will be an encouragement for those who dare to take God at His Word and not only believe, but TRUST, that He will keep His Word and do what He says He will do (Isaiah 55:10-11). The "Prayer of Jabez" will be prayed by those who dare to be blessed by God so that they can be a blessing to others, just as Abraham was blessed by God and became a blessing to all nations (Genesis 22:15-18).
Rating:
Summary: Health and Wealth Gospel in disguise
Review: I respect Bruce Wilkinson for his work in Walk Thru the Bible, but this book is terrible. The Bible is clear- we are to pray as Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Jabez was important enough to mention in one obscure passage of Chronicles, but do we have to make an entire franchise out of this guy's desire to serve God? I wonder if he's in heaven feeling gravely disappointed at the theft of his memory. Poor Jabez. The prayer of Jesus, found in Matthew 6 should be the prayer of Christians not this "health and wealth" prosperity prayer that Wilkinson turns Jabez's prayer into...
Rating:
Summary: As if people aren't shelling out enough money...
Review: "Hmm, people aren't paying enough for this stuff, let's make an up-scaled brat edition!" That's my feeling on this book, which is a cheap shot and making more money off the stupidity of evangelicals in embracing unscriptural teachings like The Prayer of Jabez. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Just a suggestion.
Review: May I humbly suggest a book called "The prayer of Jesus" by our old friend Hank at the CRI. While this book frustrates me as a Christian, I do appreciate its call to prayer. Much has been written about this book and Hank perhaps says it best by reminding us that when asked to show us how now to pray, Jesus chose the lord's prayer. His prayer. Not David's or Jabez's. He chose his. I recommend Hank's book in place of this one and others like it. God is not a cosmic bell hop, He is our God and his will be done in our lives on his time, not ours. To discern God's will, we must want it more than anything else in our lives. Not a quick prayer mantra. Just my opinion. I stand down.
Rating:
Summary: get this book for you and the children
Review: this book is promising to all who read it. It has great expectations ang should be read by one and all. Why would you give this book a bad reveiw. Go to church .
Rating:
Summary: The Prayer of Jabez: by Bruce Wilkinson
Review: Cindy, this book is for Christians who think? This book is bogus. I gave it one star because that was the minimum. Wilkinson lifts a single verse from the Bible and promises special results when prayed regularly. He puts great credence in "The Jabez prayer". What about all of the other prayers in the Bible? The prayers of Jesus, David, Job and others dwarf this small verse. This verse becomes a center of worship in and of itself? God gave us the brains to read large sections of his Word daily, but then doesn't expect us to construct our own prayers? The multitude of stories in the Bible describe God as developing a "relationship" with each of his people, and not simply breeding robots who would focus on one grain of sand found on a thousand miles of beach. At no time does God promise life will be a simple beg and receive proposition. He does promise to be with us through our struggles and points out that all of life is a blessing for which to be thankful. This verse is only a tiny part of the whole, not the anointed part. Think about it Cindy.
Rating:
Summary: God As My Genie
Review: = God as My Genie
Reviewer: Randall Shanks from Yermo, CA United States
It is unfortunate that the blessed truths of the God who hears and answers the prayers of His people has been reduced to a self-centered means of personal gain. While Wilkinson certainly tries here and there to spiritualize the points by stating that "it is entirely up to God to decide what the blessings would be and where..." (p. 24), the overriding message is that God redeemed us to ask Him for what we want (p. 91). Even in his profusely spiritual illustrations, the ideas are that God is just waiting to perform miracles for us, and that we are destined to do heroic things for God (p. 48). There is no emphasis on stewardship, righteousness, salvation, and endurance. What about the faithful missionary who does not see converts for years? What about the faithful housewife who rears her children for the Lord? What about the faithful deacon who never got more than an eigth grade education? What about the Lord Himself who "could there do no mighty work...because of their unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6)? God expects us to be faithful stewards of what He has given us; for some that does mean great and well known feats, however, for others that means great feats that will never be known until glory.
Wilkinson's brand of Christianity is having "a loyal heart and pray[ing] the Jabez prayer." (p. 90). This is a very dangerous view of God and Christianity. Beyond the things already mentioned, Wilkinson's treatment of the text is a travisty to biblical interpretation. The overriding message is this: make the Scriptures say what you want them to say. This again panders to our 21st century thinking--we are the center of all things, not God and His eternal Word.
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