Rating: 
Summary: The Prayer of _Whom_?
Review: Amazon reviewers are generally enthusiastic about the subjects of their reviews, but I am glad to see other reviewers express some skepticism about this book. Nothing that induces prayer can be totally bad; but this book is little more than an off-beat sermon for a Sunday buried in an obscure part of the liturgical year. It is not a theological or religious breakthrough, nor is it a great addition to the literature of prayer. The Psalms have Old Testament prayer pretty well sewed up (though there are plenty of other beautiful prayers in these ancient books). And when the disciples asked Jesus to "Teach us to pray," he did not respond with the prayer of Jabez - who was probably hidden in OT obscurity for reasons we'll never really know. This book comes perilously close to the "name it and claim it" school of theology, and is at best a shallow call to a rather narrow Christian life. I have no wish to question Bruce Wilkinson's motives or learning, nor to denigrate the "Jabez" industry that seems to be growing up. But I think I'll stick to the Psalms and the Lord's Prayer for my devotions.
Rating: 
Summary: Would you like some fries with your Prayer of Jabez?
Review: I have to say "thumbs down" for the Prayer of Jabez. In a fast-food culture that is already bent on over-consumption, urban-sprawl and "me-ism", it seems the last thing Americans need is a book about "expanding our territory". Certainly there are many good principles in this book. It is right to ask God to "expand our territory" in order to have a positive impact on the lives of other people, but I highly doubt this is what Jabez had in mind. Wilkinson reads far too much into a very obscure passage of scripture and even uses a less-common translation in order to emphasis the phrase: "that I may not cause pain" -- which appears to promote a more noble image of Jabez. Every other major translation has the subject and object in the reverse order: "that it may not cause ME pain.". Wilkinson would have done much better with "The Lords Prayer". At least here, God (and not "me") is placed at the center.
Rating: 
Summary: Closeness beyond belief
Review: I am the master sceptic. I never believed that such a small book could help lead me to such a consistently prayerful life. My husband and I both have read the books and now enjoy a closeness with the Lord that was not present before. No, the book doesn't make the change by itself, the practices of a prayerful life that you begin once you read bring about the changes. I have gone from a person who prays "sometimes" to a person that has open communication with the Lord as I shower, drive, work, eat, etc... What a blessing!
Rating: 
Summary: "That I may not cause pain"
Review: After reading Mr.Wilkinson's views on The Prayer of Jabez: etc., I found it to be very thought provoking. I enjoyed it very much for the most part, but there is something that truly bothered me. Being one who has both caused and endured a lot of pain in my own life, I found it odd and questionable that he would not even discuss the part of the prayer that is most important to me. "That I may not cause pain." To me, it is a little arrogant if not sad to overlook one of life's most important principles and foundations of the Christian religion. The "Golden Rule " I learned as a child is applicable here. The mere fact that Jabez included these words in his prayer tells us how important they are! To not cause pain to anyone is a lofty ideal worth the effort and prayer it requires to accomplish. Thank you to Mr. Wilkinson for his book and keep up the good work. glb
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Summary: It's NOT just a book, it's a LIFESTYLE, People!
Review: If you really are surrendered to the Lord, this Prayer is in sync with what God has planned for your life -- and that's to bring HIM glory by touching others' lives IN HIS TIMING! It's not my own agenda..it's not my own anything!! It's ALL HIM AS HE CHOOSES and I make myself available to do and speak whatever He gives me wherever He leads. That's the message of the book and if God has given you a vision, praying HIS MOST PERFECT WILL in your life as outlined in this book and watching HIM bless your life abundantly -- well, He'll blow your mind and knock yer socks off. He's a simple but awesome God and He just wants us totally surrendered so He can bless us indeed FOR HIS GLORY!
Rating: 
Summary: Give me a break
Review: This book was recently given to me by a church pastor. And then I read the reviews here, and said to myself "This is what all the fuss is about?" Something that has generated so many reader reviews in such a short time must indeed be worth reading, right? Wrong! This book reads like an infomercial, complete with stunning claims of success. It seems the message "It's okay to ask for more, and you'll get it!" is typical of today, and this 96 page book is a synopsis of society. I found nothing uplifting or inspiring in its pages, and the authors claims I do not intend to refute. The author was once lonely while on a ship for business reasons, and wondered how he could help someone. Apparently, the Jabez prayer came through. He was led to help someone in a struggling marriage that he briefly met when the ship docked in Turkey. What bothered me is the way his advice was found to be helpful, with the newly restored couple running to the dock as the ship pulled away, screaming "Thanks!" He also ministered to woman on a plane, who also had marriage troubles. He was just led to her, and boldly walked up and said something to the effect he wanted to help her. Of course, they ended up sitting together.And before the plane landed, you guessed it, her marriage was shored up also. It is not being led to these people I doubt. The Lord will always work in peoples lives this way. However, it is the miraculous transformation this author makes in peoples lives in a matter of hours, not coincidentally how long it takes to read this book. And therein lies its message. It seems everyone is looking for instant gratification. There are always advertisements for exercise machines that provide "AMAZING results with just 3 minutes a day!" Is "The Jabez Prayer" any different?
Rating:
Summary: Spread the bounty
Review: I have been praying this prayer for 5 months and I can only say that my life has been made more bountiful by the good stuff I got. (My favorite was the big screen TV. Thanks, God!) Now, you must each send a copy of this prayer to five of your friends, and they will send it to five of their friends. Of course, if you break the chain, you will be subjected to five years of bad luck (not to mention the rotting in Hell for all eternity part). Good luck! He who dies with the most stuff wins!
Rating:
Summary: Christian-lite
Review: You know, I wanted to like this book...I really did. And as I first started reading it, I was excited. The prayer, taken as a Biblical reading or reference is powerful and speaks to me of the love of God. But as I continued page to page, a nagging intuitive and spiritual doubt grew stronger and stronger. The author has taken a prayer, and like the worst athiest, used it out of context and without supporting Biblical truth to elicit what he desires from it. The prayer stands alone and any conjecture of deeper meaning is simply that--conjecture by the author. Yet he rides that conjecture to the Nth degree! I have no doubt that people who are either non-Christian or Christian-lite (those without a strong Biblical center, knowledge, understanding, and not particularly Christ-centered) will flock to this as the next best "how-to" self-help book. I couldn't help feeling the author was playing to the lowest common denominator with a "you too can..." application that is rife in nearly every self-help book. That really turns my stomach. I have a great fear that this book, without a solid foundation in faith, will be more of a danger to many people than a help. In minimizing our relationship with God and Christ to a prayer recital, it plays right into the enemy's hands. A deep relationship with Christ doesn't come cheap, it requires understanding grounded in the Bible. You can't replace that with a daily recital. In fairness to the author, his efforts (and I have no reason to believe they did not happen--I take him at his word) seem to point to some significant ministry events. However, I believe that likely has more to do with God's unconditional blessing (NOT the prayer), a righteous relationship with God, years of ministry training, and good old fashion hard work than a specific prayer recital. As I said, I would have liked to recommend this book. I just can't in good faith and conscience.
Rating:
Summary: Useless Book
Review: Bruce Wilkinson has "enlarged his borders" by wasting consumers' money by their purchase of this worthless book. It is amazing that this book has reached best seller status. Save some time by reading the prayer of Jabez in the Bible and apply your own interpretation.
Rating:
Summary: This one really doesn't rate
Review: Incredible what we find as substitutes for God's inspired written word. Not that Mr. Wilkinson has written a terrible book, it is simply an unnecessary one. Stay focused. Read and re-read the BIBLE 2 Corinthians 5:1-9
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