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Summary: Dangerous Reading
Review: It shouldn't be that surprising that the new 'Christian' Best Seller has reached the top of the charts. After all it centers on what Christians love to sing, praise and thank God for- themselves. The nature of blessings, or so the orthodox church has thought for centuries, is that they were blessings- undeserved and from grace alone. Wilkinson has slyly brought this 'Theology of Glory', focusing on man's glory, into the evangelical spotlight. It is an easy book to get excited about- it's short, it touches what we suppose to be our biggest problem, and it promises results. But what Christians have failed to realize is that there biggest problem isn't boredom and 'not enough blessings' in their lives. Rather our problem is seperation from a holy God. The solution isn't short mantra-like prayers but rather a crucified Lord. While the evangelical church, through Dr. Wilkinsons book, turns inward on itself it misses the one blessing all may receive, and this blessing is found outside of you and me, a few miles outside the city walls of Jerusalem some two thousand years ago.
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Summary: Jabez..ok....but what happened to Jesus?
Review: Maybe it is a sign of our times. I have been working with either selling, writing, editing or publishing Christian books for over 25 years. As Christian books have become big business, it is sad to see solid, upbuilding Christian books which lift up the name of Jesus pushed aside in favor of those which have a faddish, flash popularity. Dear ones, for me prayer is first, foremost and always about JESUS. Eph. 3:20-21
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Summary: Life Changing
Review: A friend gave me this book when I was in desperate need of prayer. I started praying it daily. Now my husband prays it with me. It is not a formulaic prayer as much as it is a reminder of how to pray. It has been life changing for me. The book is wonderful and inspiring and I have read it over and over. You have almost nothing to lose and everything to gain by reading this little book. It will probably change your life as it did mine. The only other prayer recorded in the Bible outside of Psalms is the Lord's Prayer. Like the Lord's Prayer, this prayer has endured. A number of people report that they have continued to pray this simple and powerful prayer for years and years. One prayer is in the Old Testament and one is in the New Testament. I think they both are important. Read the book and then you can decide.
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Summary: Long book for short verse?
Review: Forgive me for being antsy. However when people start writing things like "Every Christian Must read this book!" I see little red flags in my head. Sure, "The Prayer of Jabez," the verse at least, is a great reminder that God DOES wish to bless us to do his will. But could a well-lengthed pamphet do the same? It took 10 minutes on Focus on the Family (where the author discussed the verse) for the main point to be made with supporting scriptural evidence. I'm also concerned about two things: Christian pragmatism and "The Emperor has No Clothes." It turns into a simple "If I just read this book and pray this prayer "It" always works." Not God, but "The Prayer." 2nd, I'm afraid we might have fallen into a conditioned response: something good happens and we credit "The Prayer," even though people who do not pray this prayer have the same experiences. This is not a bash the author, who is a clear Lover and follower of Jesus. Nor does it question the idea of praying like Jabez..but as another writer here said, read the verse PLUS the rest of the Bible!
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Summary: Answered Prayer.......
Review: I feel compelled to write and simply say that if this book is read with an open heart and if you believe this prayer then your life will be so richly blessed that you will be in awe. Just give it a try. EVERYONE, I have shared this book with has already seen miraculous works around them. YOU can too! You may email me for further information or encouragement. Thanks, T Kraus
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Summary: Powerful Revelation
Review: This little book is a must read for every Christian. Just a simple prayer, but powerful results. It covers every area of your life. It reveals God's desire to bless you indeed! and helps you to truly trust Him to do great things through you. You'll truly be able to keep your thoughts on Him as this simple little prayer comes up again and again in your spirit. Read it! it will change your life forever!
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Summary: Why not the "Prayer of Jesus" instead?
Review: Since a number of my Protestant friends are reading and talking about this little 93 page book, I decided to give it a quick read. In it, Wilkinson promotes "breaking through to the blessed life" through the daily recitation of a short--and mostly forgotten--prayer tucked within a list of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 4:9-11. The prayer states:"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" (NIV).Since my own prayer life has been undergoing a transformation over the past couple of years, I was impressed by a number of similarities between what Wilkinson advocates and what I've learned, so far, of the Orthodox Christian rule of prayer.1. He advocates the daily use of a biblically-based fixed prayer.2. He suggests that the purpose of the prayer is to transform the one who prays (he uses the term "revolutionize").3. One of the focuses of the prayer is to ask for God's blessing, which he states is spiritual and not material (in contrast to the "name it and claim it" types of prayer advocated in some Protestant circles).4. In seeking to have God work through us normal people, he states it in the following mathematical formula: My willingness and weakness + God's will and supernatural power = my expanding territoryWilkinson defines "expanding territory" as "where you ask God to enlarge your life so you can make a greater impact for Him."5. He states we come to a place of dependence on God (in contrast to the independence advocated in this world) when everything goes against common sense; when it contradicts your previous life experience; when it seems to disregard your feelings, training, and need for security; and when it sets you up to look like a fool and a loser.6. Wilkinson stresses that we need to do more than to ask for strength to endure temptation, but 'to ask God to keep us away from temptation and keep the devil at bay in our lives.'7. In saying we should want to be "more honorable," Wilkinson compares it to striving for God's highest reward, as when St. Paul talks about pressing on toward the goal.8. Wilkinson assures the reader that once you set in motion this process your faith will be given a good testing. The cycle can be broken by sin, however if you have been in this "cycle," the grief over sin will be deeper. The reader is encouraged to "rush back into God's presence and make things right, whatever it takes."The above summary contains elements advocated by most, if not all, liturgical traditions in Christianity. In some ways, I think Wilkinson may be responding to a need within much of Protestantism, where traditional forms of prayer have been abandoned in the past 100 years for more spontaneous, or even charismatic, ones. There is a growing need being expressed in Evangelicalism to return to various forms of fixed prayers. A recent issue of Christianity Today highlights this issue.My main regret over this little book is that Wilkinson has devoted so much energy and time (he states over half his life) to promoting the Prayer of Jabez. As a Christian, one would think he would have been more productive (dare I say obedient?) to spend his time and energy promoting the Lord's Prayer, which our Lord Jesus Himself introduces with the phrase, "This is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9).The Orthodox believe in praying fixed prayers at least once a day, but at the heart of each set of prayers is the Lord's Prayer. After all, this is how we should pray. I think it would be wise for those who read "The Prayer of Jabez," to take some of the concepts promoted by Wilkinson and use them, on a daily basis, with the Lord's Prayer instead. I'm reminded of one of my last times as a music leader with my former Protestant youth group, when I asked them to pray the Lord's Prayer with me, and several of them didn't even know it. That's a sad commentary on how far things have gone from the most honored of Christian prayers.So, let's replace the Prayer of Jabez with the Prayer of Jesus. It'll "revolutionize" your life.
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Summary: A little book that can make a big difference in your prayer
Review: The Prayer of Jabez is a little book that can make a big difference in your prayer life. It is based on an obscure passage of Scripture found in I Chronicles 4:9-10. Jabez teaches us that through believing prayer we can overcome any limitation and change our future. Wilkerson does an outstanding job of bringing the passage to life while challenging the reader to apply its truths. Over the years I've prayed the prayer of Jabez over my own life and shared its truth with others, seeing supernatural results. I was excited to see that someone had written a book about the prayer. Little did I realize the great impact it would have. I've heard numerous people comment on the inspiration and encouragement they have received from Wilkerson's book. I heartily recommend it for adding passion to your prayer life.
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Summary: The Word of the Lord
Review: One could possibly call Bruce Wilkinson a modern-day prophet because God speaks through this book as He did through the Old Testament prophets. I never thought it possible that one small book could be so life-changing, but when God speaks we have no choice but to listen and heed His words. I have never before recommended a book so strongly as I do this one. Every Christian should read it. As the dedication says, it is for those who know their shortcomings yet dare to believe that God can still work through them to do amazing things in this fallen world. Do you believe that God can work through broken vessels? I do. In fact, I think He prefers to because then He gets all the glory. And He alone deserves the glory.
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Summary: A Phenominal Little Book!
Review: This book is a gem! It has best seller written all over it! It's one that every Christian should have in their library. I couldn't put it down and devoured it in a few hours time, and I'm a slow reader. After finishing it I left a message on the answering machine of the dear friend who gave it to me, thanking her for a wonderful Christmas gift. I was so overcome by it's impact that I broke down on the phone. She told me later that she was so touched by my message, she left it on her answering machine for a few days. Has a book ever left that strong of an impression on you? Do you want to do more for God and be more aware of His blessings in your life? Then this is the book for you. Since reading it, I have a keener awarness of His blessings than I had before. I pray the prayer every day and now I'm looking for the special gifts that He has for me each day. Are you missing out on blessing from God because you haven't asked? I picture God eagerly holding a bundle of gifts in his arms, just waiting for us to ask for them, but we feel like we're being self-centered so we don't. The problem is--it's our name that's on those gifts and He won't give them to us unless we ask. It's not like He's Santa Claus, no, but He's the giver of good gifts! This book will increase your awareness and your ministry potential if you apply the principles that are laid out. They're simple and easy to apply. After all, the prayer is a simple prayer. If every Christian would read this book and pray the prayer, we could make a larger impact on the world for Christ. Isn't that reason enough to read it?
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