Rating: 
Summary: A short book on a long topic
Review: I read The Prayer of Jabez as part of a women's Bible study. It has its merits, and almost all of the other women who read it were very enthusiastic about it. For myself, I happened to develop a very poor opinion of it, partly because of the out-of-context and inappropriate interpretations that these enthusiastic women produced from it, which ranged from... ...the mother who said that God would give her a huge house if she prayed these words for 30 days... ...to the group leader who said that the Bible says that Jabez built furniture for a living (his occupation is unknown)... ...to the school teacher who said she learned in Chapter 3 of the book that the Bible directly quotes Jabez as saying "Surely I was born for more than this!" (it doesn't). The author does go to some trouble to explain that the blessings that one should seek are the blessings of effective service -- not more money, a nicer house, or anything materialistic (although one can easily see how a stable job or a reliable car, etc., could be instrumental to increasing the opportunity for effective service). However, it's a short book, and that brief point (they're ALL brief points) appears to have been lost on many readers. If you are a serious reader -- a voracious, thoughtful, engaged, educated reader looking for a well-reasoned, well-written, well-supported, carefully balanced treatise on prayer -- then you will probably be unhappy with the blithe and superficial treatment that Mr. Wilkerson has given to his lifetime of prayer in this book. On the other hand, serious readers with genius-level language skills and a solid background in the topic are not the market for this book. The target audience is "normal," busy, television-oriented people with short "soundbite" attention spans, average language skills, and a deep conviction that God wants to punish them instead of help them. Even non-readers read this book. If you're looking for something short, light, and emotionally inspiring, then this book will fit probably the bill. The reading level and style is about on par with Chicken Soup for the Soul, and its brevity will appeal to most: I read the whole book in less than an hour. There's nothing particularly new or particularly challenging in it, but most of the concepts in it are the sorts of things that we could stand to be reminded of. If you already understand something about the theology of prayer and the non-materialistic nature of God's goals for people, then you are unlikely to mis-understand the book and lead yourself into serious error (e.g., the prosperity doctrine). And you may leave the book feeling empowered to ask God for more opportunities to serve, and you will also likely be more aware of these opportunities when they appear.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning! So You Want to Buy this Book?
Review: PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW BEFORE YOU BUY!!! I highly recommend this little book for every Christian to buy or borrow from the library, "The Prayer of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson. He talks about a working step-by-step formula on how to pray for yourself for anything or should I say an "extraordinary" life. DO YOU WANT TO HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE? Then read on! Please do not ignore this little book because it has become one of the bestsellers of the 21st Century. Although, I would ask that you should consider getting "The Cult of Jabez" by Steve Hopkins as well. My recommendation is that you get both books, read "The Prayer of Jabez" first and then "The Cult of Jabez". May the Spirit of the Lord help you decide.
Rating: 
Summary: It is not "Fault". It is "Misleading"
Review: This is the first time I write a review and possibly the last time. I have read this book and I feel that I should share my feeling with others, especially to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I describe Bruce's book "The Prayer of Jabez" as "Poison in candy". Bruce does cover some Bible truth in his book, but he twisted those truths into his advantage. I am not going to talk about how he misused Bible here. I will just talk about how he misleads people in the book. Candy #1: Bruce says that God is full of grace and He loves to bless us. Most of the times we are not blessed because we did not ask. Also, Father can and will blessing us in anyway He wanted. Those are common truth that people know about. But what he did is twisted the meaning of blessing. Using Jabez, a person with a painful life, then ask Father for blessing and his life changed. This mislead people to believe if there is blessing, there is no pain. On the other hand, if there is pain, there is no blessing. Bruce describe blessing as something super natural, which imply there is no need of contribution at our part. However, we all know that Father's blessing does not necessary mean no pain, nor there is no contribution in our part.
Bruce's logic is that if we want to glorify Father, we need to ask for more blessing. By using Jabez, blessing means no pain. However, we all know that sometime a painful life can glorify Father much better than a life without pain. How many people they suffered and so they give their lives, in Father's name, to help others in the same situation? How many people feel joy in suffering because they know Father is with them, and amazed all non-believers around them? Are we not calling those "Glorifying God"? Linking "blessing" to "pain" also opens a big door to people's imagination. People feel pain for various reasons. Family problem, material life unsatisfaction' Bruce encourages people to ask for blessing, like Jabez does, and you will have a new life. And the best part of it is -- It will happen super naturally. So no more family problem, and you will have a good material life, but the most important is, ANYTHING causing you pain is gone - super naturally. Bruce really does not tell us to selfishly ask for material life, he just misleads you to do so. Candy #2: Bruce mentions that people should pray for more opportunity to serve God. It is correct. However, he is using it as a "supporting statement" to support his idea of "asking God to give us more business". Please notice that his position on "Let God blesses us in whatever way He wanted" changed here. It is now "Give me this, so I can serve you". "Asking for more opportunity to serve God" is NOT equals to "Asking God to give us more business". Without more business, we can still meet more people, and being use by God to serve Himself. Also, before we ask God for "more opportunity to serve Him", should we be asking Him "to change us, so we CAN serve Him"? Candy #3: Asking God to be with us is correct and we are powerless without God is also true. However, Bruce has narrowed down all these definition to super natural power. Father is with us when we humble ourselves and follow His teaching. Father is with us sometime "can" lead to super natural, but not "must". I am not going to discuss super natural power here. I am just going to give an advice. Super natural power is cheap. God has it and so do Devil. Candy #4: Asking God to keep us from temptations is correct. Our wisdom and experience cannot keep us from doing thing wrong is also correct. However, Bruce has misled people to believe that "without temptation, people will not do anything wrong". Sin is "triggered" by temptation, not "caused" by it. If this is the case, Jesus really doesn't have to die. Please remember if we did something wrong, it is still our problem. You can't go to court and tell the judge that I steal only because I did not pray, so I am temped by Devil. One final word: The Lord's Prayer is what Jesus taught us how to pray, and it is very different from the Jabez's prayer Bruce suggested. So the question is, are we going to replace Jesus' teaching with Bruce's? And pray Jabez's prayer everyday for the next 30 years? Forget to mention. I don't know if you agree with the way Bruce interrupts Bible, but if you stand back for moment and look, Bruce is really using Jabez's name to express his own ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for Wiccans
Review: Hmmm...repeat this incantation over and over again and you will get what you wish for??? Sounds more like witchcraft than Christianity to me. Great book for Wiccans, lousy book for Christians.
Rating:
Summary: A Selfish Version Of The Lord's Prayer
Review: Jabez seems to be praying, "Give ME this day MY daily bread...lead ME not into temptation...deliver ME from evil." There is no expression of outgoing concern for his neighbor. Clearly a "gimme-gimme" book.
Rating:
Summary: selfish
Review: I'm not against God blessing people. I think the author took that one verse about Jabez and made it more than it really is. Isn't it written in the Bible to store up treasures on Heaven rather than on earth because things eventually turn to dust? I believe that it is written in the Bible. What about denying yourself first, taking up your cross, and then finding life? There is a lot of religious materialism going on with Jabez. That's what offends me the most. I am sick of seeing jabez stuff everywhere I go. Everything from calendars, devotionals, versions for kids, teens, women. I think that one book is enough.
Wouldn't God bless you in life if that was in His will for you? A better book would be "Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn" that book is more biblical and unselfish.
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Summary: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN HOW
Review: TO PRAY IN THE WILL OF GOD, YOU'D BE BETTER SERVED BY READING THE CLASSIC BY R. A. TORRY, THE POWER OF PRAYER, OR JOHN PIPER'S HUNGRY FOR GOD. Clearly, it would have been more important for this book to pay closer attention to (and move in) the verse (1Cron4:9) that precedes the "prayer of Jabez" where it is written "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers" to be in a position favorable to answered prayer, than to (as this book can) lead people to believe that God is our magic Genie. We are created to serve Him, not Him to serve us! As the prophet Micha wrote of what God requires of us; Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. I have always found it spiritually dangerous to build a teaching around a scripture and ignore what the true context of the passage is (as well as being bad biblical hermeneutics). My sincere hope is that Wilkinson's Prayer of Jabez won't leave shipwreck the faith of a believer who is terminally ill and doesn't understand why they didn't get an answer to the "magic pill" that this and the accompanying workbooks can be easily interpreted into.
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Summary: Come on folks....
Review: Christians hurt, suffer and die at the same rate as the rest of the population. Reading this book would have you believe that it's because they haven't recited a self-centered 4 line prayer in First Chronicles. The author paints a picture of God waiting to bestow nothing but blessings upon you but doesn't because you aren't giving him the "secret code"...the Prayer of Jabez. As Christians we work, and sometimes we struggle, to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. Christianity is not a self-help mantra which we repeat so that we can get more goodies. In looking at Jesus we see someone who suffered greatly at the plight of the downtrodden and never once told them they oughta be reciting a mantra from the Old Testament nor did Jesus have the gaul to ask for more blessings while he was on earth. This pamphlet (it's not long enough to be a book) is the diametrical opposite of what Christianity is supposed to be about. I feel sorry for any Christian who embraces this narcissistic theology and recommend you take this book to any third world country and explain it's premise to people who pray daily for more food. Those of you who aren't Christians--please don't think this book is a guide to what it's all about.
Rating:
Summary: Unbiblical teaching
Review: I strongly disliked Bruce Wilkinson's book. He makes it sound like God is our "sugar-daddy". We simply need to place our order with him, then God will 'grant us our wish'. Where does it tell us that in the Bible? Where does the Bible say that when man prays, he always gets exactly what he wants? I think Bruce Wilkinson needs to label his book what it is: a work of fiction. Better yet, he needs to quit writing books until he becomes well versed in the scriptures.
Rating:
Summary: Wants God to be a Genie in a BOTTLE!!!!!
Review: I would suggest to Wilkinson that all the money that he is making from writing this book should be well spent trying to make amends with THE IMUTABLE GOD in heaven. Try looking at the second commandment: Though shalt not make a graven image! God is made into a NEW image here. Do not be fooled. This life is but a breath. This book isn't going to help any person get into the kingdom of God, it will destroy you! God OWES YOU NOTHING! He bought those who serve him with a price. WE owe HIM everything! Try to write a book now explaining why God really isn't a Genie to pull out when you selfishly want something. GOD made us for HIS GLORY not OUR pocketbook. We are here to get ready to Marry our glorious God in Heaven. I do not know of many husbandmen who looked for someone selfish to marry. GET your oil lamps ready!!! Look away from yourself and on to the glorious savior and EVERLASTING GOD.
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