Prayer of Jabez

After reading it, I was surprised I didn't see Benny Hinn's name on it.

 

I thought it was great. I actually applied some of it to my prayer life. Three months later, I ended up buying my first house. Note that I don't like it when I hear people using it as a cure-all and end-all. However, I also don't much care for all the anti-P of J hype. It's almost people who have no desire to read it feel they must get on the 'it aint good' bandwagon just to validate their disinterest.

The Prayer of Jabez is a great prayer tool for the Christian, and should be used only as such. If it weren't, it wouldn't have been included in the Bible.

 

Whatever happened to praying for God's will in your life ?

I put absolutely zero stock in the prayer of Jabez. Like somebody else said, it's probably Benny Hinn's favorite verse.

 

I think that Jabez's prayer was included in Scripture so that we can learn from it, but I think that Bruce Wilkinson has misapplied it by making it into something akin to a 'name-it-and-claim-it' mantra. I know that he tries to give a caveat early in the book to the effect that there is nothing automatic about the prayer bringing results, but the rest of the book treats it as though there is. I am glad that the book seems to be motivating people to pray, but overall I think the book is an example of lifting something out of context and drastically overstating the application of it.

I first read the book because so many believers in my area were raving about it, but I found it to be a pretty big disappointment. I have been writing this from memory, but I can retrieve the book from my office and easily back up the points I have made if anyone wishes for me to do so.

Pastork

 

Let me correct my comment. I did not mean to say it hasn't benefitted everyone. It benefitted Jabez. His prayer was answered. But we are warned in the Bible to not offer vain repetitios prayers, and I believe the prayer of Jabez, said every day, is a vain repitition.

 

Amen Curtis, preach it! We need to conform our will to God's, not God's will to ours.

Eric

 

we are warned in the Bible to not offer vain repetitios prayers, and I believe the prayer of Jabez, said every day, is a vain repitition

We're certainly not forbidden from praying prayers of repetition, only "vain" repetition. Whether or not a prayer is vain is up to the person praying it, as has been discussed in other threads about that subject.

I certainly agree with you that we should not pray vain repetitions, and that we should pray for God's will in our lives. But Jesus also said many times that we receive not because we ask not. The P of J is a classic "ask and receive" prayer. However, in order to receive, his request had to be glorifying to God.

Anyway, 'nuff said about that. The P of J biblically is a great thing. The Book, by Dr Wilkerson is good, but not great. Dr Wilkerson stopps just shy of having it be a 'name it and claim it' prayer. But people who don't rely on discernment will use it as such anyway. A Christian is biblically free to use the of J as an example, but it should not be a aure-all or end-all.

[ November 01, 2002, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Johnv ]

 

The Prayer of Jabez: exegesis gone mad. Where oh where does one even begin with this mess.

The guy was just asking for more land. We don't even know if he did get it. Wilkinson has turned it into some spiritual journey and magical formula. Christian, use some discernment. As far as I am concerned, it was a waste of $7.

 

P of J is like any other evangelical book: there are things to learn and there are things to avoid. I don't think it is wise to turn God into a cosmic bellhop, but I do think it is wise to ask God to help you maximize your potential.

Wilkinson has been criticized for his theology in the past. Nothing new there. I do respect his recent decision to spend some years on the mission field. That flies in the face of some of the "sue your film company b/c of the lack of quality of the movie" testimonials we have heard from other popular authors.

 

Bottom line is this: if the majority of the "christian" audience is raving about something, stay away from it.

Example:
88 reasons why Jesus is coming back in 88 (on sale for $.07)

W.W.J.D.

Purpose-Drivel Church by Rick Warren

Anything from Hybels

Oh yeah, and, Left Behind... (frankly, I wish someone would do just that with the books).

 

Or better yet, you had better pay attention to it (whether it be positive or negative) b/c it is most likely what the people in your church are reading.

The church I grew up in raved about women wearing pants, KJV only, the biblical mandate for a bus ministry, hair and skirt length, and coulottes. So I have taken your advice and I stay away from all those issues in my ministry

 

I don't care if women wear pants. I am certainly not KJVO. I don't do a bus ministry. I think coulottes are ridiculous looking. I think a woman's skirt should be modest. I think men with long hair is sin. I agree with you on just about all of those things.

I did say the majority of "christians". Nice post though.

 

Weather we like it or not the church is being affronted by the Word of Faith - Prosperity Gospel movement. We need to stand firm on Gods Word and reject false doctrines from creeping in to the church. If you think about it carefully WOF and PG are in fact a repackaged version of the Gnostic Gospels. For info on this and similar items I have found John Ankerberg and his ministry to be relly helpfull.

 

Ben, while I don't disagree with you, I think that there's also a trend for people who are too quick to judge any sermon of positive Christianity with the "prosperity gospel" tag.

Doing so tend to take a bite out of our own credibility.

I'm often confused by this because the bulk of Jesus' words in the NT are incredibly positive, uplifting, and affirming.

 

Have read just enough about it to know I don't want to read the whole thing

Seen a few reviews for the parody of it called "The Mantra of Jabez". I would pick that up for a look, but that would mean I would have to get the original to see how funny (or sad) the rip-off is.

Pete

 

This book has almost turned me into an environmental wacko. When I think of all the perfectly good trees wasted in printing this thing...

 

Timothy:

"All things work together for good..."

* starting a fire in the fireplace
* emergency TP

Those trees haven't been wasted.