The Prayer of Jabez and America

Bruce Wilkinson's book, "The Prayer of Jabez" is perfect for most who call themselves Christian in America.  It is an essential part of the "prosperity gospel" which has nothing to do with Jesus' gospel, but everything to do with America's gospel of making money at all costs.

Here is the description from Wikipedia--

"The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life" is an inspirational Bruce Wilkinson published in 2000 by Multnomah Books as the first book in the "BreakThrough" book series. It is based on the Old Testament passage--
 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, "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." And God granted his request. (NIV)

 In the book, Wilkinson encourages Christians to invoke this prayer for themselves on a daily basis: I challenge you to make the Jabez prayer for blessing part of the daily fabric of your life. To do that, I encourage you to follow unwaveringly the plan outlined here for the next thirty days. By the end of that time, you'll be noticing significant changes in your life, and the prayer will be on its way to becoming a treasured, lifelong habit."

The book was endorsed by rightwing Christian "educator" James Dobson and became a New York Times bestseller and spawned offshoots for children, women and even had a musical companion.  In America, the devil doesn't have to work too hard.  Just gear something towards selfishness and money and it will become a bestseller and actually drive people away from the true gospel of Christ.

Here is how Jesus told us to pray from Matthew 6:5-15--

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

So you have Jabez prayer which is basically "God do this for me" and you have Jesus prayer about honoring God, wanting God's Kingdom to come, provide for us daily, help us to forgive each other and help us from temptation and evil.  Since Jesus is the Son of God that is the prayer I support.  Yet, Jesus prayer isn't Americas prayer, Jabez prayer is America's prayer.  It is evident in many ways, especially those on Wall Street and most of the Republican Party supports greed and selfishness over forgiveness and caring for others.  No wonder Wilkinson's book was a big hit for conservative Christians.

I knew many people who loved Wilkinson's book when it came out in 2000.  One loved it so much, he bought me a copy and said "it would change my life".  Reading the book was like reading a cult manual, if you did certain things in a certain way, you were guaranteed the God would respond the way you wanted Him, too (which if you have any knowledge of the Bible, that is a major role reversal for God).  After reading the book, I did with it that most people should have--threw it in the trash where it belonged.