You have to read it! Really, it’ll change your prayer life, she said. Maybe it’s the rebel in me, but anytime someone says I have to do something, I want to do the opposite. I know, I know, I’m a female James Dean. But since it was a dear friend whom I trusted, I took her word and bought the newest Christian phenom of a book, The Prayer of Jabez. The book is based off an obscure prayer found in the middle of a long section of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 4: “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.”
Here’s the book in one sentence: If we truly pray for God to bless us and be used for His kingdom, good things would happen—God would bless and enlarge our territory and we would serve Him in a deeper and expanded way.
Nothing is wrong with this assertion, but many people read this book like a get-rich-quick manual. Like God is a celestial Bob Barker waiting to pull back a colorful door to reveal A new boat! A new dining room set and china cabinet! A set of jet skis! and other signs of wealth. All we need to do is spin the prayer wheel and ask for the illusive $1.00 spot.
I don’t know if this was the author’s intention, but to me, it was a palatable prosperity gospel* in mini-book form. It didn’t bode over well as I sat back and looked at my mother who was dying of cancer, I was a stellar college grad who was jobless, and my heart was broken for choosing God’s will over mine. I rested the book on my chest, placed my hand on my chemo-ridden mother and thought of Paul the Apostle. According the 2 Corinthians, Paul had frequently been in prison, flogged severely, exposed to death many times, whipped 39 lashes five times, beaten with rods three times, stoned, shipwrecked, and endured dehydration and starvation. But his territory expanded. In fact, he authored more than half the New Testament, was thee early church father, and was a legit theologian who has changed lives even today.
The Prayer of Jabez is a poetic request from God, and yes, God blesses the lives of those who serve Him. But the Prayer of Juarez would include, Thy will be done, not my will. Come cancer, death, success, and health, blessed be your name. You give and take away, but my heart will surely say, blessed be your name.
*Prosperity gospel: the belief that God rewards faithful and sincere Christians with success! Good health! And material prosperity!
you really should consider a career in carpentry because you hit the nail on the head every time… that whole jabez deal struck me the same way.. a get rich quick prayer.. like if we’d somehow convince Him to change His will in our lives.. going through this drought of money and jobs in life, I have come to seek God’s blessing and try to ask for some divine miracle time and again.. but the thing the Lord has impressed upon me in this struggle is that not only is it bad to seek our own will but to seek His will our way is out of line with His will altogether as well… so its in the giving up of ourselves that we find that obedience puts us in the place where He wants us and uses us greatly in ways we don’t see. I heard this phrase the other day on KWVE that inspired me in this subject and impacted some other lives through sharing it already.. its.. “Its not about just doing God’s will, its about doing God’s will, God’s way!” now i dont remember who said that but its profound in the search for blessing.. thanks for sharing, sista, and be blessed as you bless the name of Jesus..
peace..
Paulie <><
I am really glad to hear your thoughts on this book! (warning: this might be a long comment!) I have been a part of a local ministry and the lady who runs it continues to use this prayer. It’s always bothered me but I think in a good way…I went to a prosperity church with my parents for six years…I was 4 yrs old when we started going there and 10 when we left! It was a huge relief in leaving that church! The reason I say it’s bothered me in a good way is b/c it has propelled me deeper in my study of scripture and to realize that we live in a fallen world and not everything comes out smelling like roses all the time. I wish it did! 🙂 But I still choose to walk by faith and say “thy will be done, not my will”! Great post!
I heard someone speak about this book on KWVE a while back as well – and from what I hear about it and even more so now from what you point out, it seems like a prosperity book. It’s presented as if a Christian should never face poverty or regular life problems that arise. Look at the Christians who are persecuted in India and Iran, we here do not get to face that but those brothers and sisters put their life on the line for Christ and many are living in poverty. Guess they did not read this book.
Look at the Church in Smyrna in Revelations, mentions they had afflictions and extreme poverty!
Being a Christian will not make you rich, nor guarantee that sickness will never strike us or a loved one. It does guarantee that our Hope is now in Jesus and His promises. As Job said If we are to accept God’s blessings we also should accept adversity – and rejoice whether we are in a valley or mountain top.
Amen Bianca – Blessed be the Name of the LORD!!!!!
Wow! What an awesome post, I’m definitely going to forward this one 🙂
Great post Bianca…people often do think that coming to Christ means an easy life..sometimes it can be even harder that it was to begin with..but now we have His HOPE…
And perfect relationships with other! Because you are a child of the King!
Yet if we look at how Christ was treated here on earth, how can we expect to be treated any different? May the Prayer of Juarez be the prayer of my heart as well!
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN!
-j
Amen!
I have to admit; I have never heard of the prosperity gospel but who ever thought up such an obscure thought apparently has not heard of a man named Job.
You rock!
oooooo… you’re DARING! And usually right! And I love you 🙂
🙂 I’ve not read the book… but I have read THE Book 🙂
I don’t think the original prayer was meant to be a material prosperity “God, give me money so I can do your will” kind of thing. I always read “expand my territory” to mean “give me a wider scope of people to influence for You”
“That Your Hand would be with me” … guide me o Lord. Keep me within Your will at all times.
“Keep me from harm that I will not feel pain” is (i think) better read from the KJV… “that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” Basically… keep Satan away so he doesn’t bother me!
Of course, I could be WAY off 🙂
On the flip side, I think the book was meant to let readers (i.e. Christians) know it’s okay for people to ask God for things. It’s okay to ask to be blessed. We live in a society where we’ve created this notion of pious living means being a destitute.
I actually liked the book because it gave me to confidence to embrace my blessings…and to ask for more. Yes, more. If God is blessing me and I’m using it for the Kingdom, then I hope it continues.
p.s. If God wants to give me a Porsche, I won’t be complaining! Amen.
I think Francis Chan (from his new book Forgotten God) said it very well. He was speaking about the promises of God in his word & what the Holy Spirit provides:
“There is a huge difference between believing what God has promised and praying for things you’d like to be true. I encourage you to pray confidently for what God has promised. Don’t put your hope in what others promise or what you’ve been told you’ll “get” if you are a “good christian” (e.g. a good job, financial success, the perfect spouse, healthy children, a big house, etc.). And ultimately you need to stake your faith in God alone, not in the gifts (good as they may be) that he gives. Do you trust God when he says no or “not in this way” to you, you still believe he is good and doing what is best?”
I do believe that no matter how little or large the lot you’ve been blessed with that it should be used to serve & give to others. The woman who gave the little bit she had was highlighted in God’s word for a reason as was the man who had tons of wealth that Jesus told to sell & give away all his riches to follow him. He walked away with his head down because he just couldn’t do it. THIS is the difference. What do we do with everything we have…not just our financial & material belongings, but our talents, our time, our gifts, etc. Because it is God who gives it all to us anyway. We just like to “think” we’ve earned it or have done something at the work of our own hands to deserve it. Nothing could be further from the truth according to his word.
Amen Bi!
Praying the Prayer of Juarez! Doing things for Him rather than doing things to reap. Letting Him shine and not ourselves or what we have… my prayer!
Keep it up! And keep being brave in Faith and brave in Him! Love you!
Amen Bi!
Praying the Prayer of Juarez! Doing things for Him rather than doing things to reap. Letting Him shine and not ourselves or what we have… my prayer!
Keep it up! And keep being brave in Faith and brave in Him! Love you!
Thanks for the feedback! I want to clarify two things, however.
1. I’m not saying this book was blasphemy. Perhaps the author never intended it to be interpreted in the way many have.
2. Pray for financial security and prosperity! I do. However, temper that request with accepting that God’s will for your life may be different.
@Jasmine, I’ve seen first hand how God has enriched your territory and I’m a recipient of your blessings. So do yo’ thang, Shorty. I love you, sister! PS I forgive you for making me read that book 😉
My husband and I started praying the prayer of Jabez and few years ago. It’s was about the time I started my photography business. I literally had to stop praying the prayer and ask my husband to stop praying it as well because I was so overwhelmed with the blessings when it came to my business I was ready for them to stop! I know it sounds hard to believe, but it’s true!
This prayer is so incredibly powerful!
Also, when we prayed the prayer, we focused more on the part of enlarging our territory. I wanted to be more of an influence for God. This sunday, my husband and I are going to be launching a new campus for our church downtown Grand Rapids, Mi, and we are the pastors! I believe this is God’s answer to our prayer! Never in my dreams would I have thought I would be a pastor, but here I am! So, I don’t really view the prayer of Jabez as a prayer which blesses me with tangible things, but something much more wonderful….a greater opportunity to spead the word of God! If your desire is to be blessed for God’s glory and you pray this prayer with that in mind, buckle your seat belt because God will do some crazy cool things in your life!
Amen to what jennyduffyphoto said about the Jabez prayer being about tangible things but about greater opportunity to spread the gospel. Not that God can’t use tangible items (a camera or nice house or whatever) as a means to “enlarge your territory” but too many people look to the tangible as the blessing. I read a blogger who stated that she had dozens of very expensive designer handbags sitting in her closet because God wants us to “live abundantly”…unfortunately that is the midset of many Christians in America.
It depends on your focus. Build for things temporal(good tinder) or build into what will last forever; Bianca is taking it with her. Get on board. The train is leaving soon.
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