Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

A few years ago, Evangelist Oral Roberts speaking in Living Water Church, Tampa Florida prophesied that God would raise up quite a few millionaires in the church. Obviously Oral Roberts told the people what they wanted to hear for if Oral told them that God would raise up garbage collectors from their midst he wouldn’t have had an audience. The Tampa St. Petersburg area already has quite a few millionaires in it, so it would make sense that more would be needed? Read what happened to the Pastor Ron Clark of Living Water Church at http://www.cephasministry.com/index_complaints.html

The Prayer of Jabez, by Bruce H. Wilkinson (Multnomah) has been on New York Times “Advice” list as #1 for 24 weeks on list with 7.691.000 sold to date: It has spun off a sequel #2 Secrets of the Vine, 13 weeks on list with 2.305.279 sold to date and #5 The Prayer of Jabez Devotional, 7 week on list. The Prayer of Jabez book's related merchandise, from mugs to wall plaques, has turned it into a lucrative franchise for Multnomah.

Just like Oral Roberts, Bruce H. Wilkinson is telling the people what they want to hear and as a result the book has become a best seller. The only difference between buying a million dollar lotto ticket and praying the prayer of Jabez is that the prayer is free. But the chances of winning the lotto are better than having the prayer answered.

In The Prayer of Jabez and the Preface page of the book, the author states, " I want to teach you to pray a daring prayer that God always answers." The author is not only making a very unsubstantiated fabulous remark but appears to be saying that he has found a magic formula by which you will get you what you want from God. The author continues to state:

I picked up my Bible and read verse ten--the prayer of Jabez. Something in his prayer would explain the mystery. It had to. Pulling a chair up to the yellow counter, I bent over my Bible, and reading the prayer over and over, I searched with all my heart for the future God had for someone as ordinary as I.

The next morning, I prayed Jabez's prayer word for word.

And the next.

And the next.

Thirty years later, I haven't stopped.

If you were to ask me what sentence--other than my prayer for salvation--has revolutionized my life and ministry the most, I would tell you that it was the cry of a gimper named Jabez, who is still remembered not for what he did, but for what he prayed--and for what happened next. ( page 11)

In the last chapter of the book titled Making Jabez Mine, the author challenges the reader to make the Jabez prayer for blessing a part of the daily fabric of their life. He gives several steps that he feels the person should follow for the next 30 days. I will only quote 3 of the 6 here:

1. Pray the Jabez prayer every morning, and keep a record of your daily prayer by marking off a calendar or a chart you make especially for the purpose.

2. Write out the prayer and tape it in your Bible, in your day-timer, on your bathroom mirror, or some other place where you'll be reminded of your new vision.

3. Reread this little book once each week during the next month, asking God to show you important insights you may have missed. ( pages 86-87) Notice that he is still speaking about this prayer, word for word. Also notice he does not encourage the reader to read their Bible just his book.

Just by looking at what is happening, I can assure you that God still answers those who have a loyal heart and pray the Jabez prayer. (page 90)

The author guarantees that God will answer those who have a loyal heart and pray the Jabez prayer based on what fact? On nothing! For the name of Jesus is not even mentioned. Even though Jesus clearly taught His disciples:

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:6-7

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-14

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26

One of the things that Jesus taught His disciples is to use His name in prayer and not to use vain repetitions and many words. It is a fact that God answers prayers because of Jesus Christ and the use of His name and not because of Bruce H. Wilkinson and his wild false statements.

One of the premises that Wilkerson expresses is that God has untold blessings waiting for us but we never get them because we never ask for them. The author goes out of his way to say that what he is preaching is not the same as the name it and claim it word of faith crowd, but it sounds almost the same thing? "God really does have unclaimed blessings waiting for you, my friend. "( page 17)

While the word of faith movement goes further than that and claims that God has storehouses with unclaimed riches for His children because they don't ask, Wilkerson is almost saying the same thing. He goes on to write what some call a heavenly lie, not a devilish lie, "By the time he was an adult, Jabez believed and fervently hoped in the God of miracles and new beginnings. (page 22)

So from where did the author get this insight if it is not recorded in scripture? Did an angel tell him about Jabez life or did he make it up? It is foolish to build any theology or doctrine based on a lie or sincere presumption, as it will not stand up to the test of truth.

Everything one hears and reads must be checked with the Holy Spirit who alone is the Spirit of Truth and God's word. Just because some preacher said it doesn't make it to be true for it can also be inspired by the flesh or the devil. But God's word is unchanging:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:7-15

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

You would think that the results of about eight million readers reading the book and praying the prayer of Jabez would show up on the radar screen and changes the lives of many Americans? But it hasn’t for the book is basically a lie that makes people feel good and produces nothing! However dumb sheep will continue to be deceived by others, as they want to be deceived by them.