The prayer of Jabez

The founder and president of Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, Bruce H. Wilkinson, has become hooked on a little prayer tucked away in the first book of Chronicles.

The prayer was made by a man called Jabez. His name means pain, and he was given the name because he gave his mother a lot of pain in the process of being born. And, having been saddled with the name, its meaning seems to have preyed on his mind somewhat. So, even though his prayer is basically for more territory to live in, Jabez wants to acquire and enjoy it without incurring personal pain. Who wouldn't?

We know nothing more about Jabez than is recorded in 1 Chronicles 4.9,10. And yet this short prayer from an obscure Old Testament figure - who wanted extra territory without pain - is deemed to be the all-important prayer for Christians to pray today.

Let's, first of all, credit Dr. Wilkinson with great motives and desires. He wants Christians to have a much wider influence in the world, so that many more people may hear the Good News of Jesus. He also wants to lift us out of our debilitating pessimism. He would very much endorse William Carey's call to 'Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.'

So far, so good. The problems arise with the method he advocates for achieving this greater impact on our contemporaries. For, with seemingly no warrant, Dr. Wilkinson finds the secret of success as lying in the daily repetition of a remote prayer tucked away in the Old Testament - a prayer which seems to have nothing to do with New Testament evangelism.

It is claimed to be 'a daring prayer that God always answers'. But how does Dr. Wilkinson know that? Has he received some private word from God in this respect? Or, might he just be wrong in his claim?

Why this one?

For, why pick out this one little prayer from all the prayers in the Old Testament? There are, after all, plenty of others to choose from - prayers from such outstanding men of God as Aaron, Moses, David and Habakkuk. E.g. If childless couples were to daily repeat the words of Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 1.10,11), would they find that to be a prayer which 'God always answers'? If not, why not? What did Jabez have which Hannah didn't?

It is claimed that, 'each of Jabez's requests can release something miraculous in your life' (p.15). Jabez would be amazed if he had known! Praying this prayer will, allegedly, make your life become 'marked by miracles. How do I know? Because He promises it...' (p.25). Interestingly, Dr, Wilkinson does not tell us where God makes such a promise. It is never wise to believe God has promised what he has not promised; no matter who says he has.

Irrespective of God's silence in this matter, Dr. Wilkinson has a six-point plan, which, if you 'follow unwaveringly... for the next 30 days... you'll be noticing significant changes in your life' (p.87). The number of these schemes, which have been big money-spinners for a short time and then disappeared in shame, is legion.

The plan seems to derive much of its claimed success from the power of positive thinking. This is seen in the endless repetition of the same words and Dr. Wilkinson's claim that, 'It's only what you believe will happen and therefore do next that will release God's power for you...' (p.87).

However, by praying the prayer of Jabez, 'you will change your legacy and bring supernatural blessings wherever you go. God will release His miraculous power in your life now' (pp.91-92). This will be seen in terms of greater spiritual influence and in your personal prosperity. 'If you're doing your business God's way, it's not only right to ask for more, but he is waiting for you to ask' (p.31).

Why should we be concerned about Christians being asked to pray a Bible prayer? There are a number of reasons which warn us to proceed with caution in adopting the method outlined in this book.

Hermeneutics of the book

Apart from Dr. Wilkinson making the prayer say what it doesn't say, and making it relate to something to which it does not relate - on which basis words no longer have any meaning - there has to be something suspect about diving into the Old Testament to find a remote verse on which to build a doctrine.

The prayer is torn from its setting and times and given a meaning of Dr. Wilkinson's own choosing. His choice is highly selective, and takes no account of the different covenant under which Jabez lived. The Israelite knew the favour of God upon him by enjoying peace and prosperity in this life. The New Testament believer is promised suffering in this life and glory in the next. But heaven does not rate highly on this author's priorities. He doesn't see it as being something 'better by far'.

Theology of the book

As a result, Dr. Wilkinson rewrites God's agenda for him; if he is allowed one any longer. For he simply has to always answer the Jabez prayer according to Dr. Wilkinson's interpretation of it. The Almighty seems to be little more than a puppet on a string. It is the repetition of the prayer that works wonders.

The 'blessings indeed' and the 'unclaimed blessings' sitting in the heavenly bank account in your name (waiting to be claimed), seem to be all of a positive nature. They don't come in the form of grace sufficient for daily trials, but as promises for the removal of life's trials.

Questions that need answers

As this prayer of Jabez is, allegedly, so important for us modern Christians, is it not strange that the Lord Jesus wasn't awake to it? Why did he not point his disciples to this prayer? Why, instead, did he give them a model prayer of his own making? Was Jesus misguided in some way into thinking that it is important we pray his prayer, rather than the prayer of Jabez? Or could it be that Jesus's priorities for his disciples are not those of Dr. Wilkinson?

Again, why don't any of the apostles point us to Jabez's prayer? Why, instead, does the New Testament record the great prayers of the apostles for our emulation and omit any reference to Jabez?

And why does the writer of the letter to the Hebrews not even mention Jabez among his many examples of faith in Old Testament times? Is that not extraordinary, if we are now to elevate Jabez's prayer above all others?

And how is it the Church has survived for 2,000 years without anyone twigging the unique importance of the prayer until Dr. Wilkinson came along? Did Luther and Calvin and Edwards and Spurgeon all miss out because they didn't pray this prayer daily? If Noah had only lived after Jabez, might he have enjoyed some success in his ministry instead of drawing a blank outside his own family?

C.H. Spurgeon

Speaking of Spurgeon, the famous 19th-century preacher whose congregations were numbered in thousands, he preached on the prayer of Jabez at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1871, and the contrast between his sermon and the book by Dr. Wilkinson is profound.

For Spurgeon knew that 'blessing indeed' was not to be measured by things 'temporal and transient.' Speaking of such things as wealth and fame and health, Spurgeon said: 'Oh that we may be rich in faith, and if not blessed with these external favours, may we be blessed spiritually, and then we shall be blessed indeed.'

He rightly saw that temporal blessings are not always advantageous. 'Perhaps', he said, 'it would be a greater blessing to me to be broken in spirit, and laid low before the Lord at the present time. When you ask for the highest joy, and pray to be on the mountain with Christ, remember it may be as much a blessing; yes, a blessing indeed to be brought into the Valley of Humiliation, to be laid very low, and constrained to cry out in anguish, "Lord, save, or I perish"'.

From painful experience - for Spurgeon knew what it was to battle with depression and many physical ailments for weeks and months at a time - he said: 'Many of our works for Christ have cost us tears. Difficulties and disappointments have wrung our soul with anguish. Yet those projects that have cost us more than ordinary sorrow, have often turned out to be the most honourable of our undertakings... You may expect a blessing in serving God if you are enabled to persevere under many disappointments.'

Such was the experience of Christ himself, and of the apostles, and of saints and martyrs down the centuries. It was by carrying a cross that they gained their crown, not by craving for miracles every day.

Dangers

This book will probably have two effects on most of its readers. Some will be driven to despair by it. Having faithfully followed the formula, and discovered it doesn't work for them, some will give up hope of being of any service to God at all.. For they will wrongly blame themselves for not experiencing what Dr. Wilkinson, in the name of God and of Jabez, has promised them.

Others may well lose their Christian faith; for if God does not keep promises which Dr. Wilkinson tells us he has made, can we trust God to keep any of his other promises?

But whatever results come from the reading of this book, those who take it seriously will be distracted from God's real priority for their life. For God is supremely interested in our daily progress in godliness. He looks to us to be holy as he is holy. His will for your life and mine is that we should be holy (1 Thessalonians 4.3).

To that end he has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ' (Ephesians 1.3). To that end he has given us his Holy Spirit, to produce within us spiritual fruit (Galatians 5.22,23).

Producing fruit is a long-term occupation. It requires patience and persistence as we learn Christ and apply his word daily to our lives. It may seem less glamorous and less sensational than quick fixes from America, but that is the purpose and method of achieving it laid down in Scripture. So let's not get distracted from our Christian disciplines by the repetition of words credited with magical powers. Let's leave mantras to Hinduism and Buddhism, and follow the way of Christ set out in his Word.

Here is Peter's own formula for growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ:

'I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles' (2 Peter 3.2).

If we stand firmly there, we will not be swept away by false promises!

Why this one?

Hermeneutics of the book

Theology of the book

Questions that need answers

C.H. Spurgeon

Dangers

Malcolm Jones

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