Ah the Prayer of Jabez! Take a perfectly innocent sentence from the Bible, twist it out of context and promote it until the cows come home. God the sugar daddy wants you to have more wealth – so name it and claim it. This is the Prayer of Jabez. This has been one of the most blatant versions of “prosperity gospel” in recent years.
The popularity of the original book has led to derivative works targeted at niche audiences, as well as to offer the books in audio and video formats. They also authorized a wide array of official Prayer of Jabez merchandise including key chains, mugs, backpacks, Christmas ornaments, scented candles, mouse pads, and a framed artist's conception of Jabez himself. A line of jewelry was introduced in 2002. Three versions were rewritten for children, one each targeted at preschoolers, 8-12 year olds and teens: The Prayer of Jabez Journal, The Prayer of Jabez Devotional (one edition for children, one for adults), The Prayer of Jabez Bible Study, The Prayer of Jabez for Women written by Wilkinson's wife, Darlene a musical companion, The Prayer of Jabez Music ... A Worship Experience, and the Healing of Jabez was published in 2009...
Catholic charismatics of course bought into this. Despite my heavy protestation, even after I told her it was worthless junk, my sweet charismatic friend bought me a copy… because she believed in it and because she wanted me to benefit from it too. I think she paid fourteen dollars for it and when I got home I threw it in the garbage.
On second thought, read The Mantra of Jabez instead. "Do you want to be a kipper for God? Are you ready to reach for the most profound sort of immaturity? Just chant the Jabez mantra, and God will make you into something like a little canned fish, vacuum sealed from temptation and ready to be eaten without satisfying anybody. Soon you too will feel an adrenaline rush that you can call the Holy Spirit and use it to justify any fool thing you want to say. It's, it's, it's like Harry Potter for modern Evangelicals!"
