The Prayer of Jabez: A Review and Reflection on the Art of Prayer

Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of Jabez:  Breaking Through to the Blessed Life (ISBN 1-57673-733-0) wants you to first imagine going on a spiritual retreat deep in the mountains. 

This retreat is meant to help those who seek a fuller and richer Christian lifestyle (18). Yet in the course of attending this retreat, you get assigned to a mentor that is much older than you are.

During the first morning of the spiritual retreat, you—according to Wilkinson—walk past your mentor’s room, and immediately notice that his door is ajar. When you dutifully peer in, you quickly notice that your mentor is on his knees in prayer. Curious, you intently listen to your mentor’s prayer, wondering “How exactly does a giant of the faith begin his prayers?” (18).

What you hear is the basic premise of the Prayer of Jabez: to pray solely for yourself.

While the idea of praying for oneself is viewed by many as selfish, Wilkinson’s book is dedicated to dispelling this myth by deconstructing the very essence of the Prayer of Jabez: the goodness inherent in asking for God’s favor via your personal promise and dedication to Him--and in further expanding His kingdom in the process. In this sense, Wilkinson’s book is not only therapeutic for readers who worry about asking God for too much, it is also sheds light on a significant individual briefly mentioned in the Bible. Specifically Jabez, along with his brief prayer to God that was readily answered by Him, catches the reader’s attention because Jabez's prayer seems like such a simple request. However, Jabez’s request actually acts as a way to mirror how we often view ourselves in the eyes of God—small, brief and seemingly insignificant. 

However, if one views themselves--as well as any prayer request they vocalize—in this way, Wilkinson effectively demonstrates that there are challenges with simply assuming that God views us in the same way that we view ourselves. Using yet another story to bring his point home, Wilkinson uses a little fable about a Mr. Jones that dies and goes to heaven (25). When Mr. Jones arrives in heaven, Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour (25). While on the tour, Mr. Jones spots what looks like an old looking, enormous warehouse in the midst of heaven’s golden streets (25). Curious, Mr. Jones asks Peter if it is okay to see what is inside (25). In response, Peter hesitates. Then he says, “You really don’t want to see what’s in there” before continuing with the tour (25).

However, Mr. Jones was so enamored with the warehouse, that he again asks Peter if he could go inside (25). When Peter finally relents, Mr. Jones sees an array of white boxes neatly stacked atop one another; these boxes are not only neatly tied with red ribbon, they have names of various individuals on them (25). When Mr. Jones sees his name, he quickly asks Paul if he can open his boxes, and Paul reluctantly agrees (25).

What Mr. Jones sees is something that is waiting for all of us: God’s record of our unasked requests and prayers. This story, along with so many others featured in The Book of Jabez, encompasses the true essence of God’s relationship with all of us: He actively seeks a relationship with us because we are all significant in His eyes. However, in order for us to consummate our relationship with Him, we must willingly develop a dialog of communication with Him.

While Wilkinson’s book sometimes reads like an enthusiastic marketing ad for Jabez’s prayer, it is this enthusiasm that gleefully catches the reader’s interest.  In fact, it is Wilkinson’s enthusiasm that also contributes to convincing the reader to overlook his initial apprehension of asking Him for His personal favor.  This is because--ultimately--one is not solely asking for personal favor with Him when they pray; they are actively establishing an open dialog with Him--something He desperately wants to establish with all of us. 

For this reason, Wilkinson’s book is a wonderful companion for any reader who is new to the art of prayer--more so because it acts as a confidence booster for those afraid to ask for His favor.  In this sense, The Prayer of Jabez motivates the reader to  become more self assured in their prayers to Him, while also acting as a wonderful study companion for anyone interested in learning more about Jabez and his significance in The Bible. 

This review is dedicated to Trinja Watson, who regularly urges me to be comfortable in establishing a relationship with Him through prayer.