[kansas_goat_roper]

Went to the site (Problems With the Prayer of Jabez --Berit Kjos) and read the put down and then searched for other writings on site. This site has no problem of telling you to pray daily to put on the armor of God from Eph. I have been praying Jabez's prayer using it as an outline and adding to as the Lord leads. I have a feeling that many who do pray this prayer are doing the same. IMHO.

[spycatcher]

Paul's New Testament letter to the church at Ephesus was inspired as a directive on strengthening the very core of Christianity: Love first of all, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit/God's Word. These are the bedrock of the Christian faith, and as Jesus showed before Paul we are in a spiritual battle not one of flesh and blood.

On the other hand, Jabez' prayer for God to bless him is just that. But through the miracle of book deals and modern marketing it is now the way, the truth, and the life for many people. That's unfortunate. God could have chosen to answer Jabez no matter what he prayed, even if he was misguided in his prayer. And he may have been misguided, or else specifically guided by his spirit for that time in his personal life. And God can answer the many sincere but misguided "Jabez prayers" today as well, even if they aren't what God would want for a person at the time.

That's why it's best to be guided by the spirit in every situation we face. In prayer, follow the outline of commands to Christians in the New Testament and go from there. But Jabez' prayer was never before and shouldn't now be elevated to the pattern given to the Church by Jesus or a Pauline Epistle, just because Bruce Wilkinson wants to rake in the cash with a new fad.