This is why I hated The Prayer of Jabez. In the book, it’s presented as an incantation. Repeat it every day, kind of thing. Yuck.
It probably does no particular harm, except that when it doesn’t work one might question one’s faith. I also think that prayer comes from a reference in Chronicles, which is not exactly a main event part of the Old Testament. Even in Orthodox Jewish tradition Chronicles is treated as “divinely inspired” writing, as opposed to “The Word of God” in much of the rest of the OT. And just because something “worked” for Jabez in this story doesn’t mean it works for Joe Schmoe in Tulsa.
It probably does no particular harm, except that when it doesn’t work one might question one’s faith. I also think that prayer comes from a reference in Chronicles, which is not exactly a main event part of the Old Testament. Even in Orthodox Jewish tradition Chronicles is treated as “divinely inspired” writing, as opposed to “The Word of God” in much of the rest of the OT. And just because something “worked” for Jabez in this story doesn’t mean it works for Joe Schmoe in Tulsa.