Open Letter to Bruce Wilkinson #1.013 – You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles
(Click here to download the first chapter of Bruce Wilkinson’s book, You Were Born for This.)
Chapter 1 – Page 13
Doing what God wants done
- “It (The Prayer of Jabez) shows how a little-known prayer from three thousand years ago can still result in great blessing and influence for God in our time.”
Actually, Bruce, what it shows is how the Christian publishers and Christian readers can be hoodwinked into thinking that God meant for us to pray an obscure prayer – which God never instructs us to pray – and vainly repeat it throughout the duration of our own lives.
Jesus himself warned us against such matters in Matthew 6:7. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.” (ESV)
The number of copies of The Prayer of Jabez sold also showed how shallow most evangelicals are in their own ability to discern biblical truth. While I myself did read and think your text had value before I was saved, I later felt (after my conversion) completely convinced that the reference had been ripped out of context for one reason and one reason only: to sell millions of coffee table books by putting the stamp “Christian” on it.
It also showed how Americans who call themselves Christian are hungry to know God can “prosper” them…materially speaking, I mean. (Funny, we never did learn how The Prayer of Jabez did in foreign markets. Wonder why?)
? “Millions bought the book, prayed the prayer…and were astonished at what God began to do in their lives. One reason the message of that book resonated with so many, I believe, is that it made ministry (which simply means doing what God wants done in the world) accessible as a way of life.”
Millions were astonished? If so, we’d see the results all over the blogosphere. We’d continue to read about Jabez in “Christianity Today,” and we’d be able to watch testimonial after testimonial on YouTube.
Where’d all those astonished millions go, Bruce? I have to believe that if these millions saw their lives so transformed, they’d still be praying like Jabez, continuing to prosper as he did, and they’d still be talking about it.
- “Think of YouWere Born for This as Jabez to the miracle power.”
Say no more. Thank you, Bruce. You just convinced me not to spend another minute reviewing this text that so clearly diverges from what is taught in the Bible.
I’ll have a final grade for You Were Born for This by Bruce Wilkinson on Monday. For past responses to You Were Born for This, click on the following posts: Title & Table of Contents, Table of Contents addendum, Testimonials, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
For new readers, I’ve compiled my earlier analyses of Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile (by Rob Bell and Don Golden). Simply click on my title, Clear as a Bell, and download for your own instruction.
