This is not to say, however, that Americans are orthodox believers. On the contrary, the faith that most of us espouse is a uniquely American brand of piety. The book, a 92-page sermon by Atlanta evangelist Bruce Wilkinson on a single verse from an obscure corner of the Old Testament, has thus far sold in excess of four million copies, and its popularity shows no sign of waning. The surprising popularity of Mr. Wilkinson's book arises not so much from his commentary on this rather unremarkable prayer as from the lesson he draws from the line that immediately follows it in the Bible. Mr. Wilkinson teaches his readers that if they recite the five-line prayer once a day, God will ensure that they experience prosperity, just as Jabez did millennia ago.
Nothing is too much to ask for, and nothing is too mundane.
And so it was. Still, Mr. Wilkinson's almost exclusive focus on praying to God for personal benefits ultimately threatens to counteract such positive effects. Theologians tell us there are many kinds of prayer. At the most basic level, we can offer a prayer of worship in which we submit to God's love, will and law. We can offer him thanksgiving.