movement. Some within the movement took it to excess, using the prayer in an almost superstitious way, believing it to be a harbinger of prosperity, good fortune, wealth, health and happiness. At the same time, it was, at times, promoted by some leaders who benefited personally and/or corporately through their religious organizations by on-selling the vast range of commercial merchandise associated with the prayer. Some leaders even sought to convince followers that these items of merchandise carried with them special powers attributed to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This attracted criticism from more conservative, non-Pentecostal Christian leaders on the grounds it encouraged a shallow, self-centered spiritual mindset. The Mantra of Jabez : A Christian Parody by Douglas M. Jones (Canon Press, ) was published in 2001.The Cult of Jabez... and the falling away of the church in America, a book alleging an un-biblical premise of Wilkinson's book, reached as high as number 77 on Amazon's top 100 books list in 2002.The Jabez you Never Knew: Hebraic Keys to Answered Prayers, by Norm Franz, was written to give a historic perspective on the account of Jabez, and to criticize the original work for its emphasis on rote prayer. The recording artist Derek Webb has said that his controversial song "Wedding Dress" was written after he saw Wilkinson speak about The Prayer of Jabez''. Similarly, the Ceili Rain satirical song "Gold God" takes issue with this concept (if not the book) as well, noting the God who "expanded my territory" is "like a Visa card". References External links In Defense of 'Jabez,' First Things, October 2001. Critical reviews of Jabez A theological critique of Jabez Review of the theological implications of the book by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Van Biema, David, "A Prayer with Wings", Time magazine 2000 non-fiction books Evangelical Christian literature Christian devotional literature Christian prayer 2000 in Christianity Controversies in Christian literature