The Power of the Prophetic Blessing Hardcover – August 30, 2012 by John Hagee ( Worthy Publishing)

John Hagee presents a quite frustrating but fascinating read with this book. I have always admired John Hagee's preaching - he speaks with great conviction and power. I have also learned so much from his writings about the nation of Israel. (His book "Jerusalem Countdown" is a great example).

Let me begin with the positive aspects of the book. I really enjoyed his discussion of the nature of the blessings of the Old Testament - particularly, of Jacob blessing the sons who would become the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. There is also the great section talking about the power of affirmation through touch in a child's life and development. Those two sections alone are worth the price of the book, in my opinion. Then, Hagee forcefully reminds fathers (and mothers, but fathers especially) about their role as spiritual authority in the home - and of the overwhelming need to pray over our wives and children. This is a much needed message for the church today.

The negative aspect of the book is one that I had feared from the start. Hagee goes beyond the bounds of God's intention when he claims that we can speak our own prosperity into existence. With all the strong words Jesus had to say against materialism and with all the warnings God gives against money and the love of worldly things, I am quite sure that the blessings God has for his children are not primarily of a materialistic nature. It is not wrong to think that unexpected material blessing comes from God, but it is wrong to imagine that there is no way God can bless you other than to give you prosperity, promotion, wealth, riches, and even health and right relationships - all of which Hagee points out repeatedly in his book. I would imagine God's greatest blessing to man would be a more accurate understanding of God Himself - which he gave to Job, but only after Job had LOST all material blessings, wealth, health, and even relationships.

I would say that, to the wise reader who can avoid the pitfall of the prosperity teachings, this book can be an informative tool. My wife and I have already talked about some of the things I learned in it, and we are going to try to follow God's Word more accurately when it comes to praying for each other.

My fear is that weak or easily misled believers will get one thing only out of this book: if I believe hard enough, God will give me a new car and heal my cancer. There is nothing wrong with praying for either one of these things, but what will become of the man to whom God refuses to bless in this way? Will he become angry at God? Will he cease to pray, assuming that it is of no value because his prayers weren't answered?