In the beginning, there was the word: spiritual books rejuvenate souls, sales

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THE THOUGHT ABOUT FAITH is almost as old as the Bible. It goes something like this: If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.

But it took Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of America's most influential spiritual leaders, and others like him, to repackage the maxim for the message to resonate today. It is one of the central themes in Jakes' best-selling book, Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits, which was published in spring 2007. In 278 pages, Jakes maps out a spiritual journey, guided by Scriptures, for people looking for a new lease on life, whether they are just starting out, starting over or trying to move to another level.

And it was a hit.

"He has sold five times what he had sold before," says Judith Curr, executive vice president and publisher of Atria Books, the division of Simon & Schuster that published Reposition Yourself, which has 500,000 copies in print. Jakes has written several bestselling books, including Woman, Thou Art Loosed!, an empowerment book published in 1994 that is geared toward single mothers, women battling low self-esteem and battered wives; and He-Motions: Eva Strong Men Struggle, published in 2004, in which Jakes uses the Bible's King David to explore pitfalls men face.

Jakes is one of several authors and spiritual leaders to hit pay dirt in religious book sales, which in 2006 saw the strongest growth segment in publishing, with 263.4 million books sold--a 3.1 percent increase over the previous year, according to Book Industry Trends, an annual report that reviews sales in the United States.

Other titles in this burgeoning market include Secret, the blockbuster title by Rhonda Byrne that was published in 2006 by Atria and has 5.4 million copies in print. The Secret, which essentially advocates visualization techniques and positive thinking; was written with prominent African-American contributors Lisa Nichols, an advocate of personal empowerment, and Michael Bernard Beckwith, who teaches meditation and scientific prayer. Some other popular books include: The Laws Of Thinking: 20 Secrets To Using The Divine Power Of Your Mind To Manifest Prosperity by Bishop E. Bernard Jordan, chief prelate of Zoe Ministries in New York City; Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps To Living At Your Full Potential by Joel Osteen, senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, which has about 47,000 attendees at weekly services; How Strong Women Pray by Bonnie St. John; and Do You! 12 Laws To Access The Power In You To Achieve Happiness And Success by Russell Simmons, the hip-hop entrepreneur, who offers advice based on various religions of the world.

The publishing industry sees the spiritual book niche as an answer to waning sales. Indeed, interest in spiritual books comes at a time when the nation is experiencing economic and political uncertainty, including an upcoming presidential election and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"People are reading these books and attending church services," says Desired Sanders, president of Afrocentric Bookstore on Chicago's South Side. "I saw interest in this genre peak with Woman, Thou Art Loosed!, which helped make Christian book publishing become more mainstream. The popularity of these books shows that people are really doing a lot of spiritual soul-searching."

Tony Rose, publisher and chief executive officer of the African-American-owned Amber Communication Group in Phoenix, which publishes inspirational books, agrees with Sanders. "You're talking about a genre that is positive," he says. "It is a positive message of hope, and the people who deliver the messages are sincere."

Jakes knows about the message of sincerity. He is pastor of the Dallas-based multiracial, nondenominational megachurch The Potter's House, which has more than 30,000 members. As pastor, Jakes is aware of the quest for self-improvement and growth, a theme that runs throughout Reposition Yourself and other spiritual books.

"That's what repositioning yourself is all about," Jakes tells EBONY. "It gives you permission to intentionally go after your dream. I believe if you can conceive it, you can receive it. I really do believe that."

Reposition Yourself represented a pivotal moment for 60-year-old Doris Anderson, a mother who suffered from chronic back pain. The book and a Sunday sermon from her pastor and brother, John Tolefree of Word Up Christian Center on Chicago's Northwest Side, convinced her to give up negative thinking. She began to think differently about pain and noticed the easing of her back pain. She is certain that the pastor's message and Bishop Jakes' book worked together to help bring about this positive change in her life.

"It's good to have the spiritual books and your church sermons working together," says Anderson, of Bellwood, Ill. "Everything works together to bring about effective change in your life. Now, instead of waking up and saying, 'I'm going to get up and my back is going to hurt,' I've started saying, 'I'm going to get up and I'm going to do well today.' It works: I received it."