God has been teaching me a
lot about prayer this month. This
month I was prompted by my father and best friend to read the book, The Circle Maker, by Mark
Batterson.
The author constantly uses
one story about a guy named Honi.
Honi lived in the generation
before Jesus was born. During his
life, a devastating drought hit Jerusalem. Many of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four
centuries before.
Miracles had not been done
in ages.
But Honi was a faithful
man of God that believed God could still provide a miracle for the people.
So he walked into the
center of the city and began drawing a circle with a stick. He finally made a complete circle
around where he stood and knelt down.
He then began to pray to God and even proclaimed that he would not leave
the circle until God sent rain.
And as he finished speaking rain began to trickle down. Yet again he cried out that he desired
a downpour of rain not just a trickle.
As he finished speaking the heavens burst forth into a torrential downpour. And yet he prayed once more, not for a
torrential downpour but for God’s favor, blessing, and graciousness. And at that it began to rain peacefully
with the sun shining through.
One thing that I have been
learning is that big prayers honor God, and God honors big prayers.
Once I believed this, I asked
myself.
Do I pray prayers that
honor God? Do I pray prayers that even require God to act?
Honi did something
crazy. He told God he would not
leave the circle until He answered.
He was bold. He was maybe even a little crazy. But most of all, he was a circle maker.
As I have read this book, I
realized that there are several promises in the Bible just waiting for us to
claim. Not only claim, but also
expect to happen.
Many times I have allowed my prayers
to be so vague that I wouldn’t
even know if God answered or not. “God please make my day good” or “God
please help me to do good today at work”
I think sometimes I have been
afraid to pray bold prayers because what if God doesn’t show up or I look
stupid. But if you aren’t
willing to risk your reputation, you’ll never build the boat like Noah or get
out of the boat like Peter.
When you live by faith, it
often feels like you are risking your reputation. You’re not. You’re risking
God’s reputation. It’s not your
faith that is on the line. It’s
His faithfulness.
I hardly ever pray bold God honoring prayers. So I began to think to myself…
What could I pray for,
that would require God to show up?
And this is when I began to
ask myself.
What does God want me to
pray and what circles can I start drawing in my life?
So here is my top five so
far-and the Bible promises I have circled.
1. God will supply all the
money, by the end of this year, needed to pay off my student loans.
“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8
“My God will meet all
your needs according to his glorious
riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
2. God will save two
significant people in my life.
“Our God is the God of Salvation“
Psalm 68:20
“Behold now is the accepted time;
behold now is the day of
Salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:26
“Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord.”
Exodus 14:13
3. God will teach me how to love those that are my enemies,
hard to love, or dislike.
“Behold let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is
born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:7
“Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint
against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
Colossians 3:13
4. The Holy Spirit is going to
move in a more profound way in my team.
“The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”
1 Corinthians 12:7
“The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for us with
groaning which cannot be uttered.”
5. God will allow me to give
more financially.
“Give and it will be given to you;
good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into
your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to
you.”
Luke 6:38
“A generous man will
prosper; he who refreshes others will
himself be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25
I am waiting expectantly for God
to answer. I encourage you to start praying bold prayers. Start praying things that require God
to intervene and show up in your life. Claim the promises in the Bible that God
has given you.
Pray bold prayers that honor God, and God will honor those prayers.
Drawing prayer circles is nothing more than laying
our requests before God and waiting expectantly.
&
Drawing prayer circles isn’t about proving yourself
to God; it’s about giving God an opportunity to prove Himself to you.
&
Don’t let what you cannot do keep you from doing what you can. Draw the circle.
Don’t let who you are not keep you from being who you are.
You are a circle maker.
Photos of my team-team Abide 15:5
