Pastor Mark Batterson has become one of my favorite authors and I have thoroughly enjoyed each book that he has written thus far. In fact, I semi-regularly follow his blog and circle the date of his next book release on my calendar once it is announced. Such was the case with his most recent effort called The Circle Maker. The book is subtitled, Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears. I know what you are thinking, just what the world needs, another book about the right way to pray so that we get what we want out of our god. Name it. Claim it.But I think the concepts and teachings within this book are worth considering deeply. I suspect that they have personally given the crops in my life the opportunity to bear fruit in a season where the land seemed barren. There are several statements that Batterson made that struck me with wisdom:
- Who you become is determined by how you pray.
- Prayer is a litmus test of faith. Do you trust God even when you don't get what you prayed for?
- When prayers go unanswered, we must choose to believe that God has a better plan.
- Praying starts with discerning what God wants and what God wills. Until His soverign will becomes your sanctified wish, your prayer life will be unplugged from its power supply.
