The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

Circles surround us in life where ever we go.  While the people you know, or see daily don’t look “circular” they can be.

I just read the book “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson.  Then I re-read it!  It was that powerful.  It starts and ends with a circle.  The first is a circle from a Jewish prophet names Honi.  The last is a Chalk circle from a revival preacher named Gypsy.

Mark Batterson gives a compelling challenge to all of us: Create Circles in your life.  When I read this I am reminded of the wagon trains of old.  When challenged they created a Circle as it was the easiest to defend, in other words it made them stronger.

The Circles in the Circle Maker are prayers.  Creating a circle, a pray around things, people, problems, even to things as simple as the news.  What would our lives look like if we continually were in prayer for those around us?  For prayer for the person who just cut us off in traffic?  For prayer for that person at work who is always rude?  For prayer for our family?  For prayer that we do not fall into temptations?

I received the Ebook version of this title for free from Zondervan to read and review.  I had actually heard about it from our Pastor prior to that so I was intrigued.  Now I am challenged.  There are many stories of prayer and circles that created change but the one that stood out to me the most is the story of People’s Church in DC.  They had prayed Circles around their building that it would always serve God.  Little did they know that one day that prayer and promise would be passed on to another church.

I want to challenge those of you in Leadership.  It doesn’t matter if you are in Church leadership, Business Leadership, or even Family Leadership.  Do you pray circles around those you lead?  Do you pray for their future?  If we spent more time in prayer would God show up more in our Lives?  Not in a prosperity gospel sort of way but in a MT. Carmel GOD SHOWED UP sort of way?

I want to challenge you all to read this book, share it with everyone you are close to and start circling the things you care about.  For me I am circling:

My Family, My Wife, my children, My Church, Our upcoming Adoption, My children’s friends and their families, my children’s future spouses.

And today I tried to pray circles around those I saw in traffic and let me tell you it made a HUGE difference in the way you look at people.  You begin to possibly see their hurts, their needs, worries and anxieties and possibly start to glimpse what Jesus saw in them!

So What will you Circle?  When and how often will you do it?

God will show up!

One additional item Mark discusses is our Life Plan.  I created mine.  It is powerful! And living in DC mine has one for meeting Mark Batterson personally!  Who knows if or when that will ever happen but "you can't never always sometimes tell"