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The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a prayer circle maker, Batterson will help readers uncover their heart's deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2011
About the author
Mark Batterson
172 books997 followersMark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. One church in seven locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. NCC is currently developing a city block into The Capital Turnaround. This 100,000-square-foot space will include an event venue, child development center, mixed-use marketplace, and co-working space. Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times best-selling author of seventeen books, including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Play the Man, Whisper, and, most recently, Double Blessing. Mark and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children: Parker, Summer, and Josiah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,355 reviews
April 26, 2012
This book has so much to recommend it. Written in an engaging style, it reminds us of the power of prayer and encourages us to use our lives effectively for God. However, there are so many approaches to prayer that are either wrong from a scriptural standpoint, or can be easily misunderstood, that I have no enthusiasm for this book. Batterson claims that his is not a “name it and claim it” approach to God, but then he turns around and encourages the reader to “name” a Biblical promise from God (even if the promise was for a specific person or people group for a specific time in history) and then “circle” that promise (read “claim”). Though Batterson says he encourages people to pray only for God’s will, he then goes on to say, “If you aren’t careful, the will of God can become a cop-out if things don’t turn out the way you want.” One of the most disturbing sections of the book involves the advice another pastor gives to a couple whose child has lost the ability to communicate. The pastor “receives” a promise from God, based on Isaiah 59:21, and says, “I guess that settles it. Your child will talk.” The passage is about God’s faithfulness to Israel and how His word will be in the mouths of His people, and the mouths of their children. Can God heal this child? Yes. Will God heal this child? Who can say? As of the writing of this book, the child had not been healed in the 10 years since the parent’s interaction with this unnamed pastor. But, based on this promise in Isaiah, a promise not directed to followers of Christ or about God’s ability to heal, the parents believe the only outcome for their child is that he will be healed. This example, and the message of the entire book, ignores the possibility that God may want this child to be unable to communicate because it fits into God’s overall plan. Though we don’t understand why, in God’s plan, children die, people spend their lives in wheelchairs or have thorns in their flesh that He does not take away, and the innocent are crucified on crosses. Some of this is the result of sin, but other “tragedies of life” are God’s tool to accomplish His work. Success in life is defined by how God’s kingdom is advanced, not by whether we get our way by praying a certain way, claiming a certain “promise” or working really hard to accomplish our goals. I wish Mr. Batterson would stop hiding behind a façade of orthodoxy and be honest about his clinging to the prosperity gospel.
October 22, 2014
This book is surrounded by a lot of hype, but there were some issues with the theology presented here that are WAY too big to overlook. In my opinion the writing is pretty poor, but I'll focus on the more important aspects of why I gave this book one star. First off, The Circle Maker is book is filled with a lot of blatant misinterpretations of scripture. The example that comes to mind first is the usage of the "miracle" of the quail in the desert as an example of how we can ask God for anything we want and he has the power to do it. As anyone could tell from reading 10 verses before or after the verses referenced in the book, this is about as apt of an example of God's power as His plague on David for sinfully taking a census in 2 Samuel 24. In the "miracle" of the quail, the people of Israel were being punished for what they asked for, and Batterson uses it a evidence that God can give us whatever we need, so we should always ask Him for it. My issue here is that this is not an unintentional error in interpretation, it is the blatant manipulation of the Scripture. The second aspect of this book that really put me off was the underlying implications expressed by the types of answered prayers that he provides as examples. Almost all of the examples of answered prayer are connected to acquiring something tangible (most frequently property). This is harmful 1)because it focuses primarily on things that are in essence superficial, and 2)because it minimalizes the struggles of people who have prayed really hard for something much more important without an answer (Family illness, addiction, etc). There was one chapter in the book where Batterson used a person who was praying for liberation from sin as his example, and I found that much more palatable. I would probably have a different opinion of his book if he had decided to use more examples of legitimate issues, but I have trouble overlooking the aforementioned misalignment of priorities.
This book is pretty clearly written to people who want to do BIG things in their ministry (There is even a review on the back cover that states that the book will teach you to "Be a member of God's boardroom"). My contention is that I subscribe more to Mother Teresa's philosophy, "Do not seek to do great things, seek to do little things with great love." There are a lot of people who have ambitions to do big things that are rooted more in vanity than in love. They don't just want people to be helped, they want the ego boost from being the one on top of a multimillion dollar church so that they can take ownership of God's work.
I will end with a positive note. There are some people who I really respect who recommended this book to me very highly. I spent a lot of time thinking about why this would be, and I came to this conclusion: This book can potentially be useful in encouraging people who already are part of a sacrificial ministry that is God-centered. Their dreams are already aligned with God's will so this book was an encouragement rather than a dangerous misdirection.
Overall, though there were some minutely redeeming qualities, I would not recommend this book to anyone, and I regret indirectly affirming bad theology by having purchased a copy.
This book is pretty clearly written to people who want to do BIG things in their ministry (There is even a review on the back cover that states that the book will teach you to "Be a member of God's boardroom"). My contention is that I subscribe more to Mother Teresa's philosophy, "Do not seek to do great things, seek to do little things with great love." There are a lot of people who have ambitions to do big things that are rooted more in vanity than in love. They don't just want people to be helped, they want the ego boost from being the one on top of a multimillion dollar church so that they can take ownership of God's work.
I will end with a positive note. There are some people who I really respect who recommended this book to me very highly. I spent a lot of time thinking about why this would be, and I came to this conclusion: This book can potentially be useful in encouraging people who already are part of a sacrificial ministry that is God-centered. Their dreams are already aligned with God's will so this book was an encouragement rather than a dangerous misdirection.
Overall, though there were some minutely redeeming qualities, I would not recommend this book to anyone, and I regret indirectly affirming bad theology by having purchased a copy.
May 30, 2015
I loved this book so so SO much. It's really encouraging in a number of ways, and Mark Batterson has a way of writing that is interesting and engaging. I love storytelling in a non-fiction book more than almost anything, and this definitely fulfilled that desire.
Highly recommend if you are a Christian and want to be simultaneously challenged and encouraged.
Dream Big & Pray Hard!
Highly recommend if you are a Christian and want to be simultaneously challenged and encouraged.
Dream Big & Pray Hard!
May 28, 2012
The Circle Maker opens with the story of Honi, a Hebrew sage from the generation before the birth of Christ, whose prayer, according to legend, resulted in the breaking of a severe drought, thereby saving the people of Israel from decimation. So great was his trust and reliance on God that he drew a circle on the ground, knelt down inside it, and announced that he would not move until rain fell from heaven.
I generally approach books that promise to tell me how to get my prayers answered with a certain degree of skepticism. Okay, actually, I don’t generally even approach those books unless I’m required to for a church class I’m in, or, as in this case, asked to by a trusted friend. After reading The Circle Maker, I still trust my friend and her discernment.
Batterson makes it clear early on that he isn’t touting a magic formula, recommending bargaining with God, or even promising that we will see what we consider favorable outcomes. He is encouraging us to place our fondest hopes, our wildest imaginations, our most audacious wishes, in the hands of the Omnipotence. He is challenging us to set goals that can only be realized through divine intervention. He is exhorting us to dream big, to think long, to pray hard – to work as if everything depends on us, but to pray and trust as if everything depends on the Lord, which of course it does.
The book is filled with examples, not only from the author’s life, but also from many others, some with instantly recognizable names, some known only to a few. Delays and setbacks encountered, even outright mistakes made, as well as amazing coincidences and miraculous occurrences are recorded in the experiences of ordinary people who ultimately saw extraordinary results to their faithful prayers.
I generally approach books that promise to tell me how to get my prayers answered with a certain degree of skepticism. Okay, actually, I don’t generally even approach those books unless I’m required to for a church class I’m in, or, as in this case, asked to by a trusted friend. After reading The Circle Maker, I still trust my friend and her discernment.
Batterson makes it clear early on that he isn’t touting a magic formula, recommending bargaining with God, or even promising that we will see what we consider favorable outcomes. He is encouraging us to place our fondest hopes, our wildest imaginations, our most audacious wishes, in the hands of the Omnipotence. He is challenging us to set goals that can only be realized through divine intervention. He is exhorting us to dream big, to think long, to pray hard – to work as if everything depends on us, but to pray and trust as if everything depends on the Lord, which of course it does.
The book is filled with examples, not only from the author’s life, but also from many others, some with instantly recognizable names, some known only to a few. Delays and setbacks encountered, even outright mistakes made, as well as amazing coincidences and miraculous occurrences are recorded in the experiences of ordinary people who ultimately saw extraordinary results to their faithful prayers.
July 26, 2012
This is the next book my small group will read together. Very challenging, inspiring book on prayer. Here are a few takeaways:
* Every great movement of God begins with prayer. Within the circle of prayer. Within you.
* Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.
* God isn't offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers.
* Who you become id determined by how you pray.
* If you keep circling the promise, God will ultimately deliver.
* What if Jesus were to ask you the same question he asked the blind man, "What do you want me to do for you?" Do you know the answer?
* The more faith you have, the more specific your prayers.
* One litmus test of spiritual maturity is whether your dreams are getting bigger or smaller. The older you get, the more faith you should have because you've experienced more of God's faithfulness.
* When imagination is sacrificed on the altar of logic, God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him.
* Do you have a vision beyond your resources?
* If you seek answers you won't find them, but if you seek God the answers you will find you.
* Ove the past year, I've been repeating one prayer with great frequency: "Lord, do something unpredictable and uncontrollable."
* Are your problems bigger than God or is God bigger than your problems?
* Our most powerful prayers are hyper-linked to the promises of God.
* By most conservative estimates there are more than 3,000 promises in Scripture. By virtue of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, every one of them belongs to you. Every one of them has your name on it. The question is: How many of them have you circled?
* A paradigm shift happens when you realize the Bible wasn't meant to be read through, but prayed through.
* We need the patience of the planter. We need the foresight of the farmer. We need the mindset of the sower.
* Dream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long.
* Every great movement of God begins with prayer. Within the circle of prayer. Within you.
* Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.
* God isn't offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers.
* Who you become id determined by how you pray.
* If you keep circling the promise, God will ultimately deliver.
* What if Jesus were to ask you the same question he asked the blind man, "What do you want me to do for you?" Do you know the answer?
* The more faith you have, the more specific your prayers.
* One litmus test of spiritual maturity is whether your dreams are getting bigger or smaller. The older you get, the more faith you should have because you've experienced more of God's faithfulness.
* When imagination is sacrificed on the altar of logic, God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him.
* Do you have a vision beyond your resources?
* If you seek answers you won't find them, but if you seek God the answers you will find you.
* Ove the past year, I've been repeating one prayer with great frequency: "Lord, do something unpredictable and uncontrollable."
* Are your problems bigger than God or is God bigger than your problems?
* Our most powerful prayers are hyper-linked to the promises of God.
* By most conservative estimates there are more than 3,000 promises in Scripture. By virtue of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, every one of them belongs to you. Every one of them has your name on it. The question is: How many of them have you circled?
* A paradigm shift happens when you realize the Bible wasn't meant to be read through, but prayed through.
* We need the patience of the planter. We need the foresight of the farmer. We need the mindset of the sower.
* Dream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long.
May 3, 2012
This book was eye-opening for me, and I've put a lot of it into practice.
There were a lot of "coincidences" around my reading of the book that made it quite clear that Someone was trying to get my attention!
Yes, I've read the reviews that mention Batterson's theology. I read the book carefully, and discussed it with my husband. He skates close to the line a few times, but I think he's on the correct side. Like anything else, you need to check it against Scripture and against what you know of God to see if it's worthwhile for you.
The bottom line for me was that it re-emphasized God's desire to give His children good gifts (granted, not necessarily the ones we had in mind). Also, it brought up the point that if you see God as BIG -- if you try to let Him out of the box where you've inevitably tried to cram him -- your prayer life will be very different. That will lead to your actual life being very different. And I hope that's where I'm headed, as I start a new business that's outside my comfort zone but where I feel I'm being led.
There were a lot of "coincidences" around my reading of the book that made it quite clear that Someone was trying to get my attention!
Yes, I've read the reviews that mention Batterson's theology. I read the book carefully, and discussed it with my husband. He skates close to the line a few times, but I think he's on the correct side. Like anything else, you need to check it against Scripture and against what you know of God to see if it's worthwhile for you.
The bottom line for me was that it re-emphasized God's desire to give His children good gifts (granted, not necessarily the ones we had in mind). Also, it brought up the point that if you see God as BIG -- if you try to let Him out of the box where you've inevitably tried to cram him -- your prayer life will be very different. That will lead to your actual life being very different. And I hope that's where I'm headed, as I start a new business that's outside my comfort zone but where I feel I'm being led.
December 29, 2012
"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. Why? Because God is the one who made the promise and He is the only one who can keep it. The battle doesn't belong to you; it belongs to God. And because the battle doesn't belong to you, neither does the glory. God answers prayer to bring glory to His name, the name that is above all names...it's about giving God an opportunity...God is for you. I can't promise that God will always give you the answer you want...or on your timeline. But I can promise, He answers every prayer and He keeps His promise...dream big, pray hard and think long, there is nothing God loves more than proving His faithfulness."
July 24, 2013
Batterson's writing is full of catchy language, devices, and effective rhetoric. It corroborates that he is an avid reader and has learned many things from his reading. Also positive are a few broad strokes that he makes about our lackluster faith and worship of the God of scripture. Taken somewhat in isolation, I would agree with his points that many of us have a small view of God, we pray with very little faith in God's power, that God wishes and even requires that we pray for certain works of his hand, and that thinking long-term involves risk.
But the problems in Batterson's theology and use of language far outweigh what recommends the book, especially since they are subtly interwoven with and recast the positive points. I had three principle concerns:
(1) Batterson has a way of equating 'God-glorifying goals' with 'promises to be circled[claimed].' Throughout the book (though it is not explored explicity), this maneuver involved the assumption that God has a 'will' for every person's life that one should be determined to find out and successfully track down. It also, then, relies on the timely (and also not investigated) injection of a 'whisper,' 'impression' or 'nudge' from the Holy Spirit to indicate paths and prayers that God "wants" us to pursue. I am not aware of any support from scripture for this view of God's "will" nor the idea that God typically gives subtle indicators to the average believer that we need to 'catch' or 'discern.' I think both ideas have caused great distraction and consternation in the body of Christ, and I know that they burdened my faith and life for a number of years.
(2) The core "mechanism" that the book describes involves finding promises of God in scripture and then "circling" them for ourselves in prayer (it is even unclear exactly how much Batterson intends to imply with the imagery of "circling"). Though there is an (unmarked) endnote in the back telling us to interpret promises in "an accurate historical and exegetical fashion," we're quickly encouraged with the assertion that the Holy Spirit often transfers a promise and we don't claim enough of them. The difficult, careful hermeneutical work is often skipped, and when some is attempted, the conclusions are questionable.
(3) As others have noted on Goodreads, the language of the book repeatedly rings of 'Name it, claim it' values and sensationalism. There is almost no mention of sin, the gospel, and our sanctification, much less Jesus' command that we deny ourselves and expect to be persecuted. Rather the feeling of the book, despite its disclaimers, is that God's main purpose is to do nice things for us--but with some step of awakening or activation on our part.
But the problems in Batterson's theology and use of language far outweigh what recommends the book, especially since they are subtly interwoven with and recast the positive points. I had three principle concerns:
(1) Batterson has a way of equating 'God-glorifying goals' with 'promises to be circled[claimed].' Throughout the book (though it is not explored explicity), this maneuver involved the assumption that God has a 'will' for every person's life that one should be determined to find out and successfully track down. It also, then, relies on the timely (and also not investigated) injection of a 'whisper,' 'impression' or 'nudge' from the Holy Spirit to indicate paths and prayers that God "wants" us to pursue. I am not aware of any support from scripture for this view of God's "will" nor the idea that God typically gives subtle indicators to the average believer that we need to 'catch' or 'discern.' I think both ideas have caused great distraction and consternation in the body of Christ, and I know that they burdened my faith and life for a number of years.
(2) The core "mechanism" that the book describes involves finding promises of God in scripture and then "circling" them for ourselves in prayer (it is even unclear exactly how much Batterson intends to imply with the imagery of "circling"). Though there is an (unmarked) endnote in the back telling us to interpret promises in "an accurate historical and exegetical fashion," we're quickly encouraged with the assertion that the Holy Spirit often transfers a promise and we don't claim enough of them. The difficult, careful hermeneutical work is often skipped, and when some is attempted, the conclusions are questionable.
(3) As others have noted on Goodreads, the language of the book repeatedly rings of 'Name it, claim it' values and sensationalism. There is almost no mention of sin, the gospel, and our sanctification, much less Jesus' command that we deny ourselves and expect to be persecuted. Rather the feeling of the book, despite its disclaimers, is that God's main purpose is to do nice things for us--but with some step of awakening or activation on our part.
January 22, 2013
Very few authors have grabbed my attention and focus from a spiritual perspective as Mark Batterson has. The last authors who captivated me to this extent were John Eldredge or Henri Nouwen. I have been reading everything by Batterson I could get my hands on. But to be honest, I was weary of reading this book. It has so much hype, and it is 'the book' to read in some Christian circles currently. But after reading Praying Circles Around Your Children and The Circle Maker Student Edition: dream big, pray hard, think long I finally circled back to read this one. In under a week I read the book and the enhanced eBook edition with audio and video. I am currently reading through for the third time.
I did not start highlighting this book until my third run through. So some of the passages that have really grabbed my attention are:
"Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn't offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren't impossible to you, they are insulting to God."
"The greatest moments in life are the miraculous moments when human impotence and divine omnipotence intersect - and they intersect when we draw a circle around the impossible situations in our lives and invite God to intervene."
"It is absolutely imperative at the outset that you come to terms with this simple yet life-changing truth: God is for you. If you don't believe that, then you'll pray small timid prayers; if you do believe it, then you'll pray big audacious prayers."
"Drawing prayer circles isn't some magic trick to get what you want from God. God is not a genie in a bottle, and your wish is not His command. His command better be your wish."
"Drawing prayer circles starts with discerning what God wants, what God wills. And until His sovereign will becomes your sanctified wish, your prayer life will be unplugged from its power supply. Sure, you can apply some of the principles you learn in The Circle Maker, and they may help you get what you want, but getting what you want isn't the goal; the goal is glorifying God by drawing circles around the promises, miracles, and dreams He wants for you. God has determined that certain expressions of His power will only be exercised in response to prayer."
"The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked."
"We pray out of our ignorance, but God answers out of His omniscience. We pray out of our impotence, but God answers out of His omnipotence. God has the ability to answer the prayers we should have prayed but lacked the knowledge or ability to even ask."
"Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in a well-lived life."
"You are only one defining decision away from a totally different life. One defining decision can change your trajectory and put you on a new path toward the Promised Land. One defining decision can totally change the forecast of your life. And it's those defining decisions that become the defining moments of our lives."
So what will be your defining moments? Will you take the risk and pick up this book and learn something new about God? Will you allow scriptures to be opened up to you? Will you become a prayer warrior? This book has tools that could change your life, change the course of your life and through your prayers, generations to come! I personally have found that since starting to read Batterson's books a few months back, I pray far more often, far more regularly and get prompted by the Holy Spirit for praying specific things for specific people on a much more regular basis. I once read that 'reading books can be dangerous' - this is one of those books. I do not believe anyone can read this book with an open heart and ears to listen to the Spirit and not come away changed. Are you ready to begin the adventure?
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the author on my blog Book Reviews and More.
I did not start highlighting this book until my third run through. So some of the passages that have really grabbed my attention are:
"Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn't offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren't impossible to you, they are insulting to God."
"The greatest moments in life are the miraculous moments when human impotence and divine omnipotence intersect - and they intersect when we draw a circle around the impossible situations in our lives and invite God to intervene."
"It is absolutely imperative at the outset that you come to terms with this simple yet life-changing truth: God is for you. If you don't believe that, then you'll pray small timid prayers; if you do believe it, then you'll pray big audacious prayers."
"Drawing prayer circles isn't some magic trick to get what you want from God. God is not a genie in a bottle, and your wish is not His command. His command better be your wish."
"Drawing prayer circles starts with discerning what God wants, what God wills. And until His sovereign will becomes your sanctified wish, your prayer life will be unplugged from its power supply. Sure, you can apply some of the principles you learn in The Circle Maker, and they may help you get what you want, but getting what you want isn't the goal; the goal is glorifying God by drawing circles around the promises, miracles, and dreams He wants for you. God has determined that certain expressions of His power will only be exercised in response to prayer."
"The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked."
"We pray out of our ignorance, but God answers out of His omniscience. We pray out of our impotence, but God answers out of His omnipotence. God has the ability to answer the prayers we should have prayed but lacked the knowledge or ability to even ask."
"Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in a well-lived life."
"You are only one defining decision away from a totally different life. One defining decision can change your trajectory and put you on a new path toward the Promised Land. One defining decision can totally change the forecast of your life. And it's those defining decisions that become the defining moments of our lives."
So what will be your defining moments? Will you take the risk and pick up this book and learn something new about God? Will you allow scriptures to be opened up to you? Will you become a prayer warrior? This book has tools that could change your life, change the course of your life and through your prayers, generations to come! I personally have found that since starting to read Batterson's books a few months back, I pray far more often, far more regularly and get prompted by the Holy Spirit for praying specific things for specific people on a much more regular basis. I once read that 'reading books can be dangerous' - this is one of those books. I do not believe anyone can read this book with an open heart and ears to listen to the Spirit and not come away changed. Are you ready to begin the adventure?
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the author on my blog Book Reviews and More.
July 8, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this book. This is a book on prayer which is loosely based on a Jewish legend of a man named Honi who during a drought drew a circle in the sand and prayed that God would send rain and lots of it. And God did. Essentially Batterson is encouraging readers to pray similar big risky prayers. He claims it is not about health and wealth and magically getting what you want but pressing in and faithfully asking for the big stuff because God will do great things.
So far so good, but his examples all seem prosperity-ish. Because Batterson prayed he got a mega church with major funding and multiple campuses, a whole lot of real estate, and lots of people read his books which he is getting lots of money from.
So I feel both challenged and inspired by a lot of what Batterson says and I feel somewhat put off by other parts. I believe God wants us to pray risky prayers that call out faith and trust from us. He wants to show us what he will do on our behalf. But I don't think it is about personal empire building. I don't think Batterson thinks so either but at least the tone of sections of this book have that ring to it.
So far so good, but his examples all seem prosperity-ish. Because Batterson prayed he got a mega church with major funding and multiple campuses, a whole lot of real estate, and lots of people read his books which he is getting lots of money from.
So I feel both challenged and inspired by a lot of what Batterson says and I feel somewhat put off by other parts. I believe God wants us to pray risky prayers that call out faith and trust from us. He wants to show us what he will do on our behalf. But I don't think it is about personal empire building. I don't think Batterson thinks so either but at least the tone of sections of this book have that ring to it.
January 2, 2021
Well written to understand the authors walk of faith and answered prayer, but the process of focus and mindset. To create a specified list of prayers to circle and pray, and to look back months and even years later adds power. I like how the author teaches to separate prayer list into categories as it adds a perspective of what is important.
October 13, 2013
I'll begin by saying that any book that influences one to pray more and to think more about one's praying has been beneficial to read. This book certainly has done that for me. It has helped me be a little less about "doing" and more about "praying". To simply be reminded of God's ability and desire to act in our lives as we appeal to Him is renewing and reviving.
I did find myself at odds with the author's perspective in a number of matters. The assumption is made that God often and regularly guides believers in particular non-moral choices through inner promptings which can be claimed as God's messages and promises to us. I guess I drank too heavily of the Gary Friesen Kool-Aid (Decision Making and the Will of God) in early adulthood to feel comfortable with that assumption. I am open to God speaking to me in the way He did to the prophets and apostles, in a way in which there could be no doubt it was God speaking His word to the soul, but I have not had that as a regular experience. If one does not assent to this particular view of God's leading, it is hard to apply much of the content in this book. I would be happy and feel God would be delighted if I simply obeyed the commands of Scripture, even if I never picked up on a clue from the Holy Spirit about what to name my child, what property to purchase, or what to pack in my luggage. I think this emphasis on particular guidance takes one's eye off the obedience ball and distracts us from our main goal of being holy as God is holy.
And one picks up on this in the book. The life goals the author states towards the end of the book really very heavily focus on material goals. He says the spiritual plays a role in all of them, thus there needed to be no separate section for spiritual goals. But I really think one could take most of that list and apply it to any Westerner without much adaptation. And I look at those things and think, "Wow, how incredibly rich one would have to be to do all that!" And how huge those goals are. The big, the flashy, the impressive: these are the things that are emphasized. I'm not saying that's wrong, but I'm saying it neglects a very deep view of the spiritual life found by some other Christians that may be a better way. I speak in particular of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux's "Little Way". A very different approach than Batterson's, but I think closer to the heart of God. I was left feeling that prayer in the author's eyes was more about finding one's own will and enlarging it than finding God's will. Batterson was raised in a mega-church environment in a well-to-do Suburban neighbourhood, and his theology and practice reflect that image. It borders on a name-it, claim-it, prosperity approach. It could benefit from a little more Pope Francis and a little less Joel Olsteen.
Stylistically, I felt the book much too long. It's ideas could have been presented in a book a third of the size, but then all the stories of his own personal successes in prayer and outstanding goals achieved would have not made it into print. And maybe I'm becoming an old curmudgeon, but I tire quickly of the hip cliches and modern "with it" cutesy-ness.
In conclusion, if this book will challenge you to pray more and pray better, then by all means read it. But if you want something that goes a little deeper into the soul in prayer, look for something older and more enduring.
I did find myself at odds with the author's perspective in a number of matters. The assumption is made that God often and regularly guides believers in particular non-moral choices through inner promptings which can be claimed as God's messages and promises to us. I guess I drank too heavily of the Gary Friesen Kool-Aid (Decision Making and the Will of God) in early adulthood to feel comfortable with that assumption. I am open to God speaking to me in the way He did to the prophets and apostles, in a way in which there could be no doubt it was God speaking His word to the soul, but I have not had that as a regular experience. If one does not assent to this particular view of God's leading, it is hard to apply much of the content in this book. I would be happy and feel God would be delighted if I simply obeyed the commands of Scripture, even if I never picked up on a clue from the Holy Spirit about what to name my child, what property to purchase, or what to pack in my luggage. I think this emphasis on particular guidance takes one's eye off the obedience ball and distracts us from our main goal of being holy as God is holy.
And one picks up on this in the book. The life goals the author states towards the end of the book really very heavily focus on material goals. He says the spiritual plays a role in all of them, thus there needed to be no separate section for spiritual goals. But I really think one could take most of that list and apply it to any Westerner without much adaptation. And I look at those things and think, "Wow, how incredibly rich one would have to be to do all that!" And how huge those goals are. The big, the flashy, the impressive: these are the things that are emphasized. I'm not saying that's wrong, but I'm saying it neglects a very deep view of the spiritual life found by some other Christians that may be a better way. I speak in particular of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux's "Little Way". A very different approach than Batterson's, but I think closer to the heart of God. I was left feeling that prayer in the author's eyes was more about finding one's own will and enlarging it than finding God's will. Batterson was raised in a mega-church environment in a well-to-do Suburban neighbourhood, and his theology and practice reflect that image. It borders on a name-it, claim-it, prosperity approach. It could benefit from a little more Pope Francis and a little less Joel Olsteen.
Stylistically, I felt the book much too long. It's ideas could have been presented in a book a third of the size, but then all the stories of his own personal successes in prayer and outstanding goals achieved would have not made it into print. And maybe I'm becoming an old curmudgeon, but I tire quickly of the hip cliches and modern "with it" cutesy-ness.
In conclusion, if this book will challenge you to pray more and pray better, then by all means read it. But if you want something that goes a little deeper into the soul in prayer, look for something older and more enduring.
June 6, 2022
What a way to twist scripture. What a way to treat Almighty God as a god.... appease Him, demand of Him our "rights" and we will get what we want.
I want to say more but I'll leave it at the fact that this took scripture and twisted it into some kind of good luck charm in order to demand of God what we want. I know I just repeated myself here but I am disgusted.
I want to say more but I'll leave it at the fact that this took scripture and twisted it into some kind of good luck charm in order to demand of God what we want. I know I just repeated myself here but I am disgusted.
March 25, 2024
The TL;DR version: pray really big prayers long enough and hard enough and God will do great things for you.
Which is very misleading and prosperity Gospel-ish. Yes, God does answer big prayers. But it’s not necessarily BECAUSE we pray them, but because He is God and sometimes chooses to show his glory in that way. This book places all of the responsibility on us and our prayer life, rather than on God.
I will say that this encouraged me to not limit God and to pray for things in a more specific and persistent manner. But at the end of the day, I know that if God chooses to not give me what I want, it’s not because I just didn’t ask for it hard enough.
Which is very misleading and prosperity Gospel-ish. Yes, God does answer big prayers. But it’s not necessarily BECAUSE we pray them, but because He is God and sometimes chooses to show his glory in that way. This book places all of the responsibility on us and our prayer life, rather than on God.
I will say that this encouraged me to not limit God and to pray for things in a more specific and persistent manner. But at the end of the day, I know that if God chooses to not give me what I want, it’s not because I just didn’t ask for it hard enough.
June 5, 2012
I enjoyed this book concerning prayer. There were several valid points about sticking with a prayer, trusting that God is going to answer, utilizing Scripture to help you know how to pray, etc. These are excellent point and being reminded of the simplicity/difficulty in those points, often brought me to tears.
There are three reasons I didn't score it higher than three stars. For one, it was repetitive. His book could have been 75-100 pages if he only kept the new material in. Two, if it's not carefully read, this book can come across as prosperity gospel. I have heard the author speak, so I know he does not agree with this thinking, but sometimes he makes an awful lot of God's actions depend on someone doing something. Finally, he spends so much time talking about his church and how awesome it is that it gets a little annoying. I'm glad God has blessed the people at his church, but seriously, use a new example to prove your point.
Overall, I would recommend it, but not very strongly.
There are three reasons I didn't score it higher than three stars. For one, it was repetitive. His book could have been 75-100 pages if he only kept the new material in. Two, if it's not carefully read, this book can come across as prosperity gospel. I have heard the author speak, so I know he does not agree with this thinking, but sometimes he makes an awful lot of God's actions depend on someone doing something. Finally, he spends so much time talking about his church and how awesome it is that it gets a little annoying. I'm glad God has blessed the people at his church, but seriously, use a new example to prove your point.
Overall, I would recommend it, but not very strongly.
November 10, 2013
I chose to read this book because I know a number of people who have or are reading it and I wanted to be informed. I must say I was disappointed. The book is basically a string of bumper sticker level phrases strung together with random stories (mostly about the author) that are meant to illustrate that God answers prayer. On one level I do appreciate the book's admonition to pray and believe big things. On another level though the prescriptive ways to "draw a circle" are a real stretch. Most disconcerting are the number of prayers that involve $$$, and getting things, as though God is the great Amazon.com in the sky and that prayer is about getting and not about a relationship with God. I would put this book in the category with Prayer of Jabez, that took an obscure passage of scripture and made an industry out of it. This book centers around a story that is not even in scripture. Hopefully, this book too will disappear somewhere before the time that they make "Praying Circles around your Pets".
April 23, 2015
I did not LOVE this at the beginning because I could not "believe" it. Now,I am recommending to every person I know who has a goal or a dream and a God-sized vision.
May 20, 2023
Finished this book a while ago but forgot to write a review. I went through this during lent with two friends (shoutout Micaela and Jacob). I totally recommend reading it at the same time as someone else (the author recommends that too). We made a group chat where we shared our thoughts and prayer requests, and it was majorly encouraging and spurred me on in my prayer life.
In terms of the book itself, there were a few points of seemingly odd prosperity-gospelish(ish) theology. However, our group chat talked some of those things out and I’d still recommend the book as a whole. It really prompts you to pray big prayers! Planning to read it again sometime.
In terms of the book itself, there were a few points of seemingly odd prosperity-gospelish(ish) theology. However, our group chat talked some of those things out and I’d still recommend the book as a whole. It really prompts you to pray big prayers! Planning to read it again sometime.
March 3, 2013
I was disappointed in the Circle Maker. It was too short.
I enjoyed Pastor Mark Batterson’s book tremendously. But I was done much too soon. That’s how reading a book should feel.
There are tons and stacks of books out there about prayer. But Batterson comes at the subject from a different angle. He doesn’t challenge you to pray a formula. He challenges you to pray big. Pray the kind of prayers that God wants to be a part of; the kind of prayers where God gets all the credit.
Batterson introduces the historical/mythical/apocryphal character Honi Ha-Magel. The historian Josephus mentions Honi in his writings and calls him a righteous man and a miracle worker. The most famous incident attributed to Honi happened during a sever drought in Israel. Honi drew a circle around himself and prayed to God for rain. He vowed that he would not come out of the circle until God sent rain. When rain did begin to fall, Honi wasn’t satisfied to come out of the circle until there was a downpour that could only be credited to the hand of God rather than a passing rain cloud. Honi wanted God to be his partner in this endeavor, not nature. He wanted the Keeper of creation to get the accolades .
What I took away from Batterson’s book is not that my faith is not big enough. My prayers are not big enough. For some reason that was comforting. Here’s why: I can’t make my faith any bigger. I’m so weary of my faith being challenged. Wrestling with faith is like wrestling with an 800 pound gorilla. No matter how hard I train and work out, I’ll never be able to win a wrestling match against a gorilla.
Make big prayers. Now that’s something I can do. I don’t need anybody to tell me how to do that. I don’t need a formula. I just need to do it. I need to make sentences with adjectives like huge and impossible and awesome and humongous and giant and unbelievable. Those are the kinds of words that describe God and that is the kind of language that illustrates His deeds. He wants to do big stuff. That’s His style.
Batterson encouraged me with his book.
I enjoyed Pastor Mark Batterson’s book tremendously. But I was done much too soon. That’s how reading a book should feel.
There are tons and stacks of books out there about prayer. But Batterson comes at the subject from a different angle. He doesn’t challenge you to pray a formula. He challenges you to pray big. Pray the kind of prayers that God wants to be a part of; the kind of prayers where God gets all the credit.
Batterson introduces the historical/mythical/apocryphal character Honi Ha-Magel. The historian Josephus mentions Honi in his writings and calls him a righteous man and a miracle worker. The most famous incident attributed to Honi happened during a sever drought in Israel. Honi drew a circle around himself and prayed to God for rain. He vowed that he would not come out of the circle until God sent rain. When rain did begin to fall, Honi wasn’t satisfied to come out of the circle until there was a downpour that could only be credited to the hand of God rather than a passing rain cloud. Honi wanted God to be his partner in this endeavor, not nature. He wanted the Keeper of creation to get the accolades .
What I took away from Batterson’s book is not that my faith is not big enough. My prayers are not big enough. For some reason that was comforting. Here’s why: I can’t make my faith any bigger. I’m so weary of my faith being challenged. Wrestling with faith is like wrestling with an 800 pound gorilla. No matter how hard I train and work out, I’ll never be able to win a wrestling match against a gorilla.
Make big prayers. Now that’s something I can do. I don’t need anybody to tell me how to do that. I don’t need a formula. I just need to do it. I need to make sentences with adjectives like huge and impossible and awesome and humongous and giant and unbelievable. Those are the kinds of words that describe God and that is the kind of language that illustrates His deeds. He wants to do big stuff. That’s His style.
Batterson encouraged me with his book.
December 7, 2012
Here’s the premise of the Circle Maker, a book on ‘praying through’: pray circles around your God-given dreams and keep praying ‘till God answers.
Yep, it’s controversial. As someone who has a healthy aversion to anything that reeks of ‘name it and claim it’, I was skeptical as well. After the first chapter, telling the story of Jewish legendary circle maker Honi who stood in a circle to pray for rain, I wasn’t convinced this book was Biblical at all. But after reading the whole book, I’ve changed my mind.
You see, author Mark Batterson doesn’t believe in the power of circles, he believed in the power of prayer and above all in the power of God who can do way more than we could ever think or imagine. His book is one big encouragement to dream big, pray hard, think long and then keep circling (= keep praying).
It’s not about the circles per se though and I have a sneaky suspicion that people who object to the idea of a prayer circle haven’t really read the book or understood that it’s more of a method, a metaphor for persistent prayer than a mystic, magical formula. I was very inspired by The Circle Maker to pray better, pray more and be more persistent in my prayers. The many stories Mark Batterson shared of how God answered his prayers and those of others, big prayers, impossible prayers even, helped me realize that I dream too small and pray too little. Our God is an awesome, big, all-powerful God and our prayers should reflect that truth.
For a full review, see: http://www.youthleadersacademy.com/bo...
Yep, it’s controversial. As someone who has a healthy aversion to anything that reeks of ‘name it and claim it’, I was skeptical as well. After the first chapter, telling the story of Jewish legendary circle maker Honi who stood in a circle to pray for rain, I wasn’t convinced this book was Biblical at all. But after reading the whole book, I’ve changed my mind.
You see, author Mark Batterson doesn’t believe in the power of circles, he believed in the power of prayer and above all in the power of God who can do way more than we could ever think or imagine. His book is one big encouragement to dream big, pray hard, think long and then keep circling (= keep praying).
It’s not about the circles per se though and I have a sneaky suspicion that people who object to the idea of a prayer circle haven’t really read the book or understood that it’s more of a method, a metaphor for persistent prayer than a mystic, magical formula. I was very inspired by The Circle Maker to pray better, pray more and be more persistent in my prayers. The many stories Mark Batterson shared of how God answered his prayers and those of others, big prayers, impossible prayers even, helped me realize that I dream too small and pray too little. Our God is an awesome, big, all-powerful God and our prayers should reflect that truth.
For a full review, see: http://www.youthleadersacademy.com/bo...
January 26, 2021
Improve Your Prayer Life
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears begins with the true story of, Honi, a First Century Jewish sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem. After a year-long drought, Honi drew a circle around himself and fervently prayed for rain. God answered his prayer with a downpour that filled cisterns, pits, and caverns. Pastor Mark Batterson was motivated by Honi's story to write this book about prayer. Drawing circles is not some kind of trick or gimmick. Instead is about focusing your prayer life and moving into a deeper relationship with God. If you want to improve your prayer life, then read this book.
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears begins with the true story of, Honi, a First Century Jewish sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem. After a year-long drought, Honi drew a circle around himself and fervently prayed for rain. God answered his prayer with a downpour that filled cisterns, pits, and caverns. Pastor Mark Batterson was motivated by Honi's story to write this book about prayer. Drawing circles is not some kind of trick or gimmick. Instead is about focusing your prayer life and moving into a deeper relationship with God. If you want to improve your prayer life, then read this book.
January 25, 2014
Having a hard time getting into this book. Pretty disgusted from the get go. I will keep reading for a bit, but so far - I see nothing Biblical in his teachings on prayer. Feels very "prosperity theology" and mystical to me at the moment. If I should keep going, by all means - tell me so! But I'm about to throw this one out. It's making me angry.
***4 chapters in is enough for me. I will not be finishing this book. I read a great review that summed it up far better than I could if you are interested. http://www.challies.com//book-reviews...
***4 chapters in is enough for me. I will not be finishing this book. I read a great review that summed it up far better than I could if you are interested. http://www.challies.com//book-reviews...
August 21, 2019
Inspiring, encouraging, and motivating. A great reminder to pray through and never forget that God makes the seemingly impossible, possible.
“Like a message in a bottle, your prayers are carried by the current of His sovereign will. When and where they will land, no one knows. But those bottled prayers will be unsealed in God’s time, in God’s way. He will answer somewhere, sometime, somehow. All you have to do is keep circling.”
“Like a message in a bottle, your prayers are carried by the current of His sovereign will. When and where they will land, no one knows. But those bottled prayers will be unsealed in God’s time, in God’s way. He will answer somewhere, sometime, somehow. All you have to do is keep circling.”
November 14, 2020
This book gives so much insight on why it's important to surround our family, friends, dreams and hopes in prayer. It helps gain a bigger perspective on the battles going on and how meaningful it is to know the word of God so you can stand on it when trouble comes knocking. I honestly think this book will end up serving as a foundation and tool for many Christ followers in years to come.
July 31, 2015
I don't typically take the time to write a review, and I don't often give a book one star or abandon it part way through, but upon reading this book and actually looking up the context of "promises" in Scripture that Batterson refers to, I was appalled to find how blatantly misapplied some of them were (by a PASTOR with a SEMINARY degree. As a layperson, I could read one chapter of scripture around a "promise" and see that it was manipulated to fit the author's purpose).
Batterson draws on the miracle of quail in Numbers 11 as an example of how we should pray and how God desires to bless us beyond our wildest imagination. However, if you actually read Numbers 11, God was FURIOUS with the Israelites for complaining about the miracle of manna he had provided them. In fact, when He says He will make them eat quail for a month until it comes out of their nostrils and becomes loathsome to them; not to mention, upon the arrival of the quail the Lord strikes the camp with a plague. Doesn't sound so "promising" now, does it? Yet Batterson draws on this miracle as a way we SHOULD pray and a way that God DELIGHTS in providing. ??? And he extends the metaphor throughout the book.
I wanted so badly to learn from this book as numerous friends had recommended it to me. While Batterson's writing is somewhat engaging, it's also littered with catch phrases that began to put me off as I read, too. No doubt Batterson's story is inspiring as there have been many moments of provision in his ministry, and I was inspired to dream big and ask big in my prayers, but very honestly, from the beginning I struggled to trust all that was being said, and reading Numbers 11 in context put me over the top. I fear that as believers, we have turned off our brains and are willing to consume anything Zondervan or Lifeway publishes without doing the hard work of study and actually considering THE Source being drawn on.
Batterson draws on the miracle of quail in Numbers 11 as an example of how we should pray and how God desires to bless us beyond our wildest imagination. However, if you actually read Numbers 11, God was FURIOUS with the Israelites for complaining about the miracle of manna he had provided them. In fact, when He says He will make them eat quail for a month until it comes out of their nostrils and becomes loathsome to them; not to mention, upon the arrival of the quail the Lord strikes the camp with a plague. Doesn't sound so "promising" now, does it? Yet Batterson draws on this miracle as a way we SHOULD pray and a way that God DELIGHTS in providing. ??? And he extends the metaphor throughout the book.
I wanted so badly to learn from this book as numerous friends had recommended it to me. While Batterson's writing is somewhat engaging, it's also littered with catch phrases that began to put me off as I read, too. No doubt Batterson's story is inspiring as there have been many moments of provision in his ministry, and I was inspired to dream big and ask big in my prayers, but very honestly, from the beginning I struggled to trust all that was being said, and reading Numbers 11 in context put me over the top. I fear that as believers, we have turned off our brains and are willing to consume anything Zondervan or Lifeway publishes without doing the hard work of study and actually considering THE Source being drawn on.
April 26, 2013
This book engaged me from beginning to end. I loved the personal testimonies mixed with historical references--they combined to give me a rich understanding and belief in the message.
What is the message of this book?
Pray strong. Pray long. Pray through.
I needed this. It's easy to pray strong, long, and through when life is going your way--it's much harder to pray this way when nothing feels right. But that's when we need it the most.
I loved this book. I would give it more than five stars if I could. It's a great reminder of God's love and that our prayers matter.
What is the message of this book?
Pray strong. Pray long. Pray through.
I needed this. It's easy to pray strong, long, and through when life is going your way--it's much harder to pray this way when nothing feels right. But that's when we need it the most.
I loved this book. I would give it more than five stars if I could. It's a great reminder of God's love and that our prayers matter.
July 6, 2021
This is one of those books that desperately wants to PUMP YOU UP. It wants you to start praying and start praying hard, and to that end, it does well.
Things I liked: I appreciated the author pointing out that in the Bible, we see prayers for big and specific things, and it seems we as Christians may have lost that mind-set. He pushes that Christians should not limit God by their own imaginations, and they should pray as if anything is possible, because, anything is, with God.
Things I did not like: On a surface level note, some of the examples of people achieving big things were a little odd to put in a book about prayer. For instance, he uses Mr. Hilton (from the hotels) as an example of someone achieving his dreams by thinking big. However, his goal was primarily to become a successful business man, not anything spiritual, so it was a weird analogy to me. And there are several of those.
To that end, sometimes this book delved a little bit to much into the "self-help" genre rather than the "spiritual help" category. While the author does warn the reader that one should look at the motives to their requests from God, he also pushes them to pray for life goals like "milk a poisonous snake" and "climb the Eiffel tower."
Spiritually speaking, I found this book just a bit slippery. The author challenges the reader to circle promises from God in the Bible, and then pray for those promises to be fulfilled. The only problem, is he does not caution people to gain a context for the promise God is giving. I hate to have to tell people this, but some of the promises in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, might not be meant for you.
Just a side-note, this book is all about asking God for something, not really any other aspects of prayer.
Overall: If it is motivation you are lacking to start talking to your Heavenly Father, this book has got you covered. However, one needs to read this with their Bible cap on to make sure they don't get to "me-centric" with their prayer life.
Things I liked: I appreciated the author pointing out that in the Bible, we see prayers for big and specific things, and it seems we as Christians may have lost that mind-set. He pushes that Christians should not limit God by their own imaginations, and they should pray as if anything is possible, because, anything is, with God.
Things I did not like: On a surface level note, some of the examples of people achieving big things were a little odd to put in a book about prayer. For instance, he uses Mr. Hilton (from the hotels) as an example of someone achieving his dreams by thinking big. However, his goal was primarily to become a successful business man, not anything spiritual, so it was a weird analogy to me. And there are several of those.
To that end, sometimes this book delved a little bit to much into the "self-help" genre rather than the "spiritual help" category. While the author does warn the reader that one should look at the motives to their requests from God, he also pushes them to pray for life goals like "milk a poisonous snake" and "climb the Eiffel tower."
Spiritually speaking, I found this book just a bit slippery. The author challenges the reader to circle promises from God in the Bible, and then pray for those promises to be fulfilled. The only problem, is he does not caution people to gain a context for the promise God is giving. I hate to have to tell people this, but some of the promises in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, might not be meant for you.
Just a side-note, this book is all about asking God for something, not really any other aspects of prayer.
Overall: If it is motivation you are lacking to start talking to your Heavenly Father, this book has got you covered. However, one needs to read this with their Bible cap on to make sure they don't get to "me-centric" with their prayer life.
August 31, 2020
10% biblical truth, 90% unbiblical assumptions
February 8, 2024
I loved this book! Sometimes this world & everything going on in it can be so overwhelming. The Circle Maker was a great reminder that our God is bigger than every thing going on in the world. It’s comforting to know His ways are higher than ours. One thing that really hit home with me is to not pray little prayers. We pray little prayers over things we think we can control. This book reminded me to pray big prayers because we serve a big God & he is more than capable of accomplishing even what we consider to be unattainable dreams.
January 18, 2021
“Circle makers are history makers.”
“Drawing prayer circles isn’t some magic trick to get what you want from God. God is not a genie in a bottle, and your wish is not His command. His command better be your wish. If it’s not, you won’t be drawing prayer circles; you’ll end up walking in circles.”
“When you dream big, pray hard, and think long, there is nothing that God cannot do. After all, He is able to do 15.5 billion light-years beyond what you can ask or imagine. When you draw a circle and drop to your knees, you can’t never always sometimes tell. It changes the forecast of your life. It’s always cloudy with a chance of quail.”
3.75 Stars Out Of 5
On one hand, The Circle Maker sets out what it was intended to accomplish; it definitely has inspired me to pray longer, harder, bigger, bolder, and more specific. Mark Batterson definitely has a lot of real world examples that show the fruits of an active prayer life. He definitely practices what he preaches and has a heart for God missions, and the community. This is very contagious and inspiring. But still something about The Circle Maker brings my rating to 3.75 (rounding up to 4) that I will try my best to articulate. Maybe it has something to do with some of the repetition from The Grave Robber book of his that I read last year; it had some of the same stories and mentioned circle making a bunch. Or maybe it was after all the inspiring stories that were full of God moments for his church as they acquired real estate in DC (which don’t get me wrong, we’re awesome stories!), I started more and more finding Mark to be less relatable. While some of his enthusiasm was infectious, the ideas became so big, bold, and beyond imagination that it became intimidating for those of us trying to get back to a better prayer life. Plus, a lot of his examples would definitely be inspiring to preachers of congregations than those of us who are not. Sure, we should all have big dreams but a lot of our prayers don’t have to be earth shattering, world changing to prove our prayer life. Sometimes, it’s those small prayers answered that make the most difference to those around us. Again, kudos for all Mark and his church accomplished, but there became a point where I longed for more scripture in this book than more stories of answered prayer. And nothing he did was a bad thing per se (again, his answered prayers were awesome), it just started to take away from the book after all.
With all that said, I’m still glad I read it. I really enjoyed the story of Honi. I really appreciated the parts dedicated to specific prayers so that we see when God answered. It encouraged me in my prayer life and that makes this a worthwhile read.
“Drawing prayer circles isn’t some magic trick to get what you want from God. God is not a genie in a bottle, and your wish is not His command. His command better be your wish. If it’s not, you won’t be drawing prayer circles; you’ll end up walking in circles.”
“When you dream big, pray hard, and think long, there is nothing that God cannot do. After all, He is able to do 15.5 billion light-years beyond what you can ask or imagine. When you draw a circle and drop to your knees, you can’t never always sometimes tell. It changes the forecast of your life. It’s always cloudy with a chance of quail.”
3.75 Stars Out Of 5
On one hand, The Circle Maker sets out what it was intended to accomplish; it definitely has inspired me to pray longer, harder, bigger, bolder, and more specific. Mark Batterson definitely has a lot of real world examples that show the fruits of an active prayer life. He definitely practices what he preaches and has a heart for God missions, and the community. This is very contagious and inspiring. But still something about The Circle Maker brings my rating to 3.75 (rounding up to 4) that I will try my best to articulate. Maybe it has something to do with some of the repetition from The Grave Robber book of his that I read last year; it had some of the same stories and mentioned circle making a bunch. Or maybe it was after all the inspiring stories that were full of God moments for his church as they acquired real estate in DC (which don’t get me wrong, we’re awesome stories!), I started more and more finding Mark to be less relatable. While some of his enthusiasm was infectious, the ideas became so big, bold, and beyond imagination that it became intimidating for those of us trying to get back to a better prayer life. Plus, a lot of his examples would definitely be inspiring to preachers of congregations than those of us who are not. Sure, we should all have big dreams but a lot of our prayers don’t have to be earth shattering, world changing to prove our prayer life. Sometimes, it’s those small prayers answered that make the most difference to those around us. Again, kudos for all Mark and his church accomplished, but there became a point where I longed for more scripture in this book than more stories of answered prayer. And nothing he did was a bad thing per se (again, his answered prayers were awesome), it just started to take away from the book after all.
With all that said, I’m still glad I read it. I really enjoyed the story of Honi. I really appreciated the parts dedicated to specific prayers so that we see when God answered. It encouraged me in my prayer life and that makes this a worthwhile read.
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