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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long., December 13, 2011
This review is from: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears (Hardcover)
THE CIRCLE MAKER by Mark Batterson is a book about prayer and faith which will encourage, challenge and motivate the believer. Lead pastor of National Community Church, Mark writes with insight and clarity about the importance of "dreaming big, praying hard and thinking long". The story begins with Honi, a legendary Jewish figure from 1 BC, whose faith and prayer saved the generation before Jesus by calling upon the God of heaven and earth to provide rain in time of near- fatal drought. Honi drew a circle in the desert sand, took his place, and called upon God to let it rain. And rain it did! Mark calls upon believers to pray big prayers and draw circles in holy desperation for more of God in our lives: for ourselves, our children and our communities. Those prayers, when mixed with faith, are seeds which bear fruit, even in the generations to come. He exhorts the believer to pray prayers which honor God's greatness, His Goodness, His omnipotence, His desire to answer as a loving Father. Draw circles around God's promises. They are for us. Pray them through and wait expectantly. Praying hard is key: "Work like the outcome depends upon you and pray like the outcome depends upon God." "Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future...Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life." Mark has a gift for speaking to this generation. No one connects with young people in more relevant or impactful ways than he does. For example, Mark writes, "Our most powerful prayers are hyperlinked to the promises of God." Suddenly, my Bible is underscored with hot links which we double-click by prayer. Who'd have thought? This book is built upon faith. "Every prayer is a time capsule. You never know when or where or how God is going to answer it, but He will answer it. There is no expiration date, and there are no exceptions. God answers prayer. Period." There are only a couple of Christian books I read time and again, next to my Bible: The Collected Works of Smith Wigglesworth and Pursuit of God by AW Tozer. The Circle Maker has been added to this company. This book is a shout out to this generation to call upon God. Let it rain!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson - Book Review, December 13, 2011
This review is from: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears (Hardcover)
If your prayer life or faith has become stale and routine The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, is just what you need to shake things up and provide a fresh perspective. Mark shares out of his own life many miraculous answers to prayer. He makes it clear that God is not offended by our big dreams or bold prayers and we should believe for greater things so that God-ordained purposes can be accomplished on the earth. Batterson makes a clear connection between the promises of God that we need to hold on to, the value in being specific in prayer and the need to keep praying through and praising God until there is an answer or a release of the burden. He also points out that all of this hinges on living a life that is centered on faithfulness in our daily life. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book: "Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in a well-lived life." "If you give beyond your ability, God will bless you beyond your ability." "Having vision beyond your resources is synonymous with dreaming big." "God always has a holy surprise up His sovereign sleeve! "The only way you can fail is if you stop praying." "We need the patience of the planter. We need the foresight of the farmer. We need the mindset of the sower." "And when you get to the point where you care more about what God thinks and less what people think, you're getting close to the breakthrough." "Each prayer is a time capsule. You never know when or where or how God is going to answer it, but He will answer it." The value and purpose of fasting is covered in this book as well. Mark Batterson points out that our physical posture in prayer helps to posture our heart and mind. He also reminds us that our prayers are eternal and God will answer them even beyond our lifespan. This book has stirred up my faith in a wonderful way and has challenged me to enlarge my vision even more, and to believe God for even greater things of His purpose that I had not previously allowed myself to consider. If you're ready to dream big, pray hard and think long, your prayer life will be supercharged by reading The Circle Maker. By way of disclosure: I received a free review copy of "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson from Zondervan in exchange for writing a review--good, bad, or otherwise.
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30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring. Controversial. Life-Changing., December 13, 2011
This review is from: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears (Hardcover)
Mark Batterson is a interesting writer and a dynamic speaker. His five books have inspired readers, sparked controversy, and generated discussion. My guess is that The Circle Maker is going to do the same. The Circle Maker will inspire readers. The Circle Maker is a book about prayer. Books about prayer have a knack for packing conviction and sparking inspiration. They make me want to pray more and to pray better. The Circle Maker does just that. Mark's dream-big-pray-big message honors a big God, who delights in answering prayers. The Circle Maker will spark controversy. As much as it is inspirational, Circle Maker is also controversial. The controversy begins on the first page of chapter one, where Mark Batterson recounts the legend of Honi, a first-century mystic whose power in prayer saves the land from drought. Some have objected to the idea of "prayer circles," because they smack of paganism and superstition. After reading the book, it seems that Batterson is using "prayer circles" as a metaphor to describe the way someone prayers--prayers of specificity, audacity, and faith. Batterson is an evangelist for relentless, daring prayers. I have some concerns with the book--a bit of sketchy exegesis here and there, a name-it-claim-it style of intercession, and a blurry line between dreams and prayers. I frankly discussed these concerns with Mark when I interviewed him on December 13, 2011, and I appreciate his genuine thoughtful answers to my questions. The interview will be broadcasted on crossleadership.com The Circle Maker will generate discussion. If there's one thing I despise, it is people who criticize books without reading them, and who demean authors without having a conversation with them. If you have questions about The Circle Maker, read it. If you have a problem with Mark Batterson, drive up to D.C. and treat him to coffee at Ebenezers. The Circle Maker will generate discussion, and I hope that it is a discussion that brings glory to God and a revival of prayer among God's people
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