Circle Circle Dot Dot...

A few weeks ago Pastor Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker (and a bunch of other awesome books) as well as the pastor of National Community Church in DC, was at our church. Over the last few weeks I have read this amazing book and got the chance to hear Mark Batterson talk about this book and prayer in a practical real life way. Mark Batterson, it's safe to say may very well be a modern day hero of faith in my world. The guy just helps you realize that God can do so much more then we typically believe for in prayer. He challenges you to DREAM BIG... believe for the impossible, THINK LONG... don't just believe for the here and now, and PRAY HARD... don't just pray for your meals "good bread good meat good God let's eat" but pray and believe that God can and will answer prayers. Mark also talks about how to handle unanswered prayers, because lets be real sometimes we feel like our prayers haven't been answered. If you haven't read The Circle Maker or any of Mark Batterson's books... get on that!!!!!

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been influenced by Mark Batterson. But what good is influence if you don't allow God to grow you though it? Through reading The Circle Maker and hearing Mark talk about prayer my entire prayer life has changed. The way I approach God and the things I am believing God for have completely changed. As someone who grew up in church and went to Bible College it's strange to think that my prayer life would need to change but it was without a doubt a needed change in my life. It never dawned on me to pray the promises in scripture as though they were made directly to me as well. I mean I always ready the bible and prayed and believed God could and would do great things, but I kept it general, I never got real specific. I had gotten away from journaling my prayers. So first conviction hit hard and I got real with God, then I moved passed the conviction and into the reality of what I needed to move into, or get back to in some cases.

I put my best foot forward and started a new routine... it's pretty basic but it I believe it has propelled me into something deeper. I have decided to start each morning with prayer by asking God to reveal to me what I should pray for. Then I read my bible and underline and circle some promises from God. Then I pray through those promises in my life, for the church I have to HONOR of serving at, for my family and for my friends. But I don't just say words, I write them down and I pray through, and believe for God to do something incredible in the lives and places in my world that mean so much to me. I've been asking God to reveal to me things, people and situations I should be praying for and in a separate journal I am drawing circles around those things. It feels so weird to say but I have NEVER prayed like this before. I've never been so specific and so intentional in my prayers.

As I move forward and continue to grow my prayer is that I will continually seek God for what I should be praying for, ask Him to teach me how to pray, and to be intentional with my prayers. So far so good... and I am looking forward to the amazing things God has in store for my life, my AMAZING church, and my family and friends.

***** Lord make me a Circle Maker!!!!!*******