Draw a Circle and Step In

But it doesn’t have to be! Challenging? Absolutely, but the rewards will be worth it.

Let me explain. Recently I read Mark Batterson’s book ‘The Circle Maker.’ Mark shares a true account of a Jewish hero named Honi (pronounced Ho Knee). Honi was an old man whose life (and the lives of his Israelite countrymen) was threated during a devastating drought in the 1st century BC.

Desperate, Honi drew a circle in the sand, stepped in the circle, and began to pray for rain. He was determined not to leave that circle until the God he prayed to would send rain. What kind of prayer did he pray? His prayer was measured by love and longing, not length and linguistics. God saw and heard Honi, and sent rain.

This book has made such an impact on my life that I’ve decided to blog and pray through these next 40 days in preparation for Easter. You can purchase a copy of the book Sunday in the House Foyer or online. I hope that you’ll join me. Our journey must not be religious because we want our outcomes to be authentic. Let’s pray our way from here to the cross, and then to the empty tomb.

Here’s all you need to do for today: Draw your own circle and step in. Next, pray this simple prayer:

“God of Israel, hear me as You heard Honi. Send the abundance of rain to saturate my soul and soften my spirit. In these next 40 days, may I learn the safety of this circle of prayer and be willing to remain here and pray regularly each day.”

Don’t start praying for other people or for your needs today! Just step into the circle and prepare your heart for this 40-day journey. Allow yourself to rest and become comfortable inside your circle, and like Honi, make a commitment to stay there.

Mark Batterson put it like this: “When you pray to God regularly, irregular things happen on a regular basis. You never know when or where or how God will invade the routine of your life, but you can live in holy anticipation, knowing that God is orchestrating supernatural synchronicities.”

Remember, prayer is our part, answered prayer is God’s!

I’ll meet you at the Throne,

Pastor George