The Circle Maker: Dream BIG.

I never thought that on a cold day in December I would be sitting in a duck blind in Missouri with my brother-in-law PJ, his brother Roy and my nephew Jesse. This was going to be a duck hunt that would show me that one man praying can make a difference in people's lives and that man was PJ. Of course, before putting the SUV in drive to leave for the hunt, PJ started a conversation with God that would set the tone for our three-day adventure. His ability and persistence to pray made me look at prayer in a whole new light. That trip I learned that before I could ever strap on my boots, I needed to go to my knees. It would be a month later, and I would receive the book The Circle Maker from PJ for Christmas, one of the 33 books he gave as a gift to family members.

Dream Big!

Praying circles around your biggest dreams and greatest fears is where we see God honoring our bold prayers because bold prayers honor God. Dream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long. And make your circles like in the legend of Honi the Circle Maker—a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not budge from inside it until God answered his prayers for his people. Our 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.

Time to Pray in Circles.

I'm not a prayerful person, but this last year I wrote down a prayer for each one of my family members. It was one word. For Carla, it was “understanding” as she dealt with Liam's gender transition. For Hannah and Koty, I put down “endurance” for Hannah's knee recovery and Koty’s job. As for Liam, I prayed for “strength” to deal with his challenges and next to it I wrote "forge meaning.” I had no idea that after the accident, those words would take on a whole new meaning. Liam needed more than his strength as he battled through his demons and tried to recover from a devastating accident that was inches from taking his life. What I found out that Christmas, is if we are going to strengthen our relationship with Jesus, it will be forged through the fires that we fight in the most difficult of times. And this fire was 2,500 degrees fahrenheit, and Liam was in the battle of his life. Then I realized if I’m reading a book called “The Circle Maker” a true legend about Honi first-century Jewish sage whose bold prayer ended a drought and saved a generation. What Honi did was crazy. He was inspired by God to draw a circle on the ground and stay in the middle of it until his prayer was answered, maybe that's what I should do. The only problem, I have no patience. So guess what I did? I made a prayer circle around the stationary bike in my basement where I typically pray each morning as I exercise. Just a warning, you do need to tell your wife that the chalk circle around the bike isn't a dirty floor! Thank goodness that Carla is reading the same book. Otherwise, she might have questioned my sanity!

The other option is that you could walk in a circle right under the second floor bedroom of the person you are praying for. No matter how you do it, I found that just the physical and mental act of drawing a circle around our prayers will help God to bless and protect our prayers from the evil one. If you don’t think about Satan being real, let me tell you, he is out there, constantly lurking. I looked him right in the eyes one day. And I even fought him physically. From that experience I know I couldn’t win on my own. It’s a spiritual battle that only Jesus can help me and my family fight. And guess what? He has brought with Him all the angels and saints in heaven to help win the battle with Satan. How could I possibly lose?

A Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective.

That's what happened to me as I sat and listened to the crashing waves of the ocean. I had no idea that our trip to Myrtle Beach would change my perspective about how Jesus works in my life. Like the Israelites, Jericho wouldn't be conquered with brute force or a brilliant military strategy nor could I conquer the battle that I was going through that way. I needed to surrender and let Jesus fight my battles. Once I did, drawing prayer circles around my dreams would be far more powerful than any battering ram that I could use.

Now my biggest challenge was to figure out what I really wanted. If I'm going to draw a circle around something and keep praying for it day after day and year after year and maybe my entire life, I’d better make sure that it's what Jesus wants for me. To some people, drawing a prayer circle could look like an exercise in foolishness. I had to learn that it really was faith. I guess faith is the willingness to look foolish at times. My own prayer circle would put me in the company of Noah, the Israelites, David, the Maji, Peter, Moses and even Jesus. I'm sure each and every one of them didn't start out by saying "Lord, do something unpredictable and uncontrollable.” But they would say that prayer did add an element of surprise to their life, and that persistence was the magic bullet that got them closer to God. You do know that studies show it's after ten thousand hours of doing something that we become world-class experts. Noah was an expert ship builder, and Moses was an expert shepherd. I guess that means if I want to be an expert Disciple, husband, parent, friend, storyteller, and painter it will take some time and prayer. Or should I say allot of time and prayer. Thank goodness I have a patient God!

A Christmas Like No Other.

For me, Christmas could have been very disappointing. I was deeply confused because I felt like it was where God wanted me. But how could God inflict such pain on my family? A car crash? My child struggling to live? Believe it or not, I found that I needed to praise Him for disappointing times as well as the good times because that's what drove me to my knees. It got me to pray like never before.

I’m also learning that God’s promises for us do not have expiration dates. That's why we need to stay true to our prayers and pray through whatever we are dealing with in this life. One could call it the ellipsis in our lives--an ellipsis is a pause in speech or unfinished thoughts. If we look at our prayers as ellipses, it's just a period of time that we are waiting for God. And, boy oh boy, do I have a hard time waiting. It's a trait that I inherited from my dear old dad. There is no guarantee that our dreams will be realized in our lifetime. It may take generations. My mother taught me that. She left a prayer journal that spoke volumes about who Jesus was in her life. Looking over it, I realized that her prayers became reality even after she died. She prayed for every one of her children and grandchildren without question and talked to God in a way that guided me to write my story.

Pray all the Time?

The Bible tells us to “pray all the time” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 How is it possible to do this? I needed to investigate. One way I found was to use “breath prayers” throughout the day, as many Christians have done for centuries. You can choose a simple phrase: “Jesus you are with me.” Or use a short phrase of Scripture: “Speak Lord, for your servant hears…” Pray it as often as possible so it is rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that you’re motivated to honor God, not trying to manipulate him into doing your own bidding. I can’t tell you how many times I tried to get Him to do my bidding. Prayer is a habit anyone can develop. Just as a musician practices scales every day in order to play beautiful music with ease, you can learn how to think about God at different times in your day. If you’re seeking only happiness through all of this, you’ve missed the point. We don’t praise God to feel good but to do good. Your goal is not to be a feeling but it’s a continual awareness that God is always present. Prayer is part of practicing the presence of God just like Father Lawrence did.

Mercy, Pray for Others.

The Bible tells us the story of Job, a man who lost everything - his health, family, and wealth. He lost it all. At the end, God gave it all back to Job. Why? Because Job prayed for himself? No. It says, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10 Job trusted his redeemer unlike no other man before him. He, like Jesus, knew that it’s not about us and what we want. It’s about how we show the love of God by caring and praying for others. Showing mercy just as God showed him. Job was God’s example for prayer in my life. I just need to be reminded of Job when I start to have a pity party. Instead of blaming others I need to show them mercy.

How We Pray

If our prayers are going to be truly Christ centered, we will need to make sure they are linked to His promises and will. For me that link is by staying in His word through a daily devotional and Bible studies that speak to me. It's the difference between praying on thin ice and praying on solid ground. I like the idea of building my life's foundation on a solid rock. And for me that rock is Jesus.

Another aspect of prayer that I never considered was the physical nature. I was never one for expressing myself physically. Studies show that our physical posture is vital to praying. I don't mean just putting your hands together. It's when I get down on my knees and raise my hands, I find that I'm able to surrender to God and feel His power. Doctor Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change even our own body chemistry simply by changing body posture. What she calls a power pose is what I believe leaders like David and Moses were doing thousands of years ago. After getting on their knees, they would open up their arms and hands to God or even hold onto His sword of the spirit (the word of God) to physically pray - something that I found can connect me to God in a way that I can experience His power.

Circle Our Children

As I read through the book Circle Maker, the highlight for me was the section on circling our children in prayer. To pray for the favor of God around my children is one of my biggest dreams in this life. Almost every night, I pray for my children. Sometimes a simple prayer like: "Lord, let them grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor of God and man." Luke 2:52 As parents, we are prophets for our children, and our role is to discern the scripture that will align both us and them with God's promises. My mother did this well. I have to say that the hardest part about praying for me is letting God do the heavy lifting. I have to trust the favor of God for me to do what I can't do for myself. He is the one that can change a person’s heart; He even changed the heart of Pharaoh. I especially struggle with that when it comes to my family, and I want to press them to be a close follower of Jesus. I can’t make them do it; only God can. All I can do is be a role model as a disciple of Jesus and let God do the rest!

Pray for a Generation.

It’s the breakthroughs that happen in our prayer life that will become a generational blessing that will live on long after we die. Don’t kid yourself if you are truly a disciple of Christ you will experience spiritual opposition along the way. Don’t give up, God will break through in new ways. It’s as inevitable as the tide coming in. The battle Jesus waged with Satan was first fought forty days in the wilderness before it was won on the cross.

As my mother said, "I have one answer for everything. Prayer. It doesn't change circumstances; more importantly, it changes us." Prayer is the inheritance we receive and the legacy we leave. What legacy will you leave? Will it be your own or will it be the legacy of who Jesus was in your life?

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Song - When We Pray by Tauren Wells - Listen to song

Verse - “Lord of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you have shown mercy upon your children. Not for such rain have I prayed but for rain of Thy favor, blessing, and graciousness.” Mishnah Taanit 3:8

Videos - The Circle Maker - Watch video & Your body language - Watch video