Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge

by Mark Batterson

Until recently, I attached an ASAP to every prayer. I wanted God to answer as soon as possible. But this is no longer my agenda. I don’t want easy or quick answers because I have a tendency to mishandle the blessings that come too easily or too quickly. I take the credit for them, or I take them for granted. So now I pray it will take long enough and be hard enough for God to receive all of the glory. I’m not looking for the path of least resistance; I’m looking for the path of greatest glory. And that requires high-degree-of-difficulty prayers and lots of circling. Very rarely does our first prayer request hit the bull’s-eye of God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. Most prayer requests have to be refined. Even “the prayer that saved a generation” didn’t hit the bull’s-eye the first time. Honi refined his request twice: “Not for such rain have I prayed.” He wasn’t satisfied with a sprinkle or torrential downpour. It took three attempts to spell out exactly what he wanted: “rain of Your favor, blessing, and graciousness.” Honi drew a circle in the sand. Then he drew a circle within a circle within a circle. I’m not praying ASAP prayers; I’m praying ALAT prayers. As long as it takes. I’m going to get in my prayer circle, and I’m not coming out until God answers. This doesn’t mean I’m forcing God’s hand. After all, we can’t force God to do anything! It just means I’m praying with confidence. I believe that God never overpromises or underdelivers. He always delivers on His p...

ALAT: praying for perseverance to keep praying.