What are you reading these days?  I’m usually juggling a couple of books at once.  I think it’s important to be a life long learner.  I guess that’s the teacher in me.  I try to keep a non-fiction book going and since attending the Catalyst Conference in October, I have a stack taller than the lamp on my bedside table that I’m working my way through. I managed to buy books on everything from human sex trafficking to prayer. You can go to Goodreads and check out what I’ve been reading lately.

I just finished The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  He keeps you very entertained with personal stories as he teaches you the importance of contending prayer, which he calls circling prayer.  The book is bathed in Scripture to support his teaching, which is always a plus for me. I’m a Word girl, so when you can back up what you’re saying with the Word, you have my undivided attention.

Prayer is often viewed as a last resort, rather than the point of engagement.

We need to recognize prayer isn’t just the first step, it is the most critical step.  It is what activates heaven to impact earth. In Colossians 4:2, Paul reminds us to “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

So many times we pray for something and if we don’t see an immediate response we throw in the towel.  We’ve become a drive thru generation, but God often operates like a crockpot.  We need to learn to pray through situations. Batterson said,

Each prayer is like a seed that gets planted in the ground.  It disappears for a season, but it eventually bears fruit that blesses future generations.  In fact, our prayers bear fruit forever.

We’ve got to learn to drop anchor on our prayers and continue circling them until we see a change.

What area of your life do you need to see God move?  What do you need to see Him do?  What is that answer worth to you?  Are you willing to invest time, sweat and tears to see the results you desire?  Draw a circle around your situation and start praying.