Draw the Circle - Day 18 - Keep Circling

"On the seventh day, march around the city seven times." - Joshua 6:4

"Don't lose heart. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith."

We are almost to the halfway point our our 40 day experiment.

Have you circled some people and ideas and been praying for them every day?

Don't give up.

My great hope would be that this season of prayer is a catalytic event in your life.

Keep praying - never cease praying.

Remember, God can't answer prayers that you don't pray!

Continue to seek God's blessing on your family, the Vine, your employment, our school, Abingdon . . .

Have you read page 107 of draw the Circle?  Mark shares about the less than exciting beginnings to National Community Church. Average attendance of 25.

Prayer changes things. Prayer changes trajectory.

What are you circling?

Why don't you share your prayer focus in the comments below . . .

Draw the Circle - Day 17 - Do Not Delay

"O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake, O my God." - Daniel 9:19

I know it's in our nature to want God to answer our prayers NOW.  Life is short. The clock is ticking.  We've been conditioned for immediacy.

But we know that God's ways are not ours.  For any number of reasons God's answer to prayer is "wait," often in the form of silence.

I just happened to be reading an article by Tony Campolo where he was sharing how ferevently Diterich Bonhoeffer was praying for the end of the Jewish Holocaust.  That travesty couldn't end soon enough yet the desperate prayers of thousands went unanswered for years.  Most likely the answer to "Why?" will have to wait until the other side of death.

Contrast that with the story in this chapter of a wife who prayed for her husband to find a job, who ended up with two offers after fasting on Day 40 of NCC's 40 day prayer challenge.  Forty days may seem like forever in our drive-through culture but is awfully short in the grand scheme of prayer!

But the call in all this is not to over analyze but to keep praying. I love that Mark Batterson calls us to shift our payer focus from ASAP (as soon as possible) to ALAT (as long as it takes).  By the way - where's the "I"?

We're back to perseverance and praying hard.  Being desperate and passionate, BUT also not wearing ourselves out - DO NOT pray as if answered prayer depends on you.  That is a weight to great to bear.  If only I had more faith.  If only I sweated more, prayed harder, were bolder, etc . . .   remember It's God's business to answer prayer.  Your job to step into the actions that will fulfill God's will.

Daniel's prayer was delayed.  He was fortunate to be given an explanation of why.

We may not get an explanation, but we do not give up the habit of praying, of circling our biggest fears and greatest dreams.

Circle the Vine in your prayer time.   Pray for God to add to our numbers so that we can have a greater impact on our community and world.

Draw the Circle - Day 16 - Lord, Surprise Me

"The wind blows wherever it pleases." - John 3:8

It really is a great prayer, "Lord, surprise us."

Who does God want to touch who will want to bless us?

Do you like surprises?  I guess I should say "good surprises."  I know some folk who don't like any kind of surprises.

I honestly think that's a sad way to live.  Life doesn't have to be constant chaos, but life would be dull without pleasant surprises.

What I really like about this short prayer is that it acknowledges that God is good and He wants to give good gifts to His children.  It speaks trust.  I trust God to bless me with something beyond my wildest dreams.

Secondly, it is a prayer of relinquishment (my favorite prayers).  It says, "God, you know best.  Father, You take control."

And that's a major issue.  Folk who don't like surprises like to be in control.  It's a false comfort.  Life is not controllable.  And true faith gives up control

Some of us are wired to lean toward structure and order.  Some of us are wired toward spontaneity and serendipity.  The Kingdom needs both.

But a prayer like "Lord, surprise me" is a prayer for all wirings.  It's letting God have control and letting God bless beyond our abilities.

Keep drawing circles.

Father, surprise the Vine.  Only you can do something beyond what we could ever think or imagine.  We look forward to unwrapping whatever You chose to give.  We can't wait to say "YEAH GOD!"  Even thinking about Your good gifts brings us joy.  And we can't wait to share just how good You are.  We can't wait to tell others about your goodness.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.