I just finished a book called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. The author is pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, DC, which is a huge church with extraordinary vision. In the book Batterson explains his journey, focusing on the power of prayer. He practices what he calls prayer circles which he figuratively draws around whatever he is praying about. In certain circumstances he physically spends time walking and praying a circle around properties that he wanted to claim for his church. His story is very powerful and inspiring. Here are some highlights:
Best Question: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked this of the blind man in Mark 10:51. He's asking this of us too.
Best Desire: "I desire that the people who know me the best respect me the most."
Best Quote on Aging: Seventy-year-old Harriet Doerr said, "One of the best things about aging is being able to watch imagination overtake memory." Most older people allow memory to win out and they stop dreaming.
Best Statistic: "100 per cent of the prayers I don't pray won't get answered."
Best Practice: "One of my responsibilities as a father is not only circling my children in prayer but also teaching them to circle the promises of God. Parents are prophets to their children. And part of our prophetic role is knowing the Scriptures and our children well enough to know what promises they need to circle."
Best List: Batterson's Life Goal List which includes getting to dedicate his great-grandchildren to the Lord, hiking the Inca Trail with his son, and writing 25+ books. There is lots of good food-for-thought in this list.
Most Inspiring: Quoting Daniel Burnham, designer of Union Station in DC, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood."
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