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The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

Mark BattersonMark Batterson

1.8/5

This book has so much to recommend it. Written in an engaging style, it reminds us of the power of prayer and encourages us to use our lives effectively for God. However, there are so many approaches to prayer that are either wrong from a scriptural standpoint, or can be easily misunderstood, that I have no enthusiasm for this book. Batterson claims that his is not a “name it and claim it” approach to God, but then he turns around and encourages the reader to “name” a Biblical promise from God (even if the promise was for a specific person or people group for a specific time in history) and then “circle” that promise (read “claim”). Though Batterson says he encourages people to pray only for God’s will, he then goes on to say, “If you aren’t careful, the will of God can become a cop-out if things don’t turn out the way you want.” One of the most disturbing sections of the book involves the advice another pastor gives to a couple whose child has lost the ability to communicate. The pastor “receives” a promise from God, based on Isaiah 59:21, and says, “I guess that settles it. Your child will talk.” The passage is about God’s faithfulness to Israel and how His word will be in the mouths of His people, and the mouths of their children. Can God heal this child? Yes. Will God heal this child? Who can say? As of the writing of this book, the child had not been healed in the 10 years since the parent’s interaction with this unnamed pastor. But, based on this promise in Isaiah, a promise not directed to followers of Christ or about God’s ability to heal, the parents believe the only outcome for their child is that he will be healed. This example, and the message of the entire book, ignores the possibility that God may want this child to be unable to communicate because it fits into God’s overall plan. Though we don’t understand why, in God’s plan, children die, people spend their lives in wheelchairs or have thorns in their flesh that He does not take away, and the innocent are crucified on crosses. Some of this is the result of sin, but other “tragedies of life” are God’s tool to accomplish His work. Success in life is defined by how God’s kingdom is advanced, not by whether we get our way by praying a certain way, claiming a certain “promise” or working really hard to accomplish our goals. I wish Mr. Batterson would stop hiding behind a façade of orthodoxy and be honest about his clinging to the prosperity gospel.
Picture of a book: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

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