Reviving Your Prayer Life

Pray with the faith of a child.

The best resource I have found for reviving my prayer life is Mark Batterson's book, Draw the Circle. It's not a new book; my copy was published in 2013, but it is relevant today. I can't tell you how many times I have read through the book during my devotional time, but I have studied it at least a half dozen times. And it always inspires me to trust God more with my prayer requests.

This book is a 40-Day Prayer Challenge based on the story of a man named Honi. Honi is a figure in Jewish tradition from the first century BCE, known for his ability to pray for rain. There was a drought in Israel in 100 BCE. Honi drew a circle and said he would not come out of it until it rained. When it began to drizzle, Honi told God that he was not satisfied and expected more rain; it then began to pour. He explained he needed a calm rain, at which point the rain slowed to a normal rain.

The purpose of prayer is not to give orders to God; the purpose is to get orders from God. Mark Batterson

It's more than just a manual explaining how to pray. He delves into the purpose of prayer, which is so much more than just getting your requests answered. He emphasizes the importance of viewing prayer as a conversation that fosters a deeper relationship with God. Batterson writes that the goal of this prayer challenge "isn't to get what you want at all. The goal is to figure out what God wants, what God wills... The goal of the prayer challenge is to establish a prayer habit so you're still praying on day 41, day 57, day 101, day 365." page 10

He has helped me understand that often the answer to prayer will not be immediate; we may pray for something for many years before it comes to pass. This perspective on prayer has changed my view of God and prayer because Batterson has taught me that we can trust God with our prayers, even if they don't come when we expect them. But I think my biggest takeaway is my attitude about prayers not being immediately answered. I trusted that God would answer my prayer, but I would fret and continue trying to fix it myself. Now I take pleasure in knowing that God is taking care of the issue, and my role is to request and listen for his response. Sometimes His response requires action on my part, which will be evident to me as I listen to Him.

If we do the ordinary, God will add an extra to it. Mark Batterson

Batterson includes numerous illustrations of prayers answered, both his own and those of others. It doesn't make it sound simple to get answers, he points out that God answers each prayer at the right time and in the best way. The illustrations inspire me to pray more specifically and help me recall answers I have received over the years. Batterson reminds us that our prayers never die. "When we pray, our prayers exit our four dimensions of space-time limitations because the God who answers them exists outside of the four dimensions He created." page 108 I know I am a pastor today because the prayer warriors in my family never stopped praying for me.

If I could recommend only one book on prayer to someone who wants to revive their prayer life, it would be this one. I promise that if you do this forty-day challenge, you will be blessed.