Book Club Questions for Draw the Circle

1.Batterson opens with the ancient legend of Honi, who drew a circle in the sand and prayed persistently for rain until it came. What about that image strikes you most — Honi's boldness, his desperation, or his willingness to hold God to His promises?

2.Batterson argues that 'the greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they were never prayed.' How does that statement land on you? Does it motivate or convict you — or both?

3.The anchor verse for the entire book is Ephesians 3:20 — that God is able to do 'immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.' In your honest experience, do you pray as though you actually believe that? What tends to cap the ceiling of your prayers?

1.Batterson often repeats the phrase 'pray through.' What does he mean by it? How is praying through different from simply repeating the same words over and over?

2.Several of the early devotionals feature true stories submitted by readers of The Circle Maker — stories of prayers answered after months or years of faithful asking. Which story in Days 1–8 resonated with you most, and why?

3.Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8) to teach his disciples to 'pray and not give up.' What assumptions about God does persistent prayer require? What assumptions does giving up reveal?

1.Batterson encourages readers to write down their prayers and visions, citing Habakkuk 2:2: 'Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets.' Why does the act of writing a prayer down change its weight and your commitment to it?

2.He introduces the concept of 'praying for your children's children' — prayers whose answers may not come in your lifetime. What does it do to your prayer life to think in generational terms rather than just in terms of your own immediate needs?

3.Proverbs 13:12 says, 'Hope deferred makes the heart sick.' Batterson doesn't avoid the pain of long waiting — he leans into it. Have you experienced 'hope deferred' in prayer? How did you keep praying through that sickness of heart?

1.James 5:16 says 'the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,' and then holds up Elijah as an example. What is surprising about using Elijah as a model, given that James calls him 'a human being, even as we are'? What does that remind you about who God uses in prayer?

2.Elijah prays seven times before rain appears (1 Kings 18:41–45). Batterson draws attention to the servant's report of 'a cloud as small as a man's hand.' What does it mean to look for small signs of an answer while still praying hard for the full answer?

3.Batterson distinguishes between 'saying prayers' and actually praying — between going through religious motions and truly engaging God with passion and expectation. What tends to move your own prayer from the mechanical to the genuine?

1.Batterson points to Job, who rose early every morning to offer sacrifices and pray for his children 'just in case they had sinned' (Job 1:5). What does that image of a father praying proactively and protectively for his children stir in you — whether you are a parent or not?

2.He encourages readers to pray specifically for the people their children (or friends, or future spouse) will marry — prayers for people they haven't met yet. What does that kind of prayer require you to believe about God's sovereignty and His involvement in the details of our lives?

3.Many of the reader testimonies in this section involve a spouse, parent, or friend who prayed for years for a prodigal — someone who had walked away from faith. How do you sustain intercession for someone who shows no signs of returning? What keeps that kind of prayer from becoming despair?

1.Batterson teaches that praying Scripture — literally taking a Bible passage and turning it into a prayer — is one of the most powerful forms of prayer. Have you tried this? What happens to your confidence in prayer when your words are rooted in God's own words?

2.Isaiah 55:11 promises that God's Word 'will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' How does praying Scripture back to God engage that promise in a direct way?

3.Batterson distinguishes between prayers that are shaped by our circumstances and prayers that are shaped by Scripture. How does the Bible reframe the problems and fears that tend to dominate our personal prayers?

1.Which week or theme from Draw the Circle — Pray Through, Think Long, Pray Hard, Pray Circles Around Your Family, or Pray the Word — had the most impact on you, and why?

2.Look back at the specific, bold prayer you wrote down in Week 1. Has anything changed — in your circumstances, in your faith, or in the prayer itself — over the course of these weeks?

3.Batterson's central image is drawing a circle — a posture of persistence, faith, and holy stubbornness before God. How has your understanding or practice of that posture changed since you began?