Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson
Week 1: Introduction — The Legend of the Circle Maker
Read the Introduction of Draw the Circle. Key Scripture: Ephesians 3:20–21; also Honi the Circle Maker's story from the Talmud (referenced in the introduction).
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Before a single devotional day begins, Batterson lays out his entire vision for what prayer can be — and challenges us to ask whether our current prayer life measures up to that vision.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.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?
a.What does drawing a literal circle symbolize about how Honi approached prayer?
b.Is there a situation in your life right now that calls for that kind of persistent, immovable prayer?
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?
4.Batterson introduces the idea that the size of your prayers reflects the size of your God. What has shaped your picture of God's size and willingness to act? Family background, past disappointments, theological training, or something else?
5.The 40-day structure of this book mirrors other significant 40-day periods in Scripture — Moses on Sinai, Israel in the wilderness, Jesus in the desert. Why do you think Batterson chose this framework? What does a defined, committed season of prayer do that random or occasional prayer does not?
6.What is one specific, bold prayer — something that would require a miracle — that you want to bring into this 40-day challenge? Write it down. What would it mean for your faith if God answered it?
7.How does the image of 'drawing a circle' connect to the way Jesus prayed in Gethsemane — persistent, honest, surrendered, yet trusting? What can Honi's posture teach us about how Jesus invites his followers to pray?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we confess that we have often prayed small, safe prayers — or not prayed at all. Like Honi, give us the courage to draw a circle around our greatest needs and our deepest longings, and to stand inside it in faith. Expand our vision of who You are, so that our prayers begin to match Your power. As we begin these forty days, make us bold enough to ask, persistent enough to keep asking, and humble enough to trust Your timing and Your answer. Do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Amen.
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