The Circle Maker

1.Batterson opens by retelling the legend of Honi the circle maker, who drew a circle in the dirt and prayed until rain fell. What was your first reaction to that story — inspiration, skepticism, or something else? Why?

2.Batterson says the legend of Honi "forever changed the way I pray." Has a single story or experience ever significantly shifted the way you approach prayer? If so, what happened?

1.Batterson describes how Honi's prayer was not merely a request but a covenant-like act — he physically placed himself inside the circle and refused to leave. What does this physical, embodied commitment say about the nature of persistent prayer?

2.Honi's circle-drawing took place in the context of a national crisis — a drought that threatened a generation. How does urgency or desperation shape the way we pray? Can we pray with Honi's boldness when things are going well?

1.Batterson shares the story of how National Community Church (NCC) came to own property on Capitol Hill — a process that involved years of prayer, setbacks, and what seemed like closed doors. What strikes you most about the way that story unfolded?

2.The author describes "praying through" a situation — continuing to pray after the initial enthusiasm has faded. What is the difference between "praying through" and simply being stubborn or resistant to God's 'no'?

1.Batterson describes Benaiah's act of chasing a lion into a pit as the defining moment of his career — the moment that led to him becoming commander of David's army. What does this suggest about the relationship between faith-fueled risk and God-given opportunity?

2.The author coins the phrase "lion chaser" to describe someone who runs toward God-ordained challenges rather than away from them. What lions — fears, impossible situations, risky callings — have you been running from?

1.Batterson argues that most people "dream too small" not because they lack faith, but because they have a small view of God. How does your vision of God directly shape the size of your prayers?

2.He uses the image of God telling Abraham to count the stars (Genesis 15:5) as a picture of God expanding Abraham's imagination before expanding his family. Has God ever used a moment in nature, a conversation, or a Scripture to expand your sense of what he might do?

1.Jesus' parable of the friend at midnight (Luke 11) hinges on the word "shamelessness" or "boldness" (Greek: anaideia). Batterson emphasizes this word. What does it mean to approach God with holy shamelessness, and does that feel comfortable or uncomfortable to you?

2.Batterson writes that "the intensity of the prayer is often commensurate with the importance of the answer." Do you agree? What keeps most Christians from praying with that kind of intensity?

1.Batterson shares that some of his most significant answered prayers took years — even decades — of persistent prayer. What is your emotional reaction to that kind of prayer timeline? Does it encourage you or discourage you?

2.Daniel prayed three times a day, every day, even at risk of his life (Daniel 6:10). Batterson points to Daniel's daily rhythm as a model of long-game prayer. What regular rhythms of prayer do you have — and are they strong enough to survive opposition?

1.Jacob's all-night wrestling match with God (Genesis 32) is Batterson's central image for "praying through." Jacob's prayer was so physically intense it left him with a permanent limp. What does that suggest about the cost of real prayer?

2.Batterson writes that "praying through" is not about changing God's mind but about God changing ours — aligning our will with his through the process of persistent prayer. Has a long season of prayer ever changed you more than it changed your circumstances? Describe what happened.

1.Batterson introduces the idea of writing "life goals" — a list of dreams and prayers that span a lifetime. He personally has a list of hundreds of such goals. What is your initial reaction to that practice — inspiring, overwhelming, or something else?

2.Proverbs 13:12 says "hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Batterson uses this to affirm that God-given desires are not meant to be suppressed but pursued in prayer. How does this verse reframe the longing you feel when a prayer seems unanswered for a long time?

1.Batterson bases this chapter on Habakkuk 2:2 — "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets." Why does God command the writing down of vision and prayer? What does the act of writing do that mental prayer alone does not?

2.Revelation 8:3–5 pictures the prayers of the saints as incense rising before God, stored in golden bowls. How does that image change the way you think about prayers that have not yet been answered — could they still be "on file" before God?

1.Batterson uses the metaphor of "connecting the dots" — looking back at how seemingly unrelated experiences, prayers, and opportunities have formed a picture of God's plan. Looking back at your own life, what dots can you now see were being connected, even when you couldn't see it at the time?

2.The author argues that God strategically plants "divine appointments" — moments of opportunity that are the answers to prayers we prayed earlier. How do you position yourself to recognize and respond to those moments?

1.Batterson defines "favor" not as God giving us whatever we want, but as God's face being toward us — a posture of grace and blessing. How is that different from the kind of "favor" sometimes promised in popular Christian culture?

2.Luke 2:52 says Jesus "grew in favor with God and man." Batterson uses this to argue that favor is something that can grow — it is not static. What practices or postures in your life might be growing (or shrinking) God's favor?

1.Which chapter or concept from The Circle Maker had the greatest impact on you, and why? How has your understanding of prayer changed since you began this study?

2.At the beginning of the study, you were invited to write down one "impossible" prayer request. Look back at what you wrote.