Book Club Questions for 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?

3.The Talmud records that Simeon ben Shetah scolded Honi for his boldness, yet also acknowledged that God honored the prayer. What does this tension suggest about the relationship between reverence and boldness in prayer?

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?

3.Batterson argues that Honi's prayer was not presumptuous but faith-filled — there's a difference between demanding God do what we want and asking God to do what he has promised. How do you personally navigate that line?

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'?

3.Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18) immediately after teaching about prayer. Why do you think persistence is so central to Jesus' own vision of prayer — not just Batterson's?

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?

3.Batterson argues that prayer and action are not opposites — circle makers are also lion chasers. How do bold prayer and bold action work together? Can you have one without the other?

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?

3.Batterson distinguishes between "self-conceived dreams" and "God-given dreams" — the latter are usually bigger than we are comfortable with and require God to pull off. How do you discern whether a dream is from God or just your own ambition?

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?

3.James 5:17 describes Elijah as a man "just like us" who prayed fervently and saw dramatic results. What is the significance of the Holy Spirit reminding us of Elijah's ordinariness — and what does that say about our own potential in prayer?

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?

3.Jesus spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). What do you think happened in those hours that shaped his ministry? What might happen in your life if you invested that kind of time in prayer?

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.

3.Jacob refused to let go until God blessed him. Is there something in your life you have been holding loosely that God is actually calling you to wrestle with in prayer — something you have not yet "held on" to with that kind of tenacity?

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?

3.Psalm 37:4 — "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" — is central to this chapter. Batterson argues that delighting in God actually reshapes our desires. How has your time with God changed what you want?

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?

3.Batterson describes looking back through old prayer journals and discovering that many prayers he had forgotten about had been answered — sometimes in unexpected ways. Have you ever had a similar experience? What did it do for your faith?

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?

3.Batterson encourages readers to "double their dots" by increasing the quantity of bold prayers and bold steps — the more you pray and act, the more dots God has to work with. How does this challenge a passive approach to prayer that simply waits for God to act?

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?

3.The Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24–26) — "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you" — is one of the oldest prayers in Scripture. Batterson points to it as a model of what we should be asking for ourselves and others. When did you last pray this kind of blessing over specific people in your life?

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.

3.Batterson argues that "the greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they were never prayed." After thirteen weeks, what prayers are you now praying that you were not praying before? Be specific.