The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
Week 8: Chapter 7 — Pray Through
Read Chapter 7 of The Circle Maker. Primary Scripture: Genesis 32:22–32 (Jacob wrestling with God); Romans 8:26–27.
Batterson wrestles with what it means to "pray through" — to keep praying until something shifts, not in God, but in us — and this chapter may be the most personally challenging one yet.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.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?
Closing Prayer
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