May 4, 2025 • 14 mins
Have you ever prayed so hard for something that you refused to stop until you saw breakthrough? That's the essence of "drawing the circle"—a powerful practice I've embraced that's revolutionizing my prayer life and creating lasting change across generations.
Drawing from Mark Batterson's book "The Circle Maker," I share how persistent prayer has transformed my family since 2017, particularly with my eldest son. This isn't casual prayer—it's about circling what matters most and refusing to leave that circle until transformation comes. Like Honi who drew a circle during a drought and wouldn't move until rain fell, we too can experience breakthrough when we commit to persistent prayer.
The 40-day prayer challenge isn't for the faint-hearted. It demands consistency, focus, and resistance against daily distractions that pull us away from sacred time with God. I've discovered that during this challenge, God prompts deep inner reflection about relationships, boundaries, business decisions, and legacy-building. The beautiful paradox becomes clear: "I pray like it depends on God, but I move like it depends on me."
What are you circling in prayer? Your children? Your business? Community transformation? In a world quick to silence divergent voices, drawing the circle means standing firmly in your convictions while remaining aligned with God's heart. It's about creating a legacy that transcends financial inheritance—passing down faith, understanding, and purpose that empowers future generations to speak for those without a voice.
Start your own 40-day prayer challenge. Meet God daily, journal His responses, and watch as persistent prayer transforms not just your circumstances but your very being.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are listening to Faith Unmuted.
The place where Christian womenget the opportunity to press
the button and say what theywant, how they want and exactly
how they feel.
The one place where, together,we can collectively walk through
our truths, liveunapologetically and stop hiding
.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
So several years ago I read a book by Mark Batterson
called the Circle Maker, and theCircle Maker told a story, an
ancient story, about Honey theHoni.
I can't remember exactly whatthe last part was, but Honi was
a person who wanted God to justmove, I believe, where he was,
there needed to be rain, and sohe drew a circle and he stayed
(00:59):
in that circle until it startedto rain.
In other words, he kept at it,circle, until it started to rain
.
In other words, he kept at it.
He would pray and pray, andpray until it actually began to
rain, because I guess there wasa famine in the land and it just
needed rain.
Kind of like just what happenedin Los Angeles several weeks
(01:19):
ago, to where people weresending messages out hey, let's
pray, let's pray, let's pray forrain because so many homes were
burning.
So this book several years agowas really about that.
Then there was a companion tothe book called Draw the Circle,
again by Mark Batterson was sogood, and Draw the Circle was
(01:41):
really about going on a 40-dayprayer challenge.
When I first read that several,several years ago, I began doing
the 40-day prayer challengebecause I found that it was just
so empowering for me, and Ijust began to draw the circle
around several things that I waspraying about Last year.
(02:04):
As I began to reflect, Ithought I don't think I went on
my 40-day prayer challenge.
I couldn't remember, which Ithought was really odd for me.
I actually thought did I justget so busy that I did not do my
40-day prayer challenge?
Like I know, I pray every day.
(02:25):
I have a strong foundation andI believe my foundation is
prayer, but I did not actuallyremember going on the 40-day
prayer challenge and so Ithought this year I must do that
, I must go on the 40 day prayerchallenge.
(02:47):
Let me tell you what that 40day prayer challenge does for me
, at least in the past.
Right, and it's doing.
Honestly, right now, Ipersonally believe that there's
no generation that prayer stopswith.
In other words, prayer goes onfor generations and generations
and there's no stopping point.
Once you pray about something,it will continue, it will
(03:10):
continue, it will continue right.
And so I say that because Ithink about what I've been
taught with my parents, who havealways prayed for me and
they're no longer here, but Istill feel the effects of their
prayer as I began to look atdoing the prayer challenge this
(03:32):
year, I opened my very tatteredbook.
I mean, when I tell you it'stattered, you could see I've
written in it, I've had thoughtsabout it, I've given comments
on it, but there was oneparticular part to where I saw
2017 and I thought, wow, I beganthis in 2017 or before.
One of the things that I circledin prayer is really about my
(03:55):
son.
I drew draw the circle, myeldest son.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
And I think about what thatmeant for me as I began to look
at that.
Since 2017, I've been drawingthe circle for my son over and
(04:15):
over again and when I look attoday, I see such a massive
difference in his life.
Why?
Because I kept drawing thecircle.
What does drawing the circleactually mean for me Is that you
keep pushing, you keep moving,you keep asking, you keep
praying and even in thechallenge, when you feel really
(04:36):
discouraged, as if you feel asif God isn't really hearing you,
that's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circlingmeaning going over and over and
over again.
It's really made a big changein my life, even as I begin the
40-day prayer challenge now.
Why is it called a challenge?
(04:56):
Because sometimes it's verychallenging to every day wake up
at a certain time and to spendthat time in prayer.
It's not about the quantity oftime, but it is about the
quality of time, and so I'vebeen waking up every morning and
I sit quietly and I meditateand I redraw the circle and I
(05:19):
think about how this is reallychanging and affecting my life.
And while I'm on this right now, there are some days where it
has been very challenging,because then you're tempted to
pick up your phone or to answerthat question, or to look on
Facebook to scroll Very temptinginstead of sitting quietly and
(05:39):
just listening and hearing whatGod is saying to you.
It's challenging going throughthe prayer challenge to where
I'm saying God, this is what ishappening in the world right now
and what are we going to doabout it?
What's my role?
Drawing the circle is causingme to do some inward cleansing,
(06:09):
because it's my inner world thatI control.
I find that it's very necessaryfor me at this moment and this
change at this stage in my lifewhere life seems to be just a
bit challenging, as I'm sure itis for many of you, but what I
(06:31):
keep doing is going back todrawing that circle, knowing
that I can pray like it dependson God, but I move like it
depends on me.
You get what I'm saying.
Like I pray like it, like I'mexpecting you, god, to move, I'm
expecting some things to happen, I'm expecting some things to
(06:53):
be just shaken up, and that'swhy I'm on this 40 day prayer
challenge.
Every day I'm going at it, I'msaying, god, this is what I'm
circling.
I'm circling my children, I'mcircling my business.
I'm circling my relationships.
What are those relationships Ikeep, I need to keep?
What are those relationships Ineed to remove?
What are those healthyboundaries I need to set?
(07:14):
What's going on in my businessright now?
What's the next step I need totake?
That's what drawing the circleis.
Drawing the circle means I maynot understand everything, as I
don't.
I may not even see everything,but I'm going to keep pushing,
I'm going to keep praying,because that's my foundation,
that's what I do, and I'm goingto sit and watch how things
(07:37):
change, first of all from theinside and then affecting change
on the outside.
On the outside.
Drawing the circle means thatit's taking that deep dive, that
deep, deep dive into you andreally identifying this is what
(07:59):
I stand for and then saying God,what's the next step?
That's what drawing the circleis.
It's where you just keepbelieving, no matter what it
looks like.
You keep speaking, even thoughpeople may try to shut you down
or shut you out.
That's what's going on in theworld today.
You know, if you don't believelike someone else, if you don't
(08:22):
think like someone else, they'reready to cancel you, they're
ready to shut you out.
Drawing the circle means thatthat will no longer happen,
because I'm going to keeppushing, I'm going to keep
trusting, I'm going to keepbelieving, I'm going to stay in
alignment with God and what hewants me to do, what he wants me
(08:44):
to say, where he wants me to go, how he wants me to affect
change in a world that's doing alot of changing, but the change
does not look like if it's good.
It doesn't look like if it'sheaded in the right direction
for everyone, not just for acertain group of people, but for
everyone.
Drawn the circle means that, nomatter what it takes, no matter
(09:09):
what happens, I'm going to keeplooking up like looking up, and
as I look up, I'm going to waitfor the rain to fall down on me
and to saturate me.
Drawn the circle means that Iwon't step outside of that
(09:29):
circle until I see the changetake place.
So the question I have for youis what are you drawing the
circle?
Are you drawing a circle?
And if so, what's the circle?
What are you circling?
There's a story in the Biblewhere it talks about the
(09:51):
children of Israel, and theykept going around the same
mountain over and over and overagain for 40 years, right Until
it's like something went off andsaid wait a minute, we could
get off of this mountain.
So what you don't want to dowhen I speak of drawing the
circle, you don't want to goaround the circle, going around
in a mountain, the same thingover and over and over again.
You know expecting differentresults, but you're doing the
(10:13):
same thing.
That's not what drawing thecircle is.
Drawing the circle means I'mdrawing the circle.
I'm praying about things becauseI'm expecting change to happen.
What's the change that you wantto happen in your life?
What do you want?
The change that I want tohappen in my life, that's what
I'm praying about.
I want to see change in mycommunity.
(10:34):
I want to see changes in mybusiness.
I want to see change in thepeople I'm in relationship with.
I want to see change, somethings, happening with my
children.
I want to see change in thepeople I'm in relationship with.
I want to see change, somethings happening, with my
children.
I want change to happen with mygrand loves, not just today,
but forever.
I want my legacy to be somethingthat's powerful.
(10:55):
I don't want to just leave mychildren money which that's
important but I want them toleave, as my parents left me, a
legacy of faith, a legacy ofunderstanding, a legacy of
acceptance, a legacy of showinglove love and not hate.
(11:17):
I want them to be able to drawthe circle, and I want them to
be able to draw the circle and Iwant them to be able to look
back and say, hey, my mother ormy grandmother, you know, my
grandparents drew a circlearound me, a circle that was
foundational, a circle that keptme strong and so I could stand
in what I believe I could standand be a voice to the dying, be
(11:40):
a voice to the hopeless.
That's what I can do, I believethat's what I'm called to do,
and I believe that anybodythat's connected to me in my
children, my grandchildren, as Ilike to call them, my grand
loves and for generations tocome, that's what they're called
to do.
So it starts with me.
I'm drawing the circle.
I'm going to keep speaking.
I'm going to keep praying.
I'm drawing the circle.
I'm going to keep speaking.
(12:01):
I'm going to keep praying, I'mgoing to keep pushing, I'm going
to keep believing.
I'm going to go further, I'mgoing to go deeper, I'm going to
reach further and I'm going todream bigger.
I'm drawing the circle.
I want to encourage you,wherever you are in your life,
to draw the circle about thethings that you want to see
happen in your life, in yourcommunity, in your family, in
(12:23):
your business, whatever it isthat you're passionate about.
Begin this year, go on that40-day prayer challenge.
Meet God at a certain timeevery morning or every night,
and have a conversation with him.
And after you have thatconversation with him, then sit
(12:45):
and just listen to what he hasto say back to you and get your
journal and write it down.
And every day, write down whathe's saying, what he's speaking,
what you're circling, and atthe end of the 40-day prayer
(13:06):
challenge.
Go back and look to see whathas been answered.
Go back and look to see whereyou started and where you are,
how you ended and, trust me, youwill see a difference.
And then, from that point,continue drawing the circle.
Don't end at the end of the 40days, but just keep going.
(13:29):
Just keep meeting him, justkeep talking, but go through the
40 days.
First, trust me, you will see adifference in your life.
You will see a difference.
Draw the Circle.
Grab the book by Mark Batterson.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Wasn't that episode amazing Living unapologetically.
Faith unmuted has allowed usonce again to ask ourselves the
kind of questions that will helpus get to the next level and
live this life unapologetically.
Your next step head on over towwwestagramcom and let me know
(14:06):
what your favorite episode is,ask a question or share this
with a friend.
I can't wait to be with younext week as we dive deeper into
redefining what it means to bea Christian woman and redefining
what it means to live in ourtruth.
You are listening to Faith Unmuted.
The place where Christian womenget the opportunity to press
the button and say what theywant, how they want and exactly
how they feel.
The one place where, together,we can collectively walk through
our truths, liveunapologetically and stop hiding
.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
So several years ago I read a book by Mark Batterson
called the Circle Maker, and theCircle Maker told a story, an
ancient story, about Honey theHoni.
I can't remember exactly whatthe last part was, but Honi was
a person who wanted God to justmove, I believe, where he was,
there needed to be rain, and sohe drew a circle and he stayed
(00:59):
in that circle until it startedto rain.
In other words, he kept at it,circle, until it started to rain
.
In other words, he kept at it.
He would pray and pray, andpray until it actually began to
rain, because I guess there wasa famine in the land and it just
needed rain.
Kind of like just what happenedin Los Angeles several weeks
(01:19):
ago, to where people weresending messages out hey, let's
pray, let's pray, let's pray forrain because so many homes were
burning.
So this book several years agowas really about that.
Then there was a companion tothe book called Draw the Circle,
again by Mark Batterson was sogood, and Draw the Circle was
(01:41):
really about going on a 40-dayprayer challenge.
When I first read that several,several years ago, I began doing
the 40-day prayer challengebecause I found that it was just
so empowering for me, and Ijust began to draw the circle
around several things that I waspraying about Last year.
(02:04):
As I began to reflect, Ithought I don't think I went on
my 40-day prayer challenge.
I couldn't remember, which Ithought was really odd for me.
I actually thought did I justget so busy that I did not do my
40-day prayer challenge?
Like I know, I pray every day.
(02:25):
I have a strong foundation andI believe my foundation is
prayer, but I did not actuallyremember going on the 40-day
prayer challenge and so Ithought this year I must do that
, I must go on the 40 day prayerchallenge.
(02:47):
Let me tell you what that 40day prayer challenge does for me
, at least in the past.
Right, and it's doing.
Honestly, right now, Ipersonally believe that there's
no generation that prayer stopswith.
In other words, prayer goes onfor generations and generations
and there's no stopping point.
Once you pray about something,it will continue, it will
(03:10):
continue, it will continue right.
And so I say that because Ithink about what I've been
taught with my parents, who havealways prayed for me and
they're no longer here, but Istill feel the effects of their
prayer as I began to look atdoing the prayer challenge this
(03:32):
year, I opened my very tatteredbook.
I mean, when I tell you it'stattered, you could see I've
written in it, I've had thoughtsabout it, I've given comments
on it, but there was oneparticular part to where I saw
2017 and I thought, wow, I beganthis in 2017 or before.
One of the things that I circledin prayer is really about my
(03:55):
son.
I drew draw the circle, myeldest son.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
I just kept drawing the circle.
And I think about what thatmeant for me as I began to look
at that.
Since 2017, I've been drawingthe circle for my son over and
(04:15):
over again and when I look attoday, I see such a massive
difference in his life.
Why?
Because I kept drawing thecircle.
What does drawing the circleactually mean for me Is that you
keep pushing, you keep moving,you keep asking, you keep
praying and even in thechallenge, when you feel really
(04:36):
discouraged, as if you feel asif God isn't really hearing you,
that's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circling.
That's when you keep circlingmeaning going over and over and
over again.
It's really made a big changein my life, even as I begin the
40-day prayer challenge now.
Why is it called a challenge?
(04:56):
Because sometimes it's verychallenging to every day wake up
at a certain time and to spendthat time in prayer.
It's not about the quantity oftime, but it is about the
quality of time, and so I'vebeen waking up every morning and
I sit quietly and I meditateand I redraw the circle and I
(05:19):
think about how this is reallychanging and affecting my life.
And while I'm on this right now, there are some days where it
has been very challenging,because then you're tempted to
pick up your phone or to answerthat question, or to look on
Facebook to scroll Very temptinginstead of sitting quietly and
(05:39):
just listening and hearing whatGod is saying to you.
It's challenging going throughthe prayer challenge to where
I'm saying God, this is what ishappening in the world right now
and what are we going to doabout it?
What's my role?
Drawing the circle is causingme to do some inward cleansing,
(06:09):
because it's my inner world thatI control.
I find that it's very necessaryfor me at this moment and this
change at this stage in my lifewhere life seems to be just a
bit challenging, as I'm sure itis for many of you, but what I
(06:31):
keep doing is going back todrawing that circle, knowing
that I can pray like it dependson God, but I move like it
depends on me.
You get what I'm saying.
Like I pray like it, like I'mexpecting you, god, to move, I'm
expecting some things to happen, I'm expecting some things to
(06:53):
be just shaken up, and that'swhy I'm on this 40 day prayer
challenge.
Every day I'm going at it, I'msaying, god, this is what I'm
circling.
I'm circling my children, I'mcircling my business.
I'm circling my relationships.
What are those relationships Ikeep, I need to keep?
What are those relationships Ineed to remove?
What are those healthyboundaries I need to set?
(07:14):
What's going on in my businessright now?
What's the next step I need totake?
That's what drawing the circleis.
Drawing the circle means I maynot understand everything, as I
don't.
I may not even see everything,but I'm going to keep pushing,
I'm going to keep praying,because that's my foundation,
that's what I do, and I'm goingto sit and watch how things
(07:37):
change, first of all from theinside and then affecting change
on the outside.
On the outside.
Drawing the circle means thatit's taking that deep dive, that
deep, deep dive into you andreally identifying this is what
(07:59):
I stand for and then saying God,what's the next step?
That's what drawing the circleis.
It's where you just keepbelieving, no matter what it
looks like.
You keep speaking, even thoughpeople may try to shut you down
or shut you out.
That's what's going on in theworld today.
You know, if you don't believelike someone else, if you don't
(08:22):
think like someone else, they'reready to cancel you, they're
ready to shut you out.
Drawing the circle means thatthat will no longer happen,
because I'm going to keeppushing, I'm going to keep
trusting, I'm going to keepbelieving, I'm going to stay in
alignment with God and what hewants me to do, what he wants me
(08:44):
to say, where he wants me to go, how he wants me to affect
change in a world that's doing alot of changing, but the change
does not look like if it's good.
It doesn't look like if it'sheaded in the right direction
for everyone, not just for acertain group of people, but for
everyone.
Drawn the circle means that, nomatter what it takes, no matter
(09:09):
what happens, I'm going to keeplooking up like looking up, and
as I look up, I'm going to waitfor the rain to fall down on me
and to saturate me.
Drawn the circle means that Iwon't step outside of that
(09:29):
circle until I see the changetake place.
So the question I have for youis what are you drawing the
circle?
Are you drawing a circle?
And if so, what's the circle?
What are you circling?
There's a story in the Biblewhere it talks about the
(09:51):
children of Israel, and theykept going around the same
mountain over and over and overagain for 40 years, right Until
it's like something went off andsaid wait a minute, we could
get off of this mountain.
So what you don't want to dowhen I speak of drawing the
circle, you don't want to goaround the circle, going around
in a mountain, the same thingover and over and over again.
You know expecting differentresults, but you're doing the
(10:13):
same thing.
That's not what drawing thecircle is.
Drawing the circle means I'mdrawing the circle.
I'm praying about things becauseI'm expecting change to happen.
What's the change that you wantto happen in your life?
What do you want?
The change that I want tohappen in my life, that's what
I'm praying about.
I want to see change in mycommunity.
(10:34):
I want to see changes in mybusiness.
I want to see change in thepeople I'm in relationship with.
I want to see change, somethings, happening with my
children.
I want to see change in thepeople I'm in relationship with.
I want to see change, somethings happening, with my
children.
I want change to happen with mygrand loves, not just today,
but forever.
I want my legacy to be somethingthat's powerful.
(10:55):
I don't want to just leave mychildren money which that's
important but I want them toleave, as my parents left me, a
legacy of faith, a legacy ofunderstanding, a legacy of
acceptance, a legacy of showinglove love and not hate.
(11:17):
I want them to be able to drawthe circle, and I want them to
be able to draw the circle and Iwant them to be able to look
back and say, hey, my mother ormy grandmother, you know, my
grandparents drew a circlearound me, a circle that was
foundational, a circle that keptme strong and so I could stand
in what I believe I could standand be a voice to the dying, be
(11:40):
a voice to the hopeless.
That's what I can do, I believethat's what I'm called to do,
and I believe that anybodythat's connected to me in my
children, my grandchildren, as Ilike to call them, my grand
loves and for generations tocome, that's what they're called
to do.
So it starts with me.
I'm drawing the circle.
I'm going to keep speaking.
I'm going to keep praying.
I'm drawing the circle.
I'm going to keep speaking.
(12:01):
I'm going to keep praying, I'mgoing to keep pushing, I'm going
to keep believing.
I'm going to go further, I'mgoing to go deeper, I'm going to
reach further and I'm going todream bigger.
I'm drawing the circle.
I want to encourage you,wherever you are in your life,
to draw the circle about thethings that you want to see
happen in your life, in yourcommunity, in your family, in
(12:23):
your business, whatever it isthat you're passionate about.
Begin this year, go on that40-day prayer challenge.
Meet God at a certain timeevery morning or every night,
and have a conversation with him.
And after you have thatconversation with him, then sit
(12:45):
and just listen to what he hasto say back to you and get your
journal and write it down.
And every day, write down whathe's saying, what he's speaking,
what you're circling, and atthe end of the 40-day prayer
(13:06):
challenge.
Go back and look to see whathas been answered.
Go back and look to see whereyou started and where you are,
how you ended and, trust me, youwill see a difference.
And then, from that point,continue drawing the circle.
Don't end at the end of the 40days, but just keep going.
(13:29):
Just keep meeting him, justkeep talking, but go through the
40 days.
First, trust me, you will see adifference in your life.
You will see a difference.
Draw the Circle.
Grab the book by Mark Batterson.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Wasn't that episode amazing Living unapologetically.
Faith unmuted has allowed usonce again to ask ourselves the
kind of questions that will helpus get to the next level and
live this life unapologetically.
Your next step head on over towwwestagramcom and let me know
(14:06):
what your favorite episode is,ask a question or share this
with a friend.
I can't wait to be with younext week as we dive deeper into
redefining what it means to bea Christian woman and redefining
what it means to live in ourtruth.
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