The Circle Maker

The Circle Maker book is an insanely popular book that is still a bestseller, even though it is a few years old. Based on a story from the Jewish Talmud, the book recalls the tale of a guy who drew a circle around himself and demanded that God make it rain. When that didn't go so well, he did it again and then a third time.

When I first heard about it, I thought it was just silly. While the book's author claims that this is not "name it and claim it" teaching, I fail to see the difference. There is a reason this story was in the Talmud and not in the canon of Scripture. It's because the story is about the man and his prayer, not about God and His power/glory.

It is merely a lame story highlighting the demanding prayer of a guy who has figured out the right technique to boss around the Divine Butler.  

Having learned more about the book, I realize now that it is not just absurd; it is antithetical to Biblical teaching on prayer.

Besides the story of the book coming from an extra-Biblical source, the teaching of this book is very anti-Biblical. The book implies that drawing a circle demonstrates faith in God's will for a "miracle" to happen. In other words, the "technique" of prayer (drawing a circle) is the thing that will get God's attention.

Says Batterson in the book:  “Sometimes physical contact creates a spiritual conduit. Proximity creates intimacy. Proximity proclaims authority. Drawing a prayer circle is one way of marking territory — God’s territory.”

These are not the writings of a serious student of the Bible. These are the writings of someone making stuff up about prayer and then attaching the name of God to it. To attribute thoughts and ideas to God that God has not revealed in His word is to break the third commandment in the worst way.

I remember a professor from Bible college who said that three words should end most theological debates: "book, chapter, and verse." But apparently that is not the case anymore. Too many Christians don't know or care what THE Book says. They simply want a new idea.

Perhaps the reason this book is so popular is that people are clamoring in many ways to connect with God. We all find our relationship with God dry and dusty at times, and this "touchy feely" approach has much appeal. It also is appealing to think that if I DO something that is pious and seems righteous looking, that God will surely answer.

Scripture has a much better, much simpler plan of prayer: it's about talking to God in FAITH; putting your trust in Him. Trusting that he knows better than we do. Biblical prayer is more about TRUST than about DEMANDS.

The Biblical plan of prayer is coming to God HUMBLY and without pretense (Matthew 6:5-15). Those who believe in this kind of prayer frequently talk about having a "bold" or "audacious" faith. A metric of quantity does not measure faith. Faith is measured by its direction.

If your faith is in Jesus Christ, you have great faith (Matthew 15:21-28 is a good example of this. Click below for a sermon on this passage). If your faith is in yourself or your prayer circle, your faith will be very small.

I know what many people will say in response to this already: it will be somewhere along the lines of "but isn't it a good thing to encourage people to pray more/pray harder?"

No, I don't think it is if it is going to take us away from the true teaching from Christ and the Apostles on prayer. Some links that I think are helpful:

http://www.challies.com/christian-living/dont-pray-in-circles

http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/the-circle-maker 

Fighting for the Faith - Part 1 on The Circle Maker

And this very interesting post. I don't know much about this author, so take it as it is:

http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2013/06/showing-in-pictures-how-circle-maker.html

Sola Scriptura.