God is Great  (October 13, 2014) by Jim Crosby

In their hearts humans plan their course but the Lord establishes their steps.

                                                                                         Proverbs 16:9

"God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him, God is also great because nothing is too small."

Don't you love that?  Can't you envision the Almighty God looking down from Heaven and seeing us scurrying around from task to task, appointment to appointment, agenda to agenda.

We must look like a bunch of ants down here going in every direction.

But, as Mark Batterson writes in "Draw the Circle" the beauty of it all is that no person, is too big or small to be loved by God.  After all he created us.  So why wouldn't he be concerned about what we are concerned about?

Our church has embarked on a 40-day prayer journey using Batterson's book.  The concept he proposes is that we draw a circle around ourselves and put our concerns in there with us and pray for these, at least once, each day for 40 days.

The key is to set up a regular pattern of prayer.  Being consistent in your prayer life yields great dividends. Here's another statement I love from that book.  How about that? Two major thought-provokers in two chapters.

            "If you pray to God regularly, irregular things will happen on a regular basis."           

Now tell me you don't love that one!  Cool, huh!  What's cool about it is that it works.  Many times in my life I have seen, something good happen out of the blue, because God ordained it.  He dreamed it up.  He sent it my way.

These answered prayers have often been irregular indeed.  Something I had not really thought about.  And, yes, better than what I had prayed about.   That's not to say I haven't experienced a direct answer to a specific prayer.  That has happened many times.

With that in mind let me share with you what author Batterson said on the 2nd day. 

This one got my attention, I think you will understand why.

"I have a handful of prayers I pray all the time, writes Batterson.  "Because of their frequent repetition.  I call them prayer mantras.  One is that God will put my books into the right hands at the right time."  Oh yeah, as an author, I like that prayer.

Batterson adds, "I've prayed this prayer thousands of times, and God has answered it in dramatic fashion countless times. The right book in the right hands at the right time can save a marriage, avert a mistake, demand a decision, plant a seed, conceive a dream, solve a problem, and prompt a prayer.  That's why I Write.  And that's why for me, a book sold is not a book sold; a book sold is a prayer answered.  I don't know the name of every reader, but God does, and that's all that matters."  BTW, I counted 10 books on-line written by Batterson.

His prayer circling started with a desire to lead his church in corporate prayer with a 40-Day challenge. He said that he felt like he wanted the church-National Community Church in Washington, D.C.-to circle the scripture 2 Chronicles 7:14.

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

He challenged them to "hit their knees and pray" at 7:14 a.m. each morning in honor of that scripture.  It wasn't that the time was important it was just a reminder to pray daily.

Now he said that the goal wasn't to get what they wanted in 40 days, it was to get what God wanted. Batterson says that "Too often we pray ASAP-as soon as possible prayers when we should do ALAT prayers---as long as it takes."

At Good Samaritan we have been praying for growth for some time now.  In fact, all along we have said that we were building our church one-prayer-at-a-time.  Our original hope was to build a church building, then get so busy in doing the Lord's work, we would outgrow that one and have to build another one.

Of course we didn't reckon with the recession that would engulf our country and increase the degree of difficulty.  But, now, 7 years later we are ready to move ahead with that second building.  We are able to because God is great…all the time!

So, now we are embarking on a church-wide season of prayer for this endeavor.  That's why we are circling it in prayer.  If God has continued to build our congregation with one prayer at a time being offered up, imagine what he will do with 200 prayer circles that have the same prayer for Divine Guidance in our Capital Campaign and construction of this second building.

As each piece of this new building goes up we can see prayer power at work.  Constructing a building, living a life, growing in knowledge, aging gracefully all happen over a period of time.  We have learned that the foundation for all of these is in the prayers of the people whose lives they affect.

Is there anyone who is unfamiliar with the blessing we were taught as children that was said before meals?  "God is great, God is good.  Let us thank him for this food."  There is a second part that often doesn't get said because everyone is hungry and ready to eat.  It goes, "By His hands we are fed, Give us Lord our daily bread, Amen!"

Yes, God is great because of his authority and power.  He is Good because he loves us and watches over us.       

And as God watches over us it must delight him to see us creating these prayer circles that surround us as we confidently lift up those prayers from within and be blessed because our faithfulness. Within those circles is where we find out what God truly wants and what makes him Great…all the time.

Monday Prayer:  Lord please bless our prayer circles and continue to use these prayers to grow your kingdom.  Amen!

 ***author's note:  I hope you will get excited about drawing a circle that will bless your life this week.