“The greatest moments in life are the moments when God intervenes on our behalf and blesses us way beyond what we expect or deserve.”- Mark Batterson
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 9 of The Circle Maker, he reminds us there is nothing God loves more than keeping His promises. Praying hard is standing on God’s promises. Pastor Batterson emphasizes that “when we stand on His word, God stands by His word. His word is His bond.”
Mark observes that we experience problems when we doubt ourselves, which in turn leads to doubting God. We don’t ask God to extend His hand to us because we don’t know or don’t trust His heart. Pastor Batterson states God wants to bless us far more than we want to be blessed. Mark describes the heart of our heavenly Father:
“He can hardly wait to keep His promises. He can hardly wait to perform His word. He can hardly wait to answer our prayers. And when we simply take Him at His word, He can hardly contain His joy.”
Pastor Batterson cites his favorite verse in the twenty-third psalm (Psalm 23:6)- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” He notes that follow isn’t a strong enough translation. The word follow is a hunting term in Hebrew. The psalmist is saying that God is hunting us down to bless us.
Mark writes that he prays for the favor of God more than anything else. He defines God’s favor as “what God does for you that you cannot do for yourself.” When God blesses us beyond what we expect or deserve, it’s a humble reminder of His sovereignty.
Today’s question: Describe the greatest moments in your life and how they help you to stand on God’s promises. Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “He makes provision”
