“We need to establish a daily rhythm in order to have a daily relationship with God. The best way to do that is to begin the day with prayer.”- Mark Batterson
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”- Psalm 5:3
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 13 of The Circle Maker, he notes David’s determination to lay his requests before the Lord and wait expectantly. Most of us, Pastor Batterson states, just wait. There is a huge difference between waiting and waiting expectantly.
We tend to have low expectations, underestimating how good and great God is. Prayer is the way for us to sanctify our expectations, priming and readying us for the promises of God.
It also is important for us to find and establish our own rituals or routines. Mark cites Oswald Chambers: “Let God be as original with other people as He is with you.” That includes incorporating prayer circles. Mark explains what applying prayer principles is and is not:
“It’s not a formula; it’s faith. It’s not a methodology; it’s theology. It honestly doesn’t matter whether it’s a circle, an oval, or a trapezoid. Drawing prayer circles is nothing more than laying our requests before God and waiting expectantly. If walking in circles helps you pray with more consistency and intensity, then make yourself dizzy; if not, then find something, find anything, that helps you pray through.”
Mark offers this equation: Praying hard + thinking long = staying focused. Just as all of life is meant to be an act of worship, all of life is meant to be a prayer.
Today’s question: What has helped you establish a daily rhythm of prayer? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Expect great progress”
