Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge by Mark Batterson

Author:Mark Batterson [Batterson, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780310327509
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2012-12-18T05:00:00+00:00

Caution

There are moments when we need to turn our desires, ideas, and dreams into prayer fleeces. Now, we have to be very careful when it comes to putting fleeces before the Lord. Generally speaking, signs don’t precede our steps of faith; signs follow. But there are occasions when it’s OK to ask God for confirmation because of our uncertainty. I don’t think we should do it often, and we shouldn’t approach it in a haphazard manner that amounts to nothing more than picking petals off a daisy, saying, “She loves me; she loves me not.”

So here are a few cautions when it comes to fleeces. First, if God has already answered your question in Scripture, then you don’t need to even ask it. Don’t seek revelation when God has already given it. Second, check your motives to make sure they aren’t selfish. The fleece must come out of a genuine desire to honor God and do His will. Third, you have to be willing to accept whatever answer you receive without second-guessing it.

When God called Gideon to become a judge in Israel, he was filled with insecurity. When the angel addressed41 him as “mighty warrior,” I bet Gideon looked over his own shoulder to see who he was talking to because there was no way it could be him! He thought God was making a mistake. “How can I rescue Israel?42 My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”

But I love God’s answer: “I will be with you.”

That’s all we need to know, isn’t it? If we could come to grips with two fundamental truths, they would transform our lives: God is with us, and God is for us. That is all you ever need to know. God is with you, and God is for you. Let it sink into your spirit. And as Romans 8:31 states, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

The angelic encounter wasn’t enough for Gideon. He needed more confirmation, so he devised a test. He put a fleece before the Lord not once but twice. And God patiently reassured Gideon because Gideon asked out of genuine humility.

“If you are truly43 going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the LORD speaking to me.”

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