The book on prayers and miracles that Glenn Beck is reading

On today's Glenn Beck radio program, in an aside Glenn mentioned a title that he described as "a really good book on prayer, miracles and how to pray."

What was the name of the book?

"The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears" by author Mark Batterson, lead pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, D.C.

The Circle Maker is premised on the Jewish legend of Honi ha-Ma'agel, known as Honi "the Circle-drawer," who is chronicled in the Mishnah.

During the 1st Century BC, Honi, a Jewish scholar, is said to have drawn a circle and refused to budge from it until G-d answered his prayer and sent down rain during a devastating drought. Honi's prayer was answered.

Batterson uses this circle-drawing as a figurative vehicle: "Drawing prayer circles around our dreams isn’t just a mechanism whereby we accomplish great things for G-d. It’s a mechanism whereby G-d accomplishes great things in us." Honi's circle was symbolic of the potential of each prayer to change the world.

Perhaps Batterson's book is best summarized in this quote from a section entitled "My First Circle:"

...[answers that Batterson received to his own prayers] are a testament to the sovereignty of G-d and a reminder that if you draw prayer circles, G-d will answer those prayers somehow, someway, sometime. G-d has been answering that prayer for fifteen years, and He'll keep answering it forever. Like Honi, your prayers have the potential to change the course of history. It's time to start circling.

You can find Batterson's book on Amazon, and sample a free chapter here.