- Well, he's the pastorof a huge church in D.C.

with seven campuses, a coffee house,

a theater, a Dream Center, and more.

Plus Mark Batterson is aprolific best-selling author

and he traces all hissuccess to a prayer he prayed

at the foot of his father-in-law's casket.

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Mark Battersonhas been the lead pastor

of National CommunityChurch in Washington D.C.

for the last 20 years.

He's also a New YorkTimes Best Selling author

who's books have inspired millions

with his insightful biblical teaching.

In his latest book, "Double Blessing,"

Mark challenges you to adopt a lifestyle

of gratitude and generosityso you can receive

and then give God's blessingsto those around you.

- Please welcome back tothe 700 Club the pastor

of National CommunityChurch in Washington, D.C.

Mark Batterson.

Mark, great to see you again.

- It's good to be back, Wendy.

- You know, we've had you on many times,

but wait, I don't think we have mentioned

you are a Regent graduate.

Tell us about your time here.

- I am, this is way backwhen we first planted

National Community Church.

Church was about 20, 25 people,

had a little bit of time on my hands.

- [Wendy] Yeah.

- And so thought, why don't I do

this Doctor of Ministry Program at Regent.

It's not too far from D.C.

- [Wendy] This was in the late 90s, right.

- This was in the late 90s,

and it really laid thefoundation for what God has done.

And so, I'm so grateful for Regent

and proud to be an alumni.

- Well absolutely, we are proud too.

Well talk about thatprayer that you whispered

at the foot of your father-in-law'scasket when he passed.

He was only 55 years old,he was the lead pastor

of a big mega-church in Indiana?

- [Mark] In Chicago.

- In Illinois.

- Yes.

- What was that prayer,and why did it have

such an impact on your life?

- You know, it was sounexpected, and we were grieving,

and you go into emotional shock,

but as I stood by that casket

I just had one of these moments

where I asked God for a double portion

of His anointing, of His Spirit,

almost like Elisha and Elijah,

and I really believe thatGod has honored that prayer.

Wendy, I'm not sure I knewexactly what I was asking for,

but I'm so grateful.

God has a way answering our prayers

beyond our ability to use the 26 letters

of the English alphabet in a perfect way.

- Because didn't Elijah tell Elisha,

"You've asked a difficult thing?"

- Yes, yes, and I think part of that is

we tend to envy other people's success,

but we don't think about the sacrifices

that they made to get there.

And so, I asked for that anointing,

but you know what that meant,

it meant I needed to hit my knee in prayer

the way that he did.

- And you talk a lotabout your father-in-law

in your new book, "Double Blessing,"

and you talk about thetime he spent on his knees,

and he was really a mentorto you as a young pastor.

- Yeah, he really was,not just a father-in-law,

but a spiritual father, andI'm so grateful for his legacy,

and I feel like everythingthat the Lord does

in and through us is really a testament

to the foundation that he laid.

- Amazing.

Well let's talk about what happened to you

before the release of your first book,

you've got 17, so goingback to your first one.

You were at a conference withTommy Barnett, what happened?

- Yeah, he gave an altar call and said,

"If you want a multiplication anointing,"

and I didn't even know what that was,

but I thought, if Tommy'soffering it, I'm taking it.

And so--

- He's the God Chaser guy, right?

- Tommy is the Dream Center in L.A.

- Dream Center, that's right.

- And pastored in Phoenix.

And I just very humbly asked God

for a multiplication annotatingon the books I write,

and I would say this as well,

that I pray that the Lord would put

my books in the righthands at the right time,

so a book sold is reallya prayer answered,

and I've seen God do that in some pretty

strange and mysterious ways.

- Oh, I love that.

Well how can we positionourselves to receive,

not just a blessing,but a double blessing?

- Yeah, well I think firstof all we need to understand

God's most ancient instinct is blessing,

it's the very first thing He does.

And so, God wants to bless us

beyond our ability to ask or imagine,

but He's not gonna blessgreed, or pride, or laziness.

- Or disobedience.

- Or disobedience.

I think there are some habitsof highly blessed people,

and I share some of those in the book.

But this I'm sure, thatif we live in obedience,

in humility, then God hasblessings in categories

we can't even conceive of.

- Okay, you talk aboutflipping the blessing.

First of all, how do we flip the blessing,

and what is flipping the blessing?

- Yeah, well you know an observant Jew

would actually offer 100 blessings a day,

and so it's so importantto keep inventory,

to count our blessings.

But then you flip thatblessing by just blessing

other people in the waythat you've been blessed,

and it's not just monetary,

I think it's time, talent, and treasure.

- You talk about if somebodypays you a compliment,

you make a mental note, okayI'm gonna pay that forward,

I'm gonna give somebody else,

sincerely, someone who deserves it.

- It something as simple as a smile,

or someone in our day and age

giving you undivided attention,that's a gift, right?

- Yeah, somebody's who'snot on their phone,

it's like wow, okay, thisperson is really listening.

Well the majority of people in your church

are in their 20s, Mark.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- I mean, I know you look young, okay,

but I'm not gonna say 20.

How are you doing that,

how are you capturing their attention?

- Yeah, you know, I thinkwe're not just trying

to build a church, we'retrying to bless a city,

and so we've taken 272 mission trips,

we're caring for refugees

who are resettling in the D.C. area,

loving our friendsexperiencing homelessness.

I think Millennials want a hands-on faith

that follows the example of Jesus,

and that's really whatwe're trying to do in D.C.

- Yeah, well I know I broke it to you

on your last interview on the 700 Club

that you were my pastor myfirst year at CBN up in D.C.,

and I came to your church,

and you were in a movietheater at the time.

- [Mark] Yes.

- And you're not in the movietheater anymore I guess.

- Nope.

- Now you have seven campuses.

And your church was sucha blessing to me then,

and I know it is to so many young people,

and of course I was 20 years younger,

but what is the message youwant most of your readers,

or most for your readers to take home

when they read "Double Blessing?"

- Yeah, well I think true joy is found

on the giving side of life,

and so let's count those blessings,

but then let's flip those blessings

because that really is when the blessing

becomes the double blessing.

So the secret to gettingit, is actually giving it.

- And you know, it's so true, isn't it?

You get so much joy.

I mean, it's great to get,but it's greater to give,

and this is a wonderfulbook, I'm enjoy it very much.

Mark's book is called, "DoubleBlessing: How to Get it.

How to Give it," and it'savailable wherever books are sold.

Mark, keep writin' 'em,we'll keep readin' 'em.

- Thank you so much, Wendy.

- [Wendy] God bless.