Do you have big dreams hiding in your heart? Do you have a vision of the future that you long to see come to pass? Some of the hopes we have are inspired by self: our desire to be appreciated and important, or to complete a life-long goal. Others, are inspired by God. As we continue to walk in faith, believing God to answer our prayers, our hearts are changed and our prayers are redirected. As we mature in faith, our wisdom and understanding increase. Our hopes and prayers become directed by the Lord, as we desire to see His kingdom come. We pray for the health and faith of others, and we develop a vision for what God can do with us and in us.

Psalm 37:4-7 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;”

We are directed to wait patiently for the Lord to move. His timetable is perfect, but different from ours. We want to see quick progress and immediate action. God’s agenda is a steadfast walk of faith and trust in Him. He knows our struggles and our weaknesses, and longs to see us trust Him. He hears our prayers and works in our hearts so that our dreams begin to align with His vision. Our goals in life change with maturity and faith. What is the vision that you have for your family and your community? What do you long to see happen in your church and your hometown? Have you allowed the Lord to direct your path so that He gives you a hope and a dream that builds His kingdom?

When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he said,

Matthew 6:9 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

If you can see yourself fulfilling your dream in your own strength and character, then your dream is too small. If what you imagine for yourself or your family seems impossibly difficult, and more than you can hope to accomplish, it could be a dream that God has put into your heart. So, how do you cooperate with a God-given dream?

Hebrews 11:1-3 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

God has a dream for you that can only be accomplished by faith: by trusting in His love and His power. Striving in our own determination leads to frustration, because we are powerless. Aligning with God’s dream and vision for our lives means we lean on Him and submit to His timetable and His direction. We allow God to change our hearts and our motives and see a redefining of our dream. We take one step of obedience at a time, and we see God take action. What we envision is too big for us. It can only be accomplished by partnering with our all-powerful God. In Him we can accomplish great things. We are in the days of Joel 2. God wants to move in your heart to give you dreams and visions.

Joel 2:28-29 “And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

Psalm 18:29-32 “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God- his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is a rock, except our God? - the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.”