Today on “Practical Faith,” I want to lead you in a time of dreaming with God about your future. You can do this wherever you are right now: in your car, at home, at the gym, wherever.
For just a couple of minutes, we are going to talk and think about and practice dreaming together with God: Dreaming. Dreaming with God about your future. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a good future.”
What are you dreaming about, with the Lord, for your life?
What are you dreaming about? When you think toward your future with God – next week, next month, next year, 10 years from now – what are you dreaming about?
What are you dreaming about for your spiritual growth? For your career? Your education? Your professional development? Your personal relationships?
What are you dreaming about for your physical health? for your mental health? for your emotions? What is your dream for the state of your soul?
Now, dreaming is not something that is neat and tidy and predictable. Dreaming is hard to do when you are stiff and rigid. Dreaming requires some looseness and some flexibility.
Dreaming also requires boldness and daring and courage. Especially if you have ever had a dream not come true. It takes courage to allow yourself to dream again.
Dreaming takes courage! And dreaming with God takes faith. And flexibility. And a willingness to surrender your hopes and dreams to a trustworthy God.
What are you dreaming about, with the Lord, for your own life? What is your vision for the different aspects of your life as a lover of God and a follower of Jesus?
Really, dreaming is all about hope. Real hope is kindled when we dream together with God. I want you to receive an injection of hope today. What are your hopes for yourself? For your character? For your family? For your future? For your legacy?
Today, I want to create space for you to dream with God. Now, I’ll pose some questions to you, and I want you just to allow yourself to honestly answer these questions, for yourself, wherever you are right now, okay, ready?
When I say, “what is your dream?”, what is the very first thought that comes into your mind?
That question is intentionally vague. Let me ask it another way, and you just answer with the first things that come into your mind: “When you envision your future with the Lord, what do you see?”
Alright, now don’t critique or evaluate your answers just yet. Just answer. Just let your feelings and ideas take the lead right now. You’ll get a chance to critique and evaluate your dreams later, but for right now, just give yourself permission to dream with God – even if it’s absurd, even if it’s ridiculous or sounds impossible. Even if it feels too simple or easy – just invite God to help you be fully free to dream together with Him about your future in Him.
And, strange as it may sound, that’s where we will leave things for now. We’ll pick up right here next time on “Practical Faith” with what to do with those dreams, how to evaluate them and make sense of them and to begin to order them and pursue them, but for now, the goal is just to have the space and the permission to dream about your future together with God – the One who holds you, knows you, loves you, wants the very best for you! The One who knows the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a good future.
