We all need a little boost some days.
We all need a little reminder that God is at work in the dreams He has placed in our hearts.
The dreams God places on our hearts manifest themselves in different ways:
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a prayer request, something we are believing God for.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a goal, something we are collaborating with God over and trusting Him to lead the way.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a change we are wanting to make in our lives, something personal that would help us live with joy and enthusiasm.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a step of surrender, something we are turning over to God because we’re just not sure what to do with a particular dream of our heart or where He’s leading us.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a desire, something we want to turn over to God to allow Him to shape.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a habit we want to change, something we need His Holy Spirit to take over in our hearts.
Sometimes the dream on our heart is a miracle we are hoping for, something that feels over-the-top-impossible, but we’re believing God is still in the business of doing miracles.
The common theme of all the dreams we have in our hearts and in our lives is that they involve a process with God. As we look to God to help us dream well and live well ultimately to glorify Him with our lives, the dreams we dream don’t happen instantly. Instead, God walks us step by step, day by day, and even moment by moment.
It’s in the process where He cultivates our relationship with Him. Dreaming, then, becomes more about our relationship with the One who formed us than about the dream itself.
What I notice about the process of our dreaming journeys is that discouragement, fatigue, weariness, and doubts can slip in and steal the joy out of the dreaming process. One second we are believing God for the impossible, expectant, full of joy, and full of life. And later, discouragement settles in. Maybe the day to day starts to feel a little mundane or we lose the zest we originally had for the dream God put on our hearts. So we lose a little bit of our joy, and ever so subtly, ever so discreetly, our dreaming hearts stop dreaming. And a gal who stops dreaming with her God loses a bit of her joy and her zeal. So sometimes she just needs some little sticky notes of truth for her heart to keep her going.
She needs to remember that God knows, sees, and hears every prayer request of her heart, every grace-filled goal of her heart, every desire for change, every desire to live life well and in step with God, every step of surrender, every habit she wants to change, and every hope for a miracle.
God sees all of her heart, her life, and her daily steps of faith. And He wants her to remember that He is with her in all her dreaming steps.
So today, consider these truths your little sticky notes for your heart to hang onto when you feel that discouragement set in and to help you find a sweet and deep level of contentment right where God has you in your dreaming journey. Are you ready? I am! I need a million sticky notes for my heart because otherwise, I lose heart too. Sweet ones, let God stir your passion again for the dreams He has put on your heart. Here we go…
Your dreaming heart is fashioned by God. This means you have been specially formed and fashioned for precious works that only you can do. When you feel discouraged in the waiting, remember you are on God’s mind. Since before you were born, He’s known you and He’s known about all those dreams on your heart and His heart for your life.
Your unique assignments are unique to you. God specifically formed you for specific assignments. No one else can do the specific things God is leading you to do. God is walking you step by step towards the unique assignments made just for you. You don’t have to worry that you will be late or that you’ll totally miss something. He’s your Guide, your Navigator, and your Anchor.
Your dreaming questions are welcome here. God wants to hear your questions. He knows you have them. As you journey along with God, ask Him questions all along the way. The questions cultivate your relationship with Him. You can ask Him anything and reach out to Him any time of day.
Your path, your dreaming path, is one carved out and predetermined by God. Let that sink in. The God of the universe has a unique path made just for you. You don’t have to worry about missing it or falling off of it. Simply keep company with Him day by day. He will keep you on His path for you. Some parts of it will feel fancier and more glamorous than others. Some parts of it may feel lonely and mundane. But the whole path is important, and He never leaves you alone on your dreaming path.
Your peace is important to God. The Prince of Peace wants you to have peace in your life. Sometimes the silliest things steal our peace. And we have an enemy who does not want us to live with the peace of God. Know that God wants you to live with His peace. The way to His peace – pray, bring everything to Him. Trade in your worries through prayer and receive the peace of God.
Your contentment is important to God. God doesn’t want you to always be in a state of restless angst. He wants you to love the beautiful grass right under your toes. Know that where God has you right now is right where He wants you. Let God help you cultivate contentment in your life. I think sometimes God is waiting for us to love where we are before He moves us into what we are dreaming for.
Your doubts can be signposts to point you to God. When you feel your doubts about your dreams creep in, run to the One who’s in control of your dreams. Run to the One who has it all planned out. Let your doubts point you to Him.
Your fears can be signposts to a budding faith. Over and over again in Scripture, God reminds us, “Do not fear.” Fears can be anything that holds us back from trusting God. Anything that causes us to doubt God. Your fears matter to God. He wants to take the burden of your fears off your shoulders and carry them for you. Whatever fears you have regarding the dreams God has put on your heart, God wants to take them and dissolve them.
Your gifts are real! God has gifted you. Yes, you! He’s gifted you with unique talents, giftings, skills, and combined that with a custom-made personality, demeanor, and heart. He wants to use your gifts to further His kingdom on earth, to point people to Him, to change the world. It may or may not look like ministry. But if you are His daughter, you are gifted and He will gladly guide you and show you how He wants you to use those gifts. You don’t have to fret to find them. Your gifts will be revealed as you walk with Him. You walking in your giftings is ministry.
Your purpose is to walk in His purposes for you. God has a sovereign plan for the world – to bring salvation to the hearts of all. You’re part of His story. You play an epic role in bringing hearts to God. You have purpose every single day, whether you are on a stage with lights and an audience, or hidden in the laundry room sorting socks. No matter how unseen or unknown or insignificant you feel, God gives your life purpose.
Your identity is child or daughter of God. So in the dreaming, when the process feels hard and the dreams seem far off, your identity is secure because rather than placing your identity in the dream itself, your identity is secure in Him. Even though dreaming with God can feel like riding a roller coaster, with uncertainties, delays, twists, and turns, your identity is secure in Him.
Your story is written by the Author of life. And He’s using your unique story to bloom the fragrance of Christ in your generation. He’s using your story to shape you. He’s using your story to bless others. He’s using your story to display God. Embrace your unique story. Never wish for another story.
Your soul matters to God. He wants your soul to be hydrated. Our souls get thirsty. If we don’t guard and tend our souls and hearts, we lose our footing in the dreams of our hearts. We grow weary, we lose heart. What makes your soul come alive? Do more of the things that make your soul dance. In the process of dreaming with God, make sure you take some time to let your soul breathe.
Your lane is custom-made and God wants you to stay in it. It’s tempting to peer over into someone else’s lane and wish your lane looked a little bit more like there’s. It’s tempting to step out of your own lane and try and pursue someone else’s calling and life. But remember, your lane is custom-made and your lane is where God is going to blossom you into all He created you to be. Don’t look right. Don’t look left. Keep your eyes on Jesus and enjoy your lane. When you get busy enjoying your own lane, you won’t have time to wish for anything else.
Your joy matters to God. God wants to fill you with the abundance of His joy – a joy that is divine, a joy that comes from God, a joy that becomes a spring, an overflow of life and love. When you feel things stealing your joy, take note and bring that thing to God. What’s stealing your joy? It’s important to God that you notice it and allow Him to show you how to cultivate joy in the process of dreaming with Him.
Your impact can’t be measured. No number, mark, or accolade can prove your worth or measure your impact. Earthly rewards seem to be what we go for, but only the divine approval of God in our unseen moments can truly satisfy our dreaming hearts. God is using you to impact the world for His kingdom. I know sometimes you can’t see it or feel it and so you’re tempted to give up on the dreams He’s laid on your heart. Just know that your impact can’t be measured and that God alone sees the impact. God is using you to have a ripple effect for His kingdom. As you dream with Him and do the things you were made to do and simply live day to day life with God, your life will have a God-sized impact.
Your disappointments are seen by God. He knows everything in your life that’s felt hard, difficult, or discouraging. He sees all the ways you’ve felt disappointed. Sweet one, He will use each one to direct your steps. He will pick you up again and again. He will uplift you over and over again. He will never stop pursuing you. You can confidently and boldly bring Him everything that has caused hurt or disappointment. He will gladly comfort you and restore you and turn every the hard things into something beautiful.
Your desires to live out God’s dreams for you are beautiful. God puts desires in your heart, so trust Him to guide you in the desires of your heart. If you’re not sure if a desire is from God or something that’s coming from the wrong motivation or something, you can trust God with it. You can bring Him that desire and ask Him to clarify it. So bring every desire to the One who created desire. Don’t assume every desire is a bad desire. God uses our desires to lead us into the dreams He has for us and to lead us closer to His heart.
Your delays and detours are seen by God. What feels like a delay or a detour may actually be God redirecting your heart. Embrace the delays. Embrace the detours. God sees the bigger picture. He sees so much more than we can see. What we see as delays and detours, God may see as redirection, or space and time for Him to work out another piece of the puzzle. Know there will be delays and detours on your dreaming journey, but instead of seeing them as trouble, see them from God’s perspective: gems along the way that remind you: God is at work.
Your weariness matters to God. When you feel weary, tell the One who is leading your life. And sweet one, let yourself rest. I’m going to repeat that – let yourself rest. God rested on the seventh day of creating the world. He set a pattern for us to rest as well. Listen to your body, soul, and mind when they’re telling you they’re weary. And rest. Rest reminds us that God is ultimately in control of our lives and our dreaming journey. Part of the process of dreaming with God means taking rests stops along the way for soul hydration. Rest gives new life to our dreaming journey.
Your delights are gifts from God. Those things that make your heart dance, that make you all giddy inside, that you light you up inside, that bring you joy – those are the delights of your heart. And God puts them there. He knows just the things to light up your day. So notice what brings you joy and delight. That is feeling God’s pleasure. Dig into the things that bring you delight – they are gifts from Him. You making time to enjoy what delights you delights God. He loves seeing your heart dance. And the delights of your heart give you fresh energy for the dreaming journey ahead.
Your emotions are not something to be embarrassed by or frustrated by. God created emotions. And your emotions make up the YOU God created you to be. Ask God to help you when your emotions feel frustrating or like they are consuming you. Ask God to be in control of your emotions. But don’t try to always suppress your emotions. Your emotions make you you. Let the Spirit be in control of your emotions and let God use your emotions to work with your gifts to become the YOU He is leading you to be. Your emotions are beautiful. Let me say that again. Your emotions are beautiful.
I could go on and on and on with these sticking notes for your dreaming heart. I know that was a lot of sticky notes for one dreaming gal’s heart! My prayer for you today is that you would see that your process of dreaming with God is sometimes going to feel, well, like a process. But I want you to see today that every day you can live with a sense of joyful expectancy when you remember:
God is in the process. He is at work in your dreaming heart and in the dreams He has for your life. Don’t give up and don’t lose heart.
~ Sarah
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” Jeremiah 1:5
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