Reading for Today:
Ps. 61, 62, 68
Gen. 42:1-17
1 Cor. 5:1-8
Mark 3:19b-35
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” — Napoleon Hill Continue reading “The dream deferred”
Tag: Visions
The boldness to interpret dreams
Reading for today:
Ps. 40, 54, 51
Gen. 40:1-23
1 Cor. 3:16-23
Mark 2:13-22
When a world needs the boldness of the prophet, where is the church? Continue reading “The boldness to interpret dreams”
Principles for Living in Babylon
Just some quick notes from my message last week out of Daniel 2:
Be people of prayer.
To dream and keep on dreaming
A little over two years ago, on my worst day that year, I was at my church spending the day in prayer. The Lord had told me that morning not to be on “defense” that day in prayer. Don’t ask him for the provision I so desperately needed, but ask him for what was ahead. I was not to ask for me, I was to declare victory in my city. Continue reading “To dream and keep on dreaming”
The Daniel Generation
In our day it’s important to realize we are bridging key cultural shifts. For those my age (somewhere north of 39, you know) it is key we pay attention.
This is a word I think the Lord dropped into my heart as I listened to a great preacher utilize the text from Daniel:
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. (Daniel 11:32)
As I was listening to the message, these seven thoughts came to my mind and I jotted them down:
- We will go through the fire.
- We may face the lions.
- We are called to discern the times.
- We are called to BLESS our enemies.
- We will not be loved, generally, by this culture.
- We must find our depth in God through fasting, prayer, and the Word.
- Know God, stand firm, and take action.
Let us live with power and anointing in these days!
Speaking with boldness into this culture
“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Gen. 40:8)
We don’t like dreams very much. We chalk it up to what we ate last night.
But this culture is shifting. There is a realization that we can’t explain everything with scientific reason. There are movements beyond our control. So, people may dream some dreams and be interested in what it may mean.
Are we willing to be open to the Spirit of God to aid us in those moments? Can we trust the Spirit like Joseph trusted God?
This is a day we can speak boldly into our culture. Are we ready?
Daring to pray differently
I woke up this morning with text from Isaiah 2 on my heart and this challenge from the Lord: “Will you dare to pray differently?”
This is what Isaiah saw. With the doom and gloom of Isaiah 1, he still saw something different (2:1).
The Lord has challenged me over the past few months to ask HIM for my prayers. I have tried to pray what HE asks me to pray. It’s led to some pretty ridiculous prayers… and some fairly ridiculous answers.
Isaiah was asked to see something different:
4 God will judge between the nations,
and settle disputes of mighty nations.
Then they will beat their swords into iron plows
and their spears into pruning tools.
Nation will not take up sword against nation;
they will no longer learn how to make war.
5 Come, house of Jacob,
let’s walk by the Lord’s light. (Isa. 2:4-5, NIV)
When war, judgment, and destruction were all around him, God invites Isaiah to see something very different. The invitation is to see the day when war will not be necessary any more.
Most mornings will consist of some battle of some kind over finances. I have to break through in my prayers and my thinking about finances. This morning, the challenge from the Spirit was immediate, strong, and joyful: “Pray differently. Pray blessing. Pray abundance.”
The temptation is to see the doom and gloom and think it’s just more of the same. Today, the challenge is to see through the eyes of the Spirit into something more possible.
“…let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
The place of longing
There is a place of waiting God will take us. He will birth a dream in us and then it seems… the dream delays. The question at that point is this: “Will you keep pursuing? Will you keep asking? Will you keep longing for what God wants to do?”
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay. (Hab. 2:3, NRSV)
We want everything in a hurry. We hear something from God and think it’s going to happen… yesterday.
Let God birth something magnificent in you that will take your attention, your time, your passion. May you long for it to happen!
I want to have new dreams planted in my heart. I want to long for God to come and get it done. I need to learn to wait, to anticipate. We need to learn to have our eyes glued to the Father and what he has for us rather than what we want for ourselves.
This is an EASY Thing for God
2 Kings 3:14-19
Elisha prophesied for Joram, not out of any love for the man, but out of respect for Jehoshaphat. The trouble was Moab and Joram wanted to know if they were going to be okay.
The thought that stands out for me is this: “This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” (v. 18, NIV)
It jumped out to me as I have been praying about some HUGE things God has given me in the last year. There are things I know with a lot of assurance are GOD, but when I look at what is at hand… it’s a bit nerve racking.
Yet, I have confidence in what God is saying. When I think about what is ahead, I keep coming into passages like this one.
These are places where the Lord readily reminds me, “This is an EASY thing for me, Dan. Just step out!”
New things are stirring. God is ready to birth new things in our church. And it is EASY for him!
