For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) There is great power in what you see in your heart. Years ago, I prayed for a man who tearfully explained how his wife had become unfaithful. She often came home to him and their two children drunk and with another man. As I prayed for him, he continued to sob and cry. He was grieving. Deep down, he truly saw no hope and could envision nothing but more of the same. Since you cannot be without hope and full of faith at the same time, we needed to change his picture. We prayed and asked Holy Spirit to help him to envision his wife in church with arms raised in worship. It …
Hang Onto The Vision
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4 (NKJV) Having a vision is only step one. Hanging on to the vision is just as crucial. King Solomon knew that the picture you hold in your heart needs to be protected, which is why he said Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23, NLT). Few people keep a vision long enough to see it come to pass. Their vision becomes dimmed by impatience, discouragement and negative people who say it can’t be done. To avoid disappointment, many stop expecting good things to happen and they resort to complaining— which is only an outward expression of a negative vision. For …
Change Your Life: Incubate A New Picture
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:23-24 (NLT) Your heart is like an incubator. What you allow into your heart generates the life you have. In fact, your future is being incubated in your heart right now. The picture you have in your heart of what family looks like is creating your family dynamics. The relationships you have right now may not necessarily be what you want; they reflect what you have been incubating. The level of success you achieve in your career is directly related to the beliefs you hold in your heart about yourself, your potential and success in general. If you are struggling in an …
Envision Your Future
Then Jacob took some fresh branches…and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated…. They gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Genesis 30:37-39 (NLT) The following story from Genesis 29 and 30 may seem extreme, but it illustrates a very important Biblical principle. You can envision your future. Jacob was in love with Rachel. He worked a total of 14 years for her father Laban to earn her hand in marriage. When the 14 years were up, Laban wanted him to stay, so they struck up a deal. Jacob agreed to look after all of Laban’s animals …
Vision Comes First
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) God wants to give you a new picture of what your life can be like. He may show you a vision by dropping a picture into your spirit, but more often it is something you need to intentionally seek out. You can read God’s Word to find out what an amazing circle of friends, a fulfilling career and a close family looks like. Ask Holy Spirit to show it to you, and then close your eyes until you can picture it in your life. Your vision will move you towards what you desire. Many people have this principle backwards. They think that they need to come up with …