Time to Dream.
Loving my Bible Reading Plan. The Bible in 90days.
Able to really get inside the story. Like being in a movie.
Awesome to devour huge chunks at a time and get some trends.
- Genesis-God is a Creator and a Provider
- Exodus-God is a Deliverer and Protector
- Leviticus-God is Holy so you better be Holy too!
- Numbers-God is counting on you!
As I’m reading Genesis I see that God speaks to people a lot through dreams.
- People encounter Him through Dreams
- He warns people through Dreams
- He provides super natural strategies
- He gives people glimpses of the future
- He gathers Dreamers to other Dreamers
As we kick off 2012 I want to encourage you that it’s a
“Time to Dream”
Eleanor Roosevelt
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
The poorest man is not the one without a cent, but the one without a dream. Annon.
A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.-John Barrymore
Without a Dream in our hearts we lay about stagnant.
Dreams, Plans, Vision and hopes propel us to our future.
Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 “as a man thinketh (Dreams) in his heart-so he is” (paraphrase mine.)
So this is saying that where we focus, think about, ponder on, get excited about is the direction we will go, follow or pursue.
The same is true of negativity if we focus on that.
Job had fears that he pondered on and they came to pass because that’s where he pointed his thought compass.
Paul said this- whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Its time to reset your thoughts and dreams for 2012
Time to set the Compass for 2012
If 2011 was tough-do a 180 and start focusing on 2012
This is why we have Dream Sunday.
It’s a chance to make a focused effort on Praying for our Dreams and desires for the year ahead.
To present them before the Lord and get them anointed.
We could worry about the year ahead or we can come in faith!
Again Paul said “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Phil 4:6
We will be thanking Jesus in advance for what He is going to do.
So why Dream? How do I Dream?
One of the reasons we don’t dream is because we are simply to busy!
Too busy to pray, reflect and allow ourselves to hear from God
Dreams and Visions are the language of the Holy Spirit
If we are too busy God wont always interrupt
When we stop and allow God some room- He will speak.
Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
I had know idea my life would make a dramatic turn until……
Doesn’t have to be a special place although if you can that’s great
We just need God time like we need oxygen.
You cant see it but its really really good for us!
So what’s the big deal with all this God Dreaming?
Why take time to Dream?
1. Take time to Dream if you want to hear from God
Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD
Jacob is finally out on his own when God comes to him in a dream
Its while he is alone and available that he has an encounter with God
- Jesus would often retire to lonely & desolate places to talk to God.
- Moses went up the Mountain to meet with God & get instructions.
To get our God Dream placed inside of us we actually have to get away with the giver of Dreams
Away from distraction and allow the Holy Spirit a chance to speak to us.
Jacob was in a place where God had a chance, had an opportunity to speak to him in a dream.
And this is what He said “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
To give God the same opportunity to speak to you in 2012….
Take time to Dream!
2.Take Time to Dream if you want a Strategy for your plans
Genesis 31:10
Jacob and the streaked spotted and speckled sheep.
“In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked speckled or spotted.”
Jacob is making plans on how to achieve the best outcome for his mating period.
Mating period is the most important time on the farmer’s calendar.
Get mating wrong and you jeopardize the next season and beyond.
Its as he’s pondering his plans that he dreams and God drops into his spirit a super natural strategy!
11 “The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted”
Farming is survival of the fittest and strongest
God has shown him who out of the sheep will be the strongest, most virile (sexually potent) breeders.
Weather its farming, retail, business, investing it still works on the Principal of “Survival of the fittest”
When we take time to dream especially in the Presence of God we gain not only plans but strategy to fulfill those plans.
A Dream without a strategy to see it come to pass is a pipe dream!
Jacob had a desire to be a successful farmer
God gave him the strategy to take it to a whole new level
3. Take Time to Dream if you want to glimpse of your future
John was on the Island of Patmos and wrote Revelation
He saw way into the future the end times and Christ’s return.
Habakkuk 2:1 says
“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the LORD answered me and said:
“ Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
- Taking time to Dream takes faith
- Takes faith to believe that God will turn up
- Takes faith to set out and do what you receive
Joseph had to live by faith. He had to believe in his God Dream!
God gave him a dream of his future.
He stepped out in faith and told his family about it.
His dream seemed dead and buried
He thought he was back on track by being part of Potiphar’s team.
Bang he’s back in prison joining a butler and a baker.
But God is faithful and delivers Joseph to interpret Pharaohs dream.
Before you know it he’s running the whole country and seeing the fulfillment of his childhood dream of his brothers bowing down to him.
But the dreams God gave Joseph were not just about him
The God dream inside of him was all part of a bigger plan
The God dream inside of you will be for you and ultimately others.
God is always thinking way outside the box and bigger than us!
4. Take Time to Dream if you want to be apart of other Dreamers plans.
Dreamers attract Dreamers
Joseph is called to Pharaoh to interpret his dream.
Dreamers attract Dreamers!
When you’ve got the God Dream inside of you-you cant help attract others to it.
It bubbles out and ignites the Dream in others.
Synergy happens.
Next week we are going to be praying for your dreams in 2012
Not only yours but those of your kids as well.
Jesus greatest dream is you!
