No matter how bad things get, you’ve got to keep dreaming. There’s something powerful about writing goals down. It makes them feel permanent, which can be a little scary— but I think that’s the point. Writing it down means you have to hold yourself accountable to living it out. In the book of Habakkuk there’s a great verse about the power of writing things down. Similar to Jeremiah, the prophet Habakkuk lived during a tough time. Babylon was about to overthrow Israel, so they were facing fires left and right. At the beginning of Habakkuk, the prophet is complaining to God about everything that is happening. Watch how God responded: “Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it’ ” (2:2). Habakkuk ran to God, spent time with him, and God gave him a vision for the future.
Dream Again in Faith by Writing the Vision
God went on to tell Habakkuk about a time in the future when things would get better. Despite the fires raging all around, there would come a day when those fires would no longer be there. But notice that God told Habakkuk to write it down. Because it’s one thing to believe God in the moment, but when the heat cranks up, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember God’s goodness. And so God told him to write down the revelation. Yes, the fire is real. Yes, the pressure is real. Yes, the pain is real. But so is the fact that God has a plan for your future.
What if you sat down and wrote out the dreams and visions you have for your future? What if you wrote out a bucket list and started dreaming again? What are some things you want to do? What are some things you want to experience?
Dream Again in Faith Through Bold Prayer
What are some things you’re praying for that are so big you could never get them done without God’s miraculous intervention? Here are a few of the things I came up with. (Obviously my list is going to be different than yours. We all have our own calling. But I figured I’d share a few of my bucket list items with you in case it sparks some ideas for your list.)
God, I want to get to watch you build one of the most influential churches in this world— not for my glory, but for yours. God, I want to be able to tell one hundred thousand people about how good you are. God, I want to pass on one of the largest churches in our country, debt-free, to the next generation. God, I pray that my boys might want to be a part of that future version of Red Rocks Church. They may not, and you may have other dreams for them. But I get to pray for what I want to pray for, and I get to pray that they would want to be a part of it somehow, even if it’s just coming to a service or watching from wherever they live.
Honestly, most of the things on my list aren’t possible without God’s miraculous intervention, but that’s the whole point. I don’t know how it’s all going to work out, but it’s not my job to figure it out. I know all things are possible with God. My job is to dream big dreams, pray big prayers, do my best to make them happen every day, and then let God do the rest.
Dream Again in Faith Even in the Fire
If you are facing a fire right now, there’s a good chance it’s keeping you from dreaming God- sized dreams about your future. But what if, instead of waiting for the fire to die down, you started dreaming again right in the middle of the fire? One of the best ways to kiss the fire is to begin making plans for the future as if the fire weren’t even there. Ask God to put some dreams in your heart. Search your own soul. Go back to some dreams that you used to have before things got tough.
Then sit down and make a bucket list. Some of the things on your list can be serious, but also have fun with it. Write down the exciting and wild things you dream about doing one day. The trip you’ve always wanted to go on. The person you’ve always wanted to meet.
Dream Again in Faith with Action Steps
The experience you’ve always wanted to have. The food you’ve always wanted to try. The great thing about having a bucket list is it gives you an easy thing to pray for. On days when you’re feeling worn down or too tired to dream about the future, pull out your bucket list and start praying that God will open a door for you to step into those things.
My challenge for you is to spend some time with God this week and pray that God would help you make two lists and take one step of faith.
Dream Again in Faith with Small Steps
List 1: Bucket List
The first list is where you dream big. What are some things you want to accomplish in your lifetime? Don’t hold back. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Don’t play small with your list. As you write, continue to pray that God would give you dreams to supersede the flames you’re facing right now— dreams that couldn’t happen without him.
List 2: Short-Term Finish Lines
It’s really easy for me to get so overwhelmed by the big dreams on list 1 that I want to just give up— especially when life gets crazy. The next step is to set up some short-term finish lines for yourself. Look at your calendar. If there is a particularly busy season coming up that is making you feel overwhelmed, set up a finish line for yourself. Circle the date and then choose something fun to do when you get through it.
Now: Take One Step
Don’t try to do everything at once; just decide on one simple step you can take that is actually attainable and take it. You’ll begin to notice that it’s a lot easier to start dreaming again when you’re taking small steps in the right direction.
It’s time to dream again. As you do, you’ll begin to find new strength to kiss the fire in front of you. So don’t give up. Instead, get back up, keep kissing the fire, and give yourself permission to dream again.
Adapted from Kiss the Fire by Shawn Johnson. Used by permission.
