What’s Your Dream?

This month we are praying for the dreams that are God inspired.  Those dreams that He is placing on our hearts.  Do you know the ones that I am talking about? If not, that is okay. Hopefully by the end of the month, you will have your God inspired dream.

In the movie “Tangled” there is a question raised.  “What’s Your Dream?”  That question is significant to all of us.  Do you have a dream?  Maybe it is a dream that has been lying dormant in you for a long time.  Is there a dream that you don’t know where it came from?  Could be God inspired.

Even as children, we had dreams. Maybe it was what you were going to be when you grew up or who you would marry.  Those dreams seem to change and mature as we change and mature.  Some dreams morph into something different then what we first thought. 

What about the God inspired dreams?  Can you recognize the dreams that are God inspired?   Do you know the difference? 

I have dreams.  Some of them are just mine, and some of them are God inspired.  As I was thinking about this month’s prayer blog, I realized that I do have God designed dreams.  There are quite a few, in fact.

One dream, that I feel is God inspired, seems to be always out of my reach. God has been seemingly guiding me towards this dream.  I keep following Him, and His will, and yet the dream still seems out of my reach. 

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

I keep trying to make it a reality by myself, but it seems just a little past my fingertips.  One day after another passes by, and I don’t see how this dream will come true.  It has been a long time, and there are many days that I am frustrated and angry.  My focus is on what more can I do to make this dream a reality.

Maybe I am missing the point that God is trying to show me.  To get to the realization that I must rely on God.  I can be ever ready for it, but continue to keep my focus on Him.  If all I focus on is that dream and why it is not becoming a reality and not focusing on God, then I have lost the point. The point is our journey with God.

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

I dream of getting the books that I have written through the years published.  God has inspired me to use my creative imagination and write the stories that are in my head down.  Yet, something holds me back from putting the books out there to be published.  My fear that no one will want to read them.

The fear is dictating my life. Again, I have lost the focus, or the point that God wants me to have.  If He has inspired or given me this dream, then why do I fear?  God is bigger than any fear.

My prayer is that I will allow God to be…God.  He has given me an amazing life, and yes it has been ugly at times, but there has been beauty.  Through it all my God has been there for me every step of the way.  Why do I think that He is going to stop now?

This month, I pray that each of you reading this blog will know the God designed dreams for you.  I pray that you keep your eyes and hearts and souls so focused on God that He will show you the dreams He has for you, and the strength to do what needs to be done.  I pray for you all.

So, what is your God inspired dream?  Go out and find it and embrace God and step out in faith when He asks you too.  He has got you.  Just remember, we are all in this life together.  Let’s make this life an amazing one where our God inspired dreams come true.

Dear Lord,

I pray for each person who is reading this blog.  Show us Your dreams for us.  Give us the courage and strength to step out in faith where necessary and the courage to be patient when needed.  Help each one of us to keep our focus on You and that our journey with You is our number one priority.

In Jesus’ Name – Amen

Laura Maxson

Bold Prayers? Dreams?

I sit.
Staring at the wall.

Bold Prayers? Dreams? God's Dream for my life?

This month the question has been circling in my head. Every morning I sit at my desk and there written on the chalk board, "God Dreams"

What dreams does He have for my life?

I sit.
I ask myself what can they be?

My mind automatically rattles down the list of the things I think they should be.
My relationship with my family.
My son, my husband, mom, dad, sis.
My ministry as nurse.
My husband's ministry.
My health.
My friends.
My hobbies.

A list.
A list of good things.
Things I believe He has blessed my life with.

But are these really my dreams? My bold prayers?

I sit.
How do I know?

I try to think of ways to figure it out.
What books have I read? What books should I read?
Who should I call to pray about these things for me?
Maybe I should write them down.
Pin them on my prayer board.

This list of good things. God things that He has blessed my life with.

What makes them my dreams? How are they my bold prayer? Are they too vague? Should I be more specific? Can I attain them on my own? Are they too impossible to even dream? Not impossible enough?

All month the words of a song have been running through my head.

"Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand"

My mind feels as if I've been running a million miles an hour in every direction.
Somedays feeling as if I can barely keep my head above water.
I've been asking God how can I know His will in my life? His dreams for me? His bold prayers for me?

I've been searching, asking, looking, asking, asking, asking.

Sitting in my chair, though my body may have been still. My mind, running, never stopping.

"When the oceans rise
And thunders roar
I will soar with You
Above the storm
Father You are King
Over the flood
I will be still and know
You are God"

This time I sit.
Miles from the chair that sits at the desk.
Miles from that chalk board that says, "God Dreams"

I sit literally on top of a mountain. Looking out over what He has created.
My body had been moving. Working hard to get there.
But when I reach the top, He calls to me.

Sit & Be Still

"Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust"

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Photo by Laura Maxson

~kartini r. maxson

Still
(Reuben Morgan)

Verse 1
 Hide me now
 Under Your wings
 Cover me
 Within Your mighty hand

 Chorus
 When the oceans rise
 And thunders roar
 I will soar with You
 Above the storm
 Father You are King
 Over the flood
 I will be still and know
 You are God

 Verse 2
 Find rest my soul
 In Christ alone
 Know His power
 In quietness and trust

April Prayer Topic: The Bold Prayers

In the book “The Circle Maker,” by Mark Batterson, there is a quote that has me thinking.  “Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.  God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers.  He is offended by anything less.  If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God.”

Are my prayers bold and impossible for me, or are my prayers those that I know that I can do on my own, sort of bold prayers? If I am honest with myself, for the most part, they are the latter. Am I afraid to pray the bold prayer?  I think sometimes I am.

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

I think we all have that prayer that we are too scared to pray to God about.  It really doesn’t make any sense.  If God is God, then there is nothing impossible for Him, including our biggest most “bold” prayers.

This month we are going pray our BOLD prayers. Maybe they are prayers that we are too scared to pray, but what have we to be scared about?  If God asks us for the impossible, it is only impossible for us.  He has it covered.  He has got it.

When the prayer turns into reality, we can only give God the glory.  The impossible for us is possible for Him.  He just needs us to have faith in Him.

“Have faith in God...” Mark 11:22

That is what it all comes down to, faith.  How much faith do I have?  If I have faith in God for the small things, then I should have faith in Him for the big things as well.  If God is faithful in the small things, He will be faithful in the big things too.

This month, I am going to go out in faith and pray my bold prayer that I have been too scared to do so.  Will you join me in praying for what we think is the impossible, as well?  It will be awe inspiring to see what God has in store.

Maybe God is waiting for us to say that bold prayer before He answers our prayer.  I want to see what God does with my BOLD prayer.  For, I know that I can’t answer my own prayer on this one.

God is just waiting for us to pray it. I am not just talking about one time, or a mention as a sidebar in my prayers.  God doesn’t want anything to be a sidebar. “Oh by the way Lord, if you have time.”

No, He wants us to pray in earnest.  It goes back to my theory that God wants to show off to us.  He wants to impress us.  God loves us so much and He wants to show us that.  He literally has the keys to the kingdom, and all we need to do is ask.

Do you have the faith to pray the BOLD prayer? Do I? What is holding us back? It is our own fear, and we need to stop that fear.  Fear is the devil, and God is so much bigger than our biggest fear.

Be bold, prayer bold, and see God do the impossible.

Photo by Rebecca H

Dear Lord,

You know the impossible prayer that each of us have.  We want to pray that impossible dream. May we not be afraid to pray that prayer to You.  I want to see Your possibilities. I want to see You.

Amen

Laura Maxson