The power of vision (II): 15 Things you need to know about dreams
(…continued) A great vision attracts great opposition. The Example of Joseph God gave Joseph a dream of greatness. Genesis 37:5-8. He and his brothers gathered sheaves saw in the dream his brothers’ sheaves bowing to his. This angered his brothers and they hated him for this. He had a second dream Genesis 37:9-11, [9]And he […]
(…continued)
- A great vision attracts great opposition.
The Example of Joseph
God gave Joseph a dream of greatness. Genesis 37:5-8. He and his brothers gathered sheaves saw in the dream his brothers’ sheaves bowing to his. This angered his brothers and they hated him for this. He had a second dream Genesis 37:9-11, [9]And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. [10]And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? [11]And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.”
God fulfilled it. Genesis 42:6-9, “And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. [7]And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. [8]And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. [9]And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them…”
The activities of betrayers could not stop him. Household enemies could not stop him. Slavery did not alter God’s plan. Temptation could not overpower him. He refused to compromise. Prison connected him. Favour is released when dream manifestation is ripe. Satan’s plan for you will not succeed in Jesus name.
7 Simple Principles:
- Dream big; very big. Create a dream that is so big that it will keep you excited. The cure for littleness is great dreams. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. Disregard your limits. Think of what you thought you couldn’t do that you have accomplished. “Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.” Change your ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’. Become a no-limit thinker. Become a possibility thinker. Develop a limitless mindset. Develop an all-things-are-possible mindset. Don’t just dream big, dream limitless dreams. God wants to give you as far as your eyes can see; He will give you limitless if you see limitless possibilities. So you are limited only by how much you permit yourself to see. Modify your beliefs. Your beliefs create your reality. When you make positive changes in your belief system, a corresponding positive change will take place in your level of achievement and level of fulfillment. Before we started the Ministry, the Lord told me two things not to believe: (a) the beginning of anything is always hard. It happens that way because people believe and expect the beginning to be difficult. (b) Anything good takes time. It does not necessarily have to be.
- Dream long range. Most of the time we major only on the size of the vision but the most crucial factor of success is the longevity of the vision. God gave Abraham a vision that saw beyond him as far as his descendants. In one conversation, God told him of events of more than 400 years into the future.
Sir Winston Churchill stood in front 10 Downing Street in 1884 at the age of 10, took a picture with a dream to become the PM of Great Britain. That dream became a reality in 1940; 56 years later.
- Document it. Define the dream in minute detail,
- Pray: for vision anointing (ask the Holy Spirit to help you actualize your dream), helpers, open doors, provision (financial and material) etc.
- Plan accordingly. Be guided by the Holy Spirit to determine the timing for pursuing aspects of the vision that are due. The accomplishment of a vision is in phases. Note that the vision is for an appointed time. Depend on the Lord to know that appointed time and act accordingly.
- Live in the dream so that it becomes real to you on the inside, talk about it to the right people. Let it dominate your thinking and your conversation. Sleep with it, wake up with it, breathe it!
- Work, work and work. Run with the vision. The proof of desire is pursuit. It is only what you pursue you possess.
- Hold on to it so tightly that no one can take it away from you. Believe it will happen, ignore the challenges and hold on tightly like Joseph. The just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4
During his senior year he was assigned a writing project to describe what he wanted to be when he grew up. His seven-page essay minutely detailed the 200-acre ranch he wanted to own. It included a diagram of the ranch and a detailed floor plan of his 4,000 square foot home.
Despite the passion and effort Monty put into his paper, he received it back with a large “F” written on it and a note to see the teacher after class. The teacher told Monty that the reason he had given him that grade was because his paper was unrealistic. He went on to cite all of the reasons why, and told Monty that if he would rewrite the paper with a more realistic goal, he would reconsider the grade. After considering it for a week, the young man turned in the same paper with no changes, along with the remark, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.”
The conclusion of the true story has the teacher bringing 30 students for a summer campout at the 200-acre ranch of the now grown (and successful) Monty who lives in his 4,000 square foot dream home.
If it worked for the son of an itinerant horse trainer it will work for you.
Start dreaming and dream big. The Bible tells the story of a poor man called Lazarus who kept competing with dogs for the crumbs from the rich man’s table. He was looking under the table instead of over the table. Step up your thinking. You are bigger than you think. You are capable of achieving more than you realize. You can rise higher than where you are right now. Forget the last time you tried and failed, it was only an event. What circumstances have said about you is not true. Dare to reach higher! Remember, if it can happen in your mind it will happen in your life.
Your vision will produce proofs in Jesus name. Your vision will produce amazing testimonies, in Jesus name.
Your God-given Dreams will soon begin to manifest, in Jesus name. Long-standing problems will be solved. Get ready for jobs. Husbands will manifest. The barren will conceive. Cars will manifest shortly. Delayed payments will be released. That contract you have been waiting for will soon be given to you!!
Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
Website: www.dayspringcmi.org
e-mail: [email protected]
Help line: 08035150515