The Path To Prosperity – Step three BIG DREAMS

What is prosperity? Prosperity is not an accident but the result of God’s Word being applied correctly in your life. True biblical prosperity is the ability to use God’s ability (in you) to meet the needs of others. Divine prosperity involves Spirit, Soul and Body; and it is the will of God for all Christians. To prosper implies “to excel in something desirable.” The Greek word literally means “to help on the road” or “to succeed in reaching.” Hence, prosperity is not a momentary passing phenomenon, but rather, an ongoing state of success and well being. God’s Word declares: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

The starting point of most successes and achievements has always been the same. It is for you to dream big dreams. There is nothing more important, and nothing that works faster, than for you to cast off your own limitations - to begin dreaming about (and visualising) the wonderful things that you can become, obtain, and achieve. As a wise man once said, “You must dream big dreams, for only big dreams have the power to move the minds of men.” When you begin to dream big dreams, your levels of self-esteem and self-confidence will increase immediately. You will feel more optimistic about yourself and your ability to deal with what ever happens to you. The reason so many people accomplish so little is because they never allow themselves to lean back and imagine the kind of life that Christ has made possible for them.

Acts 2:17 declares, "In the last days God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams’.” Notice it doesn’t say, “your old men will dream” – it says, “your old men will dream dreams”. Dreaming dreams is a sign of maturity. It isn’t just dreaming at random, which implies you have no control over what comes to mind. It is dreaming the dreams you have already imagined.

A powerful tool you can use to dream big dreams and live without limits is measuring everything against God. If He is the Almighty, and you really believe that He is, then it’s foolish to place limitations on anything you do. Can you limit a limitless God? So what’s holding you back? Is it your level of education or skill? Is it your current occupation or job? Is it your present environment or level of health? Is it the situations you find yourself in today? What is setting the pace for you achieving your goals? If it’s earthly matters then you’re likely to struggle. Heaven is your benchmark. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Remember, whatever you have learned, you can unlearn. Whatever situation you have gotten yourself into, with God’s help, you can probably get yourself out of it. If your real goal is to dream big dreams and to live without limits, you can set this as your standard and compare everything you do against it.

The three keys to living without limits have always been the same. They are clarity, competence, and concentration.

Clarity means that you are absolutely clear about who you are, what you want, and where you’re going. Write down your goals and then make plans to accomplish them. “Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. The vision will still happen at the appointed time” (Habakkuk 2:2). You must set very careful priorities and do something every day to move your life toward your intended objectives. The more progress you make toward accomplishing things that are important to you, the greater self-confidence and self-belief you will have, and the more convinced you will become that there are no limits on what you can achieve with God.

Competence means that you begin to become very good in the ‘key result’ areas of your chosen path. You dedicate yourself to continuous learning. You never stop growing. You realise that excellence is a moving target. And you commit yourself to doing something every day that enables you to become better and better at doing the most important things in your chosen path. Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” Purpose to increase in learning.

Concentration is having the self-discipline to force yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and stay with it until it’s complete. The two key words for success have always been ‘focus’ and ‘concentration’. Focus is knowing exactly what you want to be, to have, and to do. Concentration is persevering, without diversion or distraction, (in a straight line) toward accomplishing the things that can make a significant difference in your life. Persistence is critical. Without persistence your concentration will eventually shift and your priorities will change. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul was focused and immersed in his dream.

When you allow yourself to begin to dream big dreams, creatively abandoning the activities that are taking up too much in your time, and focusing your ‘inward’ energies on alleviating your main constraints, you start to feel an incredible sense of confidence. As you focus on doing what you love to do, becoming excellent in those few areas that can make a real difference in your life, you begin to think in terms of possibilities rather than impossibilities, and you ever more closer toward the realisation of your great potential. A truly prosperous soul is one that is full of wisdom and understands its full potential.

The foundation of an incredible destiny is an incredible dream. Your dream will set the stage for your life. People who have no dream for their lives are unlikely to reach their full potential or fulfil their destiny. Understanding the great potential you have in God should cause you to have big dreams. Remember, the only boundaries you have are those you place on your own imagination. Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” The human mind is capable of extraordinary thought and boundless imagination. Therefore why do so many of you live your lives with blinkered, shortsighted vision? If your dream is the foundation for your destiny, then destiny must be the fulfilment of that big dream.

It is tragic that so many Christians have no dream! Without a dream it is unlikely they will ever reach their full potential in God or fulfil their destiny. The only down side about being a dreamer is that you will probably threaten some people. So, if you dare to be a dreamer don’t expect everybody to like you, (or like your big dream). But don’t let this deter you, on the contrary, keep dreaming new dreams and become even more determined. And remember, if you are a dreamer, you may grow old but you will never be old!

When you have a big dream it is much easier to improve your quality of life and prosper. Your dream can breathe life into your existence and drive you toward your destiny. But more than this, it can make the journey more enjoyable! But you are going to need the will to hang on to your dream and live your life to the full – no matter what challenges may confront you. The greatest threat to your dream becoming a reality is not an external force but those negative attitudes from within. You must think prosperity and success, and “see” yourself achieving your aims and objectives. Doubt and fear will hijack your dream on the highway to prosperity.

Note, the will to live your life to the full is not enough; you must also have the will to prosper. You must not ignore your greater purpose and service to God. In this regard prosperity shouldn’t be optional. It is your responsibility to God and your family to make a success of your life. To ignore this is to accept living way below your created potential in Christ. Never excuse mediocrity by rejecting success. It is within your “created fibre” to prosper and be successful – in all matters of life. However, it is a prosperity that’s committed to impacting and influencing so that you may allow God to exercise His sovereignty and Lordship over every situation you are in. For this reason a dreamer must not only dream of prosperity but also dream to glorify God with that prosperity.

In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord declares, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has some pretty big plans for your life. He is the author of all amazing things. I know some people who, once they started dreaming God’s dreams, have seen many really remarkable things happen. I have even seen it in my own life. So don’t get distracted. You have big dreams for a reason. God is the Master of the universe, and through Him nothing is impossible. Dream your biggest dreams, explore where you never dared exploring. God has a lot more in store for you than you can ever imagine. He even has big plans for you for where you are right now!

It says in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The word “ways” (referring to God) in the Hebrew means “course of life” and the word “thoughts” (referring to God) means, “purpose”, but in another context it means “imagination”. So, when you are lying upon your bed at night and your imagination soars with greatness, know that it is not just your imagination at work but it is also God’s divine imagination – His plans and purposes that are being inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I know that those thoughts may seem greater than your ability and you are at a loss to see how many wonderful things can actually manifest in your life. But God is God; and He thinks wonderful thoughts and has great plans for His children. What’s more, He has already spoken it into existence! God’s Word will not return to Him ineffectual and empty; and it will “accomplish, advance, appoint, bestow, bring forth” where God wishes. God’s Word will always prosper (be victorious and produce abundance) wherever He sends it (Isaiah 55:10-11).

It sounds guaranteed, doesn’t it? Those dreams that look too good to be true are yours (NOW) if you will dare to believe. In fact, as you start to walk in the reality of God’s goodness, those dreams will get larger and larger, and your vision will keep expanding. Remember, God is a God of abundance and overflow: God will never say to you, “No more - that’s enough blessings for you!” No, God will give you as much as you can handle. You are the one who determines the measure of God’s blessings in your life. So dream big breams!

Get alone with God today and start allowing Him to reveal His thoughts, plans and purposes to you. Then, go to the Word and find scriptures that build your faith in God’s love and faithfulness. Meditate upon God’s Word and see yourself walking in the fullness of what God has revealed to you. As you do this, the impossible will become possible. God will give you strategies to make those dreams come true, and it will be effortless. Dream big dreams – by faith, receive everything that God has revealed to you and begin to live big! If you follow this simple principle, you will lift all limitations off your life, and declare… “With God all things are possible!”

Chris Demetriou, 13/06/2010