November

 

Make Your Life Count

 

Nehemiah  made  a  statement  that  I believe  everyone  with

 

vision should learn to make. It’s one of the greatest statements of priority that I have ever read anywhere.

 

Nehemiah was at a place where he had started to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. He had motivated the people by giving them a renewed purpose, he was able to communicate to them the necessity of doing this great project, and they were working hard at it. Yet, in Nehemiah 6:1, he was confronted by three men who wanted to prevent his vision from being fulfilled. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were professional distracters. In Nehemiah 6:2, Nehemiah said, “Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm me.” In verse three, Nehemiah said, “So I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’” He refused to come down from the wall, and his enemies were thwarted. That’s what I call a man who had his priorities set.

 

Your destination is so perfect for you that God doesn’t want you to end up anywhere else. He wants you to find your vision and stay focused on it. If you have gotten off track in life, it doesn’t matter how young or old you are: refocus on your vision and make decisions that will lead you there.

 

Prayer: Father, I know I haven’t always made the best

 

use of my time, gifts, and resources in the past, but with Your help I’m going to make the rest of my life count by staying focused on my vision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Your destination is so perfect for you that God doesn’t want you to end up anywhere else.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 24–26; Titus 2

 

November 2

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision If you are afraid

 

to take decisive action to move toward your vision, consider this: It is better to make a decision that will prove to be wrong, but which you can learn from, than not to make any decision at all and never learn anything. Someone has said, “I’d rather try and fail than never try and never know I could succeed.” People succeed because they try. People who don’t try have no chance of success.

 

As you pursue your vision, review some of the questions from the last few days. Write out your answers to the discipline questions. Then, set priorities in each area of your life in relation to your vision and write them down. What things do you need to eliminate from your life in order to focus on your dream? Bring all these areas before the Lord in prayer and listen closely as He speaks to your heart.

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, as disciples of Your Son Jesus,

we are learning to walk as mature believers in this world.

 

You placed a vision in each of our hearts so that Your purposes on earth would be achieved and so that we would have an important part in fulfilling those purposes.

 

You know the importance of discipline in reaching our goals. Thank you for encouraging us to be self-controlled

and for showing us how to discipline our choices so that our lives will count for now and for eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: People succeed because they try.

 

People who don’t try have no chance of success.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 27–29; Titus 3

 

November 3

 

Principles of the Priority of Vision Today, reflect on these principles of the priority of vision: 1.If you want to be successful, you must set priorities for yourself in relation to your vision.

 

2.Understanding priority will help you accomplish your dream because priority is the key to effective decision-making.

 

3.You can tell the kind of life you’re going to have in the future by the decisions you make today.

 

4.Yes and no are the most powerful words you will ever say. God wants you to be able to say them with conviction because they will determine your destiny.

 

5.When people don’t succeed in their visions, it is often because they don’t understand that prioritizing creates useful limits on their choices.

 

6.You have to determine what is beneficial, defining what is beneficial based on the needs of your vision.

 

7.The only things that should master you are the things that will take you to your goal.

 

8.Once you are certain of where you are meant to go in life and have truly committed to it, then many extraneous things in your life will fall away on their own.

 

9.The vision itself decides what is good for you. You don’t just do good things. You do things that are good for your vision.

 

10.Your greatest challenge is not in choosing between good or bad but between good and best.

 

11.To end up where you want to be, keep your eyes on the mark.

 

12.Vision protects you from trying to do everything.

 

13.When you see your destination, it helps you to discipline your life in ways that train and prepare you, providing for your vision.

 

14.You will never be disciplined in your life until you have real vision.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 30–31; Philemon

 

November 4

 

The Eighth Principle:

 

Recognize the Influence of Others Principle number eight in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that we must recognize the influence of others on our visions. We need other people if we are going to be successful in life because, as I emphasized earlier, we were not created to fulfill our visions alone. As a matter of fact, God specifically said about His first human creation, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). We need people to make it in life. For any vision that you have, God has people prepared to work with you, and they will be a blessing to you.

 

There will always be a need for positive people in your life. When I went to college, I had a dream to get my degree, and there were people who already had been set apart to help me graduate. Some of them helped me academically, others financially, and others with encouragement in my spiritual walk. When you have a dream, that’s the way it works. People will always be there, waiting to help you. Therefore, if you have no dream, or if you do not begin to act on it, the people who are

 

supposed to help you won’t know where to find you.

 

The principle of influence has a twofold application, however, because people can have a negative effect on us as well as a positive one. When you begin to act on your vision, it will stir up both those who want to help you and those who want to hinder you. This is why you must learn to recognize the influence of those around you.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for bringing people across my path to be a positive influence on my life and vision. Help me to recognize them so I may benefit from their help. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: There will always be a need for positive

 

people in our lives.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 32–33; Hebrews 1

 

November 5

 

Choosing Your Friends How do you choose your

 

friends? You should generally choose friends who are going in the same direction you are and who want to obtain the same things you do. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon said, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The New King James Version reads, “The companion of fools will be destroyed.” My version of this maxim is, “If you want to be a success, don’t keep company with those who aren’t going anywhere in life.”

 

In light of these truths, I want you to ask yourself three questions. First, “With whom am I spending time?” Who are your closest friends; who are the people you are confiding in?

 

Second, “What are these people doing to me?” In other words, what do they have you listening to, reading, thinking, and doing? Where do they have you going? What do they have you saying? How do they have you feeling? What do they have you settling for? That last one is an important one, because your friends can make you comfortable in your misery. Most important, what is being around these people causing

 

you to become?

 

Third, ask yourself, “Is what other people are doing to me a good thing in relation to my vision?” When you start telling people where you’re going to go and what you’re going to do, they may (even unconsciously) begin to say things to try to hinder your dream. Therefore, you need to ask and answer these three questions about your friendships truthfully—and regularly—as you progress toward your vision.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the godly friends that

 

You have brought into my life. It is good when we can walk in the same direction, following Your Word and our visions. Please help me to continue to build godly relationships.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: “He who walks with the wise grows wise.”

 

Reading: Jeremiah 34–36; Hebrews 2

 

November 6

 

The Law of Association The law of association states that you become like those with whom you spend time. This law corresponds to Solomon’s words, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

 

We often underestimate others’ influence in our lives. The two words that most accurately describe influence are powerful and subtle. The influence of others can be powerful because we all desire to have people like us; therefore, we may start acting more like others to gain their approval. Their influence is also subtle because we may think it has no effect on us. Often, we don’t know we’re being influenced until it is too late. Whether we realize it or not, however, the influence of those with whom we spend time has a powerful effect on how we will end up in life, on whether we will succeed or fail.

 

What we call peer pressure is simply this: people with whom we associate exercising their influence on us, trying to direct our lives in the way they want them to go. Adults, as well as young people, experience peer pressure. They find it hard to disregard other people’s opinions. There are people who are forty, sixty, and eighty years old who give in to peer pressure. Almost everyone is affected by it.

 

People have the potential to create your environment. Your environment then determines your mind-set, your mind-set determines your vision, and your vision determines your future. You must choose your friends wisely, selecting those who are truly with you and not against you. Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.

 

Prayer: Father, make me sensitive to the influences of those around me. I do not want peer pressure to control my life. I want my influence to come from You, Your Word, and my vision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: There are two words that most accurately

 

describe influence: powerful and subtle.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 37–39; Hebrews 3

 

November 7

 

Vision Wakes Up the Opposition Nehemiah 4:1 says, “When Sanballat heard that we were

 

rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed.” People of vision have found that the minute they decide to fulfill their dreams, all their enemies seem to wake up. Again, as long as you’re not doing anything about your vision, no one will bother you. If you start to move toward your vision, however, opposition arises.

 

Suppose you have been a secretary for twenty years, and everybody thinks you’re content in your job. One day you decide, “I’m going back to school.” When your friends ask you why, you say, “I’m going to get a master’s degree in computer science because I want to head a computer company someday.” Suddenly, your friends seem to become your enemies. They ask, “Do you know how old you are?” or “Who do you think will become your clients?” By the time they finish, you feel like staying a secretary.

 

Sad to say, sometimes those who are the most detrimental to the fulfillment of our visions are members of our own families. Some family members may be extremely supportive, but others may not be. The potential for negative influences from family

 

members in regard to vision is probably the reason why the Lord told Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

 

Your passion for your vision must be more powerful than the opposition of those around you. You must be clear about what you’re going to do and persevere in doing it.

 

Prayer: Father, please help me to persevere in my vision, even if I encounter opposition from family members and friends. Help me to continue to show Your love to them as I pursue my purpose.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: As long as you’re not doing anything about your vision, no one will bother you.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 40–42; Hebrews 4

 

November 8

 

The Tobiah Syndrome People who change the world have declared independence from other people’s expectations. That’s what makes them successful. Even if people tell lies or start rumors about you, keep your eyes on the mark, continue working, and keep on building.

 

Nehemiah faced this very situation. In Nehemiah 4:2, we read, And in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, [Sanballat] said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble?”

 

When people are angry, they ask questions to discourage you. Look at the questions Sanballat was asking the Jews. Consider the words he used. He jeered at their abilities and scoffed at their timetable. In essence, he declared their vision a dead project.

 

Nehemiah 4:3 says, “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’” In other words, “Don’t worry about them. This isn’t going to work. It will soon come to nothing.” Have you ever heard that before? “Oh, don’t worry about that new business. It will last only a

 

couple of months before it folds.” That attitude is what I call the “Tobiah Syndrome.” When someone says something like that to you, encourage yourself in the Lord and receive strength from His Word. Find brothers and sisters in Christ who will support you. Keep moving forward with your vision!

 

Prayer: Father, by Your Holy Spirit, I will move forward in my vision every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: People who change the world have declared independence from other people’s expectations.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 43–45; Hebrews 5

 

November 9

 

The Protection of Disassociation Pursuing your vision means that you will have to disassociate yourself from certain people and places if you’re going to make it to your dream. Some people say it doesn’t really matter with whom they associate; they wouldn’t want to hurt anybody by disassociating from them. Yet Jesus said, “If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14 NKJV). He was telling us not to be foolish by following those who are spiritually blind. You have to disassociate yourself from people who aren’t going anywhere and don’t want to go anywhere in life. The sad thing is that some people literally sacrifice their dreams and their lives because they are afraid of having conflict and disagreement with others.

 

If you need to remove yourself from some people and activities that have been hindering you, stand firm when you tell your former companions, in love, “I don’t do that any longer. I can’t go out with you tonight. We aren’t going in the same direction anymore.” Choose friends who have a heart for God and His purposes. Associate with people who want you to

 

move toward your vision. Let them be your encouragement. Disassociation does not need to be confrontational. Sometimes you can ease out of people’s lives very quietly and very subtly, just as you eased into them.

 

If you listen to the critics, you won’t do what you were born to do. Remember what Nehemiah said when his critics tried to distract him from his vision: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3).

 

Prayer: Father, help me to stop associating with those who are a hindrance to my faith or Your purpose for my life. Help me to speak the truth in love to them.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: If you listen to the critics, you won’t do

 

what you were born to do.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 46–47; Hebrews 6

 

November 10

 

The Protection of Limited Association In

 

considering how people influence my life, I have also learned to protect my vision by limited association. You may not want to completely disassociate yourself from some of the people in your life. It is important, however, that you thoughtfully and prayerfully determine how much time you will spend with them.

 

For those of you who are dating, please take this to heart: When you have a goal for your life, make sure that the person you are interested in is also interested in your goals. Many people get married and then tell their spouses their goals. Often their spouses say, “I really don’t want that.” The Bible asks us, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3 NKJV). Jesus reinforced this theme when He said, “A house divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17). You don’t want to be in a house that is divided. You want to be in a house with one vision.

 

It’s all right to have casual friends as long as you give them casual time. You don’t want to spend quality time with casual friends. It’s all right to spend two hours with some people, but not two days. It’s all right to spend two minutes with some people, but not two hours. It depends on the person and his or

 

her influence on you.

 

You must protect your mental environment. Here’s how to do so: Spend major time with positive influences and minor time with negative influences. Stay away from bad situations. Paul stated the adage, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). He was telling us, “Choose your company well.”

 

Prayer: Father, you have given me the ability to choose my company well. Help me to continue to choose close friends who love You and are seeking You with all their hearts.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Spend major time with positive influences and minor time with negative influences.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 48–49; Hebrews 7

 

November 11

 

Expand Your Association The third step in

 

choosing who will influence your life is the most positive of the three: expand your association. If you’re going to be successful, you have to spend more time with the right people—people who have the same philosophy and discipline that you do, people who exhibit the kind of character that you want to have. Those are the people with whom you want to expand your relationships.

 

Spend time with people of vision. When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would become pregnant with Jesus, Mary asked, “How can I have a baby?” God’s answer through Gabriel was that this would occur through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet notice what else the angel said. He mentioned that Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist after she had been both barren and past the age of childbearing. It was as if God was saying, “Mary, to help you stay strong during this time, you need the faith-inspiring testimony of Elizabeth. She has her own miracle baby, and she’s six months ahead of you.” The Bible says that Mary went straight to Elizabeth’s house and stayed with her for three months. (See Luke 1:26–56.) God doesn’t want you to spend time listening to critics because they will talk you out of your “baby.” He wants you to be encouraged by someone who has

 

already been through the morning sickness, so to speak, because there will be times when you’ll feel like giving up. During those hard times, that person can tell you, “You’re going to get through it. Don’t give up on your dream.”

 

Prayer: Father, please enable me to surround myself with encouragers, believers who have faith for the vision. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Spend time with people of vision.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

 

November 12

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision We all need other people to guide, help, and encourage us along the path to fulfilling our visions. Because we need the influence of others, however, we are also in danger of the negative effects they may have on us if we—or they—are not careful. Therefore, it is crucial for us to guard our hearts, thoughts, attitudes, and ideas from being sabotaged by those around us. We must increase the positive influences in our lives and decrease the negative ones as we pursue our individual goals in tandem with others.

 

To help you progress in your vision, answer the three questions posed in the last few days: With whom am I spending time? Who are my closest friends; who are the people I am confiding in? What are these people doing to me? What do they have me listening to, reading, thinking, doing? Where do they have me going? What do they have me saying? How do they have me feeling? What do they have me settling for? Is what these people are doing to me a good thing in light of my vision? Then, ask yourself: Who can help me toward my goal? What person can I get close to and learn from?

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is crucial for us to guard our hearts. Your Word says that the heart is the wellspring of life. We need the positive influence of others to carry out Your purposes for us. Lord, You created human beings to work together and to live together in harmony. Please help us to discern the positive influences from the negative ones. We want to share Your good news of salvation with those who are negative, but we don’t want to absorb their negative influence into our lives. Enable us to honestly answer the

 

questions concerning people’s influence on our lives and to make any changes we need to in obedience to You. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

 

Thought: Guard your heart, thoughts, attitudes, and ideas from being sabotaged by others.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 51–52; Hebrews 9

 

November 13

 

Principles of

 

Influence on Vision

 

Today, reflect  on  these  principles  of influence  on  vision:

 

1.When you begin to act on your vision, it will stir up both those who want to help you and those who want to hinder you.

 

2.The law of association states that you become like those with whom you spend time.

 

3.There are two words that most accurately describe influence:

 

powerful and subtle.

 

4.       People have the potential to create your environment. Your environment then determines your mind-set, and your mind-set determines your vision and your future.

 

5.People of vision have found that the minute they decide to fulfill their dreams, all their enemies seem to wake up.

 

6.Sometimes the people who are the most detrimental to the fulfillment of your vision are members of your own family.

 

7.People who change the world have declared independence from other people’s expectations.

 

8.Three things that will protect your vision are disassociation, limited association, and expanded association.

 

9.We must increase the positive influences in our lives and decrease the negative ones as we pursue our individual goals in tandem with others.

 

Reading: Lamentations 1–2; Hebrews 10:1–18

 

November 14

 

The Ninth Principle:

 

Employ the Provision of Vision Principle

 

number nine in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that we must understand the power of provision.

 

People often stop dreaming about what they really want to do in life because of their limited resources. They believe they have to pay for their visions with their present incomes when they can barely make ends meet. Similarly, when young people tell their parents what they dream of becoming, the parents often become nervous because they feel their children’s dreams are too expensive for them to finance.

 

If we believe that we have to use our own resources to accomplish God-given visions, then we are small dreamers. I want to encourage you that the Bible is clear concerning the dreams in our hearts and how they will be provided for. Proverbs 16:1 says, “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.” This statement has to do with provision. When a person receives a dream from God, it usually seems impossible. Yet God knows that our provisions are never equal to our visions at the moment we receive them. He realizes that we cannot explain to others—or

 

even to ourselves—how we are going to accomplish our visions without the necessary money, people, facilities, or equipment. He knows that often our dreams are big and our bank accounts are small. What is His solution for us? He says that He will give the answer or “reply of the tongue.”

 

Therefore, if people ask you how you are going to accomplish your dream, you don’t have to try to give them a full answer. Tell them you are trusting God for provision each step of the way.

 

Prayer: Father, You have placed Your vision within me.

 

Thank You for promising the provision to match the vision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Our provisions are never equal to our visions at the moment we receive them.

 

Reading: Lamentations 3–5; Hebrews 10:19–39

 

November 15

 

Everything You Need Perhaps your dreams are so big they almost frighten you. You don’t see how they could ever come to pass. Let me assure you that your initial apprehension is normal. God often gives us dreams that confound us at first. He wants to make sure we don’t attempt to fulfill them apart from Him. If we try to do so, we won’t succeed, because the resources won’t be available.

 

Rest assured that God will never give you a vision without provision. The ability and resources are available for whatever you were born to do. Your provision, however, is usually hidden until you act on your vision. Whatever you were born to do attracts what you need to do it. Therefore, you first have to establish what you want to do and begin to do it before the need can be met. Most of us work in reverse. We like to see the provisions before we start, but faith doesn’t work that way. When we take action, then God manifests the provision.

 

God has prepared everything you need to complete your purpose because He chose you for your vision. God tells us we don’t have to worry about our provision because He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (See Ephesians 1:3.) Worry is the greatest sign of doubt

 

in God. If He can put Pharaoh’s money into the pockets of the Israelites and take His people into the wilderness loaded down with the gold of the enemy, don’t you think He can provide for your needs?

 

Prayer: Father, I trust You to provide everything I need.

 

You have promised over and over in Your Word that You will meet the needs of Your children.

Thank You for already blessing me in the heavenly places.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Rest assured that God will never give you a vision without provision.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 1–2; Hebrews 11:1–19

 

November 16

 

Does Prosperity Mean Excess?

 

Many  people,  Christians  included,  have  misconceptions

 

about money. We think prosperity means excess, and that is why we worry when we don’t have enough money in the bank to fund our visions. Further, our concept of prosperity is more like hoarding. In the Bible, hoarding is referred to as gluttony. A person can be gluttonous even when he has no money or food. Gluttony is a state of mind in which a person never feels he has enough to satisfy him.

 

Whatever we hoard will begin to destroy us. When we eat more than we need, it creates a problem of excess weight. That weight causes pressure on the heart. Our arteries begin to clog up, putting us in danger of a heart attack or stroke, all because we loaded up on excess food.

 

The Bible says that people who have excess money have many burdens, worries, and headaches trying to figure out what to do with their riches and how to protect them. (See, for example, Luke 12:16–21; James 5:1–5.) Too much wealth can cause oppression and even depression. Some people own so many gems and other material goods that they put bars on their windows to protect themselves against theft. They worry that someone might break in and take their twenty-thousand-dollar watch, which they rarely wear anyway. To me, this approach to wealth is foolishness because the riches are a burden rather

 

than a blessing.

 

It is not money itself, but the love of money (its excess) that is the root of all evil. (See 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV.) We should cultivate a love for God rather than for money. We can trust Him to provide whatever we need for our lives and our visions.

 

Prayer: Father, help me to trust Your provision and not worry about having an excess of money. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Gluttony is a state of mind in which a person never feels he has enough to satisfy him.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40

 

November 17

 

Does Prosperity Mean Future Needs

 

Are Met Today?

 

Some  people  have  the  idea  that  prosperity  means  all our

 

needs should be provided for well ahead of time. Jesus addressed this misconception when He told His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?...So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25, 31–33) Do people worry about something they already have? No. Worry isn’t related to our present supply. It is related to a perceived or potential lack in the future.

 

Jesus concluded His statements on provision by saying, “Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (v. 34). Prosperity doesn’t mean that tomorrow’s need is met today; it means that today’s need is met today. We find the same concept in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow because it has its own supply (see verse 34), and tomorrow we may need even more than we do today. When we get to tomorrow, the supply will be there.

 

We must understand what prosperity really is in order to grasp the foundational principle of how God provides for our visions.

 

Prayer: Father, Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount

 

bring me such freedom from worry. As I seek Your kingdom and Your vision for my life, may I trust You more each day for provision in every way. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Prosperity means that today’s need is met today.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 5–7; Hebrews 12

 

November 18

 

The Nature of Real Prosperity For the last two days we’ve been discussing misconceptions about prosperity. What, then, is the nature of real prosperity? One of the Hebrew words that is translated “prosperity” in the Bible is shalev (see, for example, Psalm 30:6; Psalm 73:3), which means “tranquil,” “being at ease,” “peaceable,” and “quietness.” Another Hebrew word for prosperity is shalom (see Psalm 35:27; Jeremiah 33:9), which means “peace,” “safe,” “well,” “happy,” and “health.” The Bible is saying that prosperity is peace. Prosperity is also harmony. When things are in balance, we say they are peaceful. True prosperity frees us from worry and fear; it reflects a state of contentedness that everything necessary is being taken care of.

 

Jesus used an analogy from nature to help explain prosperity: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:26–27) How does God feed the birds? He provides for them, but He

 

doesn’t personally hand-deliver food to their nests! The birds don’t just sit around waiting for God to stop by with their meals. When Jesus said His heavenly Father feeds the birds, He meant that everything they need has been made available for them, but they have to go and get it. The bird has to keep working until it finishes building its nest. It has to keep working until it gets the worm. God’s prosperity for us is similar: it is peaceful provision as we keep working toward His purposes.

 

Prayer: Father, the prosperous soul is free from worry and strife, and that is how I want to be. Help me to continuously rest in You

 

as I trust in Your provision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: True prosperity frees us from worry and fear.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13

 

November 19

 

Prosperity for the Purpose A fundamental aspect of provision is that God has designed every purpose with its own prosperity. Your purpose has built-in provision for it. God never requires from you what He does not already have in reserve for you.

 

Here is the key: Your prosperity is directly related to your purpose in life. The nature and degree of your prosperity is determined by what your assignment is. You were not born to have too much or too little. You were born to fulfill God’s purpose. When you capture your vision—the part you’re supposed to contribute to your generation and succeeding generations, the role you’re supposed to play in history— when you capture that and are doing it, you will see that all your provisions are automatically built into it.

 

In this way, you don’t ultimately work for money or food, because you’re too busy living. You were not created by God just to pay a mortgage. In your heart, you know that’s true. If this is what you’re doing, you are probably frustrated with your situation. By the time you turn sixty, you will look back at your life and say, “Did I enjoy any of this?”

 

Sometimes God doesn’t give us all the resources we need to fulfill our visions because He has called other people to

 

provide them for us. God may have provisions all over the world waiting for you. He may move you a thousand miles to get you where you were meant to be, to do things you were born to do, to fulfill the purpose in your own heart while, at the same time, fulfilling the purpose in His heart.

 

Prayer: Father, You have helped me to realize that You have a purpose and a plan for everything. I will trust You to bring all of Your plans to completion.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God has designed every purpose

 

with its own prosperity.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 11–13; James 1

 

November 20

 

Provision Is Right for the Vision God is a God of provision. He is Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord Will Provide.” He provides everything, but only after you begin the work of the vision. This means that obedience to vision is not a private issue. It affects everyone who is supposed to work with you and be impacted by your life.

 

Prosperity means having everything that is needed. It doesn’t necessarily mean having a large bank account, several cars, and a large house, although you might need those things to fulfill your vision. For example, because of our purpose, my wife and I need a long dining room table that can seat a large number of people, as we often have guests of the ministry to dinner. That’s part of our assignment. It might also be yours, depending on what you are called to do. However, perhaps you need a four-chair table rather than a twelve-chair table because you usually just have your family at dinner. Instead of using the money on a large table, you use it for other things related to your personal or church vision. Similarly, I may not need something that you must have to fulfill your purpose. If I had it, it would be excess.

 

God provides for all the needs of our visions, no matter what they are, large or small. We are as rich as our purposes, and our visions aren’t yet completed. We still have provision coming to

 

us that no one can hold back.

 

Prayer: Father, may I always remember that my obedience to my vision is not a private issue; it affects everyone who is supposed to work with me and be impacted by my life. Help me to walk in obedience.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God provides for all the needs of

 

our visions, large or small.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 14–15; James 2

 

November 21

 

“Spare Parts” for Your Vision In 1998, while visiting a friend in Detroit, I toured the Ford Motor Company. We went through what looked like one massive building, but there were smaller storehouses within it. Every section had a different name, and there were millions of parts stored in each section. I pointed to one section and asked the guide, “What is this?” and he said, “These are the cars we’re preparing for 2005.” I said, “Wait a minute; it’s only 1998.” He said, “Yeah, but we are at least five years ahead. This one is for 2002, this is for 2003, this is for 2004, and this one is for 2005.” When I asked if I could see the cars, he said, “No, the cars themselves are not yet made. We make the parts first. However, these are not the parts we will use on the new cars. These are the replacement parts in case any repairs would be needed.” The company makes the spare parts before they build the new cars. That’s why, when anything needs to be replaced on your car, the part is already

 

available.

 

As I listened to our guide explain this, I felt as if the Holy Spirit was speaking to me right in that warehouse. He said, “That’s exactly the meaning of Ephesians 1:3: ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.’ Everything you’re going to need for your vision is already provided for. I have it all reserved in big storehouses in heaven. Even before you came on the scene, I had it all prepared.”

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for preparing all the “parts” that I will need before I need them. Nothing ever happens without Your knowledge or Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God says, “Even before you came on

 

the scene, I had it all prepared.”

 

Reading: Ezekiel 16–17; James 3

 

November 22

 

Warehouses in Heaven My good friend Jesse Duplantis once told me about a spiritual vision he had in which Jesus took him on a tour of heaven. At one point, Jesus led him to a large area of heaven where there were massive warehouses. There were names on the warehouses, and he saw one with his name on it. Inside, piled up to the ceiling, was what looked like billions of dollars’ worth of things. In the corner was a small, empty space. He asked, “Lord, the whole place is filled with all these magnificent things, but what’s that empty spot right there by the door?” Jesus said, “That’s all you’ve asked for so far.”

 

After he told me that story, I said to myself, “I’m going to clean out my warehouse before I leave planet earth.” When we go to heaven, most of us are going to be shocked at what was ours for use on earth that we never asked for. Daily, we should ask God, “Deliver to me what I need today.” Everything you need is waiting for you, available when you ask for it with confidence. God is not short of anything you need.

 

I’m concerned that you may be asking for some things that aren’t yours. Let me explain. If you pursue the wrong

 

assignment, you’re going to need things you can’t get, because the provision isn’t there unless the vision is yours. It’s someone else’s assignment, and he has his own warehouse. Again, knowing God’s will for your life is the key to your prosperity.

 

Prayer: Father, help me to go beyond my limited understanding so I can pray for the things that are available to me and that I need to fulfill my vision. I want my heavenly warehouse

 

to be empty because I have used it to build Your kingdom.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God is not short of anything you need.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 18–19; James 4

 

November 23

 

The Inherent Wealth of Land I believe there are five specific ways that the Scriptures teach us God provides the resources—financial and otherwise—that we need to fulfill the visions He gives us. We will look at these five ways over the next few days.

 

The first way God provides for our visions is through our ability to obtain and use land and the resources inherent in it. Land is God’s concept of wealth. Note that the first thing God placed man in was the garden of Eden, or real estate. Genesis 2:8–12 says, Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.…A river

 

watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) This passage describes the wealth of the land surrounding Eden. There was gold, resin, and onyx. Resin is a fragrant gum, similar to myrrh. Onyx is a type of gem. God was saying, “Adam, there’s richness in the land.” Not only do we as human beings have use of what is on the surface of the earth, but we also have use of what is under the ground. There

 

is special prosperity in owning land and using the rich resources of the earth.

 

Prayer: Father, please show me how land and its inherent wealth may be involved in the fulfillment of the vision You have given me.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Land is God’s concept of wealth.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 20–21; James 5

 

November 24

 

God’s Promise of Land Let’s look at another example from Genesis that shows us wealth is inherent in land. What was God’s first promise to Abraham?

 

“Go to the land I will show you.”…Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” (Genesis 12:1, 6–7) God made the same promise of inheritance of land to Abraham’s son Isaac (see Genesis 26:2–4) and grandson Jacob (see Genesis 28:10–15). He also reaffirmed this promise of land to the Israelites through Moses. (See Exodus 3:7–10, 15–17.) In Genesis 13:15, God said the land would forever belong to Abraham’s descendants. Even today, in the state of Israel, land is leased, rather than sold, to the citizens. A person can build and own a house, but he doesn’t own the property upon which it stands. The government owns the land. It is considered God’s property and therefore is secured for Him.

 

According to the biblical record, land seems to be God’s first order of prosperity. I think it is desirable for most people to own land. Young people, if your parents left you land, don’t exchange your perpetual inheritance for a “pot of soup.” (See Genesis 25:29–34.) Live very simply, if you have to, but keep

 

the land because there’s wealth in it. Christians tend to think in terms of heaven because that is where their focus is. Yet God didn’t create humanity for heaven alone—He created us to fulfill His purposes on earth.

 

Prayer: Father, You have given us this beautiful earth to be nurtured and cultivated. Help us to see how special it is and to treat it accordingly as we fulfill our visions.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Land seems to be God’s first order of prosperity.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1

 

November 25

 

The Ability to Work The second way God

 

provides for our visions is through our ability to work. When you decide to move forward with your dream, it will often take a great amount of work. I define work as the passion that is generated by a purpose.

 

Many people misunderstand the nature of work. They don’t realize that work was given to mankind before the fall: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it [“cultivate it” NASB]” (Genesis 2:15). Cultivation involves both creativity and effort. Work is not a curse, but a great blessing. Genesis 1:28 says that God blessed the male and female and gave them dominion over the earth. He blessed them in all their dominion assignments—including work.

 

God Himself worked when He created the world, and He still works to carry out His purposes. Because you are made in God’s image and likeness, you are designed to work. Remember that work is meant to include creativity and cultivation, not drudgery.

 

Moreover, work needs to be kept in its proper place. The Bible says that God worked hard and completed His work, but that He also stopped His work and rested. (See Genesis 2:2–3.) He

 

didn’t work seven days a week just for the sake of working. He stopped when it was appropriate, and He has instructed us to do the same. (See Exodus 20:9–10.) Prayer: Father, Your Word gives us such a balanced

 

picture of work. You worked, so we should work.

 

You were creative, so we can be creative.

 

You rested, so we should rest as well.

 

May we work, create, and rest in a way that honors You.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Because you are made in God’s image and likeness, you are designed to work.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 24–26; 1 Peter 2

 

November 26

 

Motivation for Work It is through worship and communion with God that mankind receives vision, vocation, and work. Jesus, the Second Adam, seemed to have two favorite words that reflected God’s purposes for mankind. One of those words was Father. He was always talking about His Father in heaven and seeking His presence in prayer. The other was work.

 

Jesus was intent on doing His Father’s work to completion. We are to aspire to fulfill God’s purposes while developing and using the gifts and talents He has given us. We aren’t to be lazy; instead, we are to have visions for our lives and to be willing to work so that they can be fulfilled. Our motivation for work is to complete the purposes for which we were created.

 

Jesus said, I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (John 6:26–27) In other words, there’s a higher reason to work than simply providing for physical needs. Again, don’t work just to pay bills. Don’t work only to buy food. Understand the true nature of work. In the garden of Eden, there was no supervisor, no one to hand out paychecks.

 

Work was given to Adam because it was a natural part of his being. Through work, he fulfilled part of his purpose as a human being created in God’s image.

 

Prayer: Father, You have revealed an exciting truth: Work is a natural part of who we are. As I work on this earth, I pray that Your favor would be upon me and that You would establish the work of my hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Our motivation for work is to complete the purposes for which we were created.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 27–29; 1 Peter 3

 

November 27

 

The Ability to Cultivate The third means of

 

providing for our visions is our God-given ability to cultivate things. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of [cultivate] it” (Genesis 2:15). God prefers cultivation to barrenness and wilderness, and He has given us the ability to cultivate as one way of reflecting His image. Recall that in Genesis 1:2, God created or cultivated the earth out of a “formless and empty” state.

 

Let me tell you the story of Hog Island in the Bahamas. Years ago, people used to dump garbage on the island, and wild hogs used to scavenge through all the mess. Then, one day, a man came to the Bahamas, flew over Hog Island, and saw something there that no one else could see. He bought Hog Island for practically nothing because the seller figured, “Oh, it’s just hogs. You can have it.” This man, however, didn’t see only hogs. He saw a resort. He cultivated Hog Island and made it productive. Today, the island is a destination for vacationers. It has a new name. It’s called Paradise. What a change! All it took was someone to manage it.

 

You can cultivate what is around you and make it a resource

 

for your vision. That’s what we are doing at Bahamas Faith Ministries. We bought a piece of barren land in the center of the island at a very good price, and we are turning it into an international leadership center. God wants people who can dream and then act. Cultivate what you own to further your vision.

 

Prayer: Father, open my eyes to the possibilities around me.

 

Show me what I can cultivate as a resource for my vision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The gift of cultivation involves the ability to see potential in what others view as wasteland.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 30–32; 1 Peter 4

 

November 28

 

The Ability to Reserve for the Future The fourth way God provides for your vision is by giving you wisdom to preserve and reserve for the future. For example, Joseph was sent to Egypt ahead of his brothers and his father Jacob because God knew a famine was coming, and they would need to be preserved. When poverty struck the land, Joseph’s family would need a place to go to survive and then prosper when times got better.

 

There are people whom God calls to be planters, and He will send them ahead of you to prepare the way for you. In addition, while we live on the daily bread God gives us, He also wants us to plan for things in faith. Planning destroys worry. God will teach you how to put things on reserve for the future. He gave Joseph a reservation plan during the famine. Joseph was able to harvest the grain during the seven years of abundance and store it for the years of famine so that Egypt and the surrounding lands would have food when the drought hit.

 

A fifth way God provides for vision is by enabling us to help future generations with their dreams. God not only wants you to enjoy the wealth, but He also wants your children and grandchildren to enjoy it, too. “A good man leaves an

 

inheritance for his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). What about your great-grandchildren? What is your vision of inheritance for your descendants? God wants us to think generationally. When He speaks to you, He is also talking of your descendants and the generations that will follow you.

 

Prayer: Father, give me the wisdom to handle all my resources well, so I may plan for the future.

 

Enable me also to leave an inheritance of spiritual and material wealth for the needs of future generations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God wants us to think generationally.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 33–34; 1 Peter 5

 

November 29

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision A principle we talked about earlier needs to be reviewed here: whatever God calls for, He provides for. God provides what we need, but we are often involved in the process. If you are a college student, your parents may provide your tuition to go to school, but they cannot make you learn. The provision is made, but the work is up to you. Your parents cook food and put it on the table for you, but you have to eat it; you have to get the energy from it yourself. It’s the same way with God. He provides, but He doesn’t do the work for us. We have to go after what He has provided as our supply.

 

Now ask yourself the following questions: Has your definition of prosperity changed as a result of the last two weeks of readings? Why or why not? What resources do you need to fulfill your vision? List them, and then trust God to provide for all the needs of your vision as He has promised to do. Prayerfully use the knowledge you have gained to receive provision for your vision.

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are truly

 

Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider. You show us that provision and prosperity are so much more than an excess of money. Godly prosperity includes personal peace and well-being.

 

It is a daily provision that reminds us not to worry about tomorrow.

 

Your provision involves resources that will meet the requirements of the visions You have given us.

The provision of spiritual blessings is available for us as well. Father, we cannot thank You enough that

 

Your provision not only meets our needs, but also goes exceedingly beyond what we can ask or imagine. In the mighty power of Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God provides what we need, but we are

 

often involved in the process.

 

Reading: Ezekiel 35–36; 2 Peter 1

 

November 30

 

Principles of Provision for Vision Today, review the following principles of provision for vision:

 

1.God often gives us dreams that initially

 

confound us because He wants to make sure we don’t attempt to fulfill them apart from Him.

 

2.God will never give you a vision without the provision for it.

 

3.The ability and resources are available for what you were born to do, yet your provision is usually hidden until you act on your vision.

 

4.God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

 

5.Prosperity doesn’t mean that tomorrow’s need is met today; it means that today’s need is met today.

 

6.True prosperity means being free of worry and fear. It reflects a state of contentedness that everything necessary is being taken care of.

 

7.God has designed every purpose with its own prosperity.

 

8.Sometimes God doesn’t give us all the resources we need to fulfill our visions because He has called other people to provide them for us.

 

9.Your obedience to your vision affects not only your life, but

 

also the lives of those who will work with you.

 

10.When we go to heaven, most of us are going to be shocked at what was ours for use on earth that we never asked for.

 

11.Specific ways that God provides the resources to fulfill our visions are: •Land and its inherent wealth •The ability to work •The ability to cultivate •The ability to preserve and reserve for the future •The ability to leave wealth for future generations Reading: Ezekiel 37–39; 2 Peter 2