October

 

October 1

 

Faithful to the Vision It’s easy to get excited about a vision, but it’s harder to be faithful to it. Faithfulness to vision is one of the marks of its legitimacy.

 

The apostle Paul was clearly faithful to his mission. In his early life, he was envied by the best. This gifted young man had great power in the religious community and could have been a prominent Pharisee. He also could have had an easy life. His father was a merchant and a Roman citizen, and Paul was born with that citizenship. Paul had his training under Gamaliel, a leading teacher of the Hebrew people. Paul was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). He was so set up to be successful that he could have made it in any category or profession. He really could have been a first-class success story. However, he said, But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7–8) In essence, Paul said, “I’m going to jail, I’m going to be whipped, I’m going to go through a myriad of problems because the vision God showed me is more important than anything else in my life.”

 

If someone who had the respect of everyone in the community and could have had any job he wanted was willing

 

to go through all that, he had to have vision.

 

How faithful are you to your vision?

 

Prayer: Father, I ask You for clarity and direction in my vision, and also that I might be faithful to it throughout my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Faithfulness to vision is one of the marks of its legitimacy.

 

Reading: Isaiah 11–13; Ephesians 4

 

October 2

 

Vision Is the Source of Passion Later in his ministry, Paul was on trial before King Agrippa. As he told the king about the purpose that Jesus Christ had given him on the road to Damascus, he made a statement that is very important concerning people with vision: Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied. “Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”(Acts 26:15–18, emphasis added) Paul summed up his account by saying, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven” (v. 19). He said that God had given

 

him a clear guiding vision, which was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and that he was not disobedient to it. He reiterated this vision to Timothy: “For this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle…and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles” (1 Timothy 2:7).

 

Paul knew what his purpose in life was, and that is what kept him going through all his struggles. When your vision is from God, nothing can stop you. Vision is the source of passion.

 

Prayer: Father, please help me to have the conviction of purpose that Paul had, so I can say, “For this purpose I was

appointed….”

 

Let my vision from You be the source of my passion.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: When your vision is from God,

 

nothing can stop you.

 

Reading: Isaiah 14–16; Ephesians 5

 

October 3

 

Resistance to the Vision A passionate person gets up in the morning and says, “Good morning, Lord! Here I am! Thank you for another day that will take me one step closer to where I want to go.” Passion means that no matter how tough things are, what I believe is bigger than what I see. It is an urge that is deeper than any resistance it might encounter. People stop too soon. They don’t win because they give up when they fall down the first time. In Romans 1:14, Paul said, “‘I am obligated’ to do the work God told me to do.” He just had to do it. It was God’s will for his life, and he was “eager to preach the gospel” (v. 15). He couldn’t wait to do it. A person of passion is always eager to fulfill his vision.

 

Passion meets every problem. It says things such as these:

 

•“You may say ‘no,’ but I know it really means ‘wait’.”

 

•“Even though you haven’t come around to my idea now, you will later.”

 

•“Even though you stop me now, I’m eventually going to jump this wall.”

 

If you’re going to be what you see in your mind, if you’re going to pursue what’s in your heart, believe me, there will be resistance. You overcome that resistance by having passion for your vision. When you are truly passionate about your dream, you can stand strong when trouble comes. Persistence will keep you moving forward, yet you need passion to feed your persistence.

 

Prayer: Father, I do not want to stop at the first sign

 

of resistance in my life. Your Word reminds me that I am more than a conqueror. May my passion for Christ and for the vision You have given me help me to overcome all resistance to my purpose. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The only way to overcome resistance is

 

to have passion for your vision.

 

Reading: Isaiah 17–19; Ephesians 6:1–9

 

October 4

 

Paying the Price Sometimes people will join your vision for a while and then say, “This vision isn’t real” because they don’t know what the vision is costing you.

 

John Mark was a very excited and zealous young man. He worked with Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey until a certain point when he decided to leave them and return to Jerusalem. Later, when John Mark wanted to accompany them on another journey, Paul said no because he felt John Mark had deserted them and the work. (See Acts 12:25–13:13; 15:36– 40.) Barnabas ended up going with John Mark on a separate journey, and Paul asked Silas to join him. In Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned when some men incited a mob against them. Silas was committed to the vision. If Paul went to jail, he would go to jail, too. I want you to know that the prison they were thrown into wasn’t an ordinary lockup. This “inner cell” has been described as a deep, dark dungeon. Yet this was the place where Paul and Silas sang hymns! (See Acts 16:16–25.) Passion is willing to pay the price.

 

Passion also helps you to stay focused on your vision. You can see this principle at work in churches. Wherever there is no vision, there is often fighting, gossiping, murmuring, and backbiting. Vision preoccupies people to the point that they have no time to gossip or get angry at the pastor or complain

 

about his preaching. We must rediscover the passion of working together for a common purpose and vision.

 

Prayer: Father, in my local church, help each believer to

 

rediscover the passion of working together in commitment for a

 

common vision. Remind us to put off anger, bitterness, and

 

slander, and

 

to put on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: We must rediscover the passion of working together for a common purpose and vision.

 

Reading: Isaiah 20–22; Ephesians 6:10–24

 

October 5

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision

 

If you become passionate about your vision, you can defy the

 

odds and persevere to the fulfillment of your goals. Whenever you are tempted to quit too soon or to stay down when life knocks you over, remember the examples of Nehemiah and Paul. Capture your vision and stay with it, and you will be rewarded with seeing that vision become a reality, no matter what might try to come against it.

 

What evidence of a passion for vision do you see in your life? Do you generally give up the first time you fall down? Ask yourself these questions:

 

•How hungry am I for my vision?

 

•How badly do I want what I’m going after?

 

•In what ways might I have become complacent about my vision?

 

•What will I do to regain my passion for my dreams?

 

Let’s pray together:

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are a God who is

 

passionate about Your people. You loved us so much that You gave Your only begotten Son for us. Jesus was so passionate about us that He laid down His life for us. We desire to show that passion in our own lives—to have a fervent desire to see the vision You have given us fulfilled. Please help us daily to stir up passion for our visions.

 

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

 

Thought: What evidence of a passion for vision do you see in your life?

 

Reading: Isaiah 23–25; Philippians 1

 

October 6

 

Principles for a Passion

 

for Vision Today, reflect on these principles for

 

developing a passion for your vision: 1.You cannot be successful without passion.

 

2.Passionate people have discovered something more important than life itself.

 

3.Vision is the prerequisite for passion.

 

4.Vision will be tested by tribulation.

 

5.Faithfulness to vision is one of the marks of its legitimacy.

 

6.Passion means that no matter how tough things are, what you believe is bigger than what you see.

 

7.A person of passion is always eager to fulfill his vision.

 

8.Passion keeps you focused on your vision.

 

Reading: Isaiah 26–27; Philippians 2

 

October 7

 

The Fifth Principle:

 

Develop the Faith of Vision The fifth principle in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that you must develop the faith of vision. Remember, sight is a function of the eyes, while vision is a function of the heart. The greatest gift that God gave humanity is not the gift of sight, but the gift of vision.

 

You have probably heard of the great author and wonderful entrepreneur Helen Keller, who became blind, deaf, and mute as a result of an illness when she was only eighteen months old. She was a powerful, remarkable woman who impacted her whole generation, and she still influences us today. In her old age, she was interviewed by a news anchor about her life. Communicating his questions to her through Braille, he asked, “Miss Keller, is there anything worse than being blind?” She paused for a moment and, in her unique way of talking, said, “What’s worse than being blind is having sight without vision.”

 

What a perceptive woman! This woman, who could not see physically, had more vision and accomplishments than the majority of those in her generation who had sight. The Bible says, “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs

 

23:7 NKJV). We must never let what our eyes see determine what our hearts believe. “For we walk [“live” NIV] by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV). In other words, we are to walk according to what is in our hearts. We are to let what is in our hearts dictate how we see life.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding me that I am to walk by faith and not by sight in every part of my life. Help me never to forget that when it comes to my vision. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: You must develop the faith of vision.

 

Reading: Isaiah 28–29; Philippians 3

 

October 8

 

Vision in the Heart I am convinced that most people have sight but no vision. Physical sight is the ability to see things as they are. Vision is the capacity to see things as they could be, and that takes faith.

 

God told Abraham something that could be seen, believed, and achieved only through the eyes of vision: He told him that inside him was a nation. He and Sarah were already elderly, and Sarah had been barren throughout their marriage. However, God said, in effect, “I see a nation in you. Everyone else is looking at your barrenness, but I see a nation of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore.” (See Genesis 11:29–30; 12:1–3; 17:1–19.) When we have vision, we are governed by the faith God has put in our hearts. Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen [that you cannot see]” (NKJV). Therefore, I would define faith as vision in the heart. Faith is seeing the future in the present. When you have faith, you can see things you hope to have and achieve.

 

If you are operating by sight, you see the problems and challenges all around you. You see how many bills you have to pay; you see that your company is downsizing; you see things that threaten your security. Sight without vision is dangerous because it has no hope. We must live by vision and see with

 

the eyes of faith.

 

Prayer: Father, as I face the many challenges of life, may

 

I learn to live by vision and to see with the eyes of faith.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Vision is the capacity to see things as they could be, and that takes faith.

 

Reading: Isaiah 30–31; Philippians 4

 

October 9

 

Things As They Should Be Remember that sight is the ability to see things as they are, and vision is the ability to see things as they could be. I like to go a step further and define vision this way: Vision is the ability to see things as they should be. The vision in your heart is greater than your environment.

 

Our spirits were designed to operate as God operates. In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” The word “image” refers to moral and spiritual character, while the phrase “in our likeness” means “to function like.” In other words, we were created to live according to the nature of God and to function as He functions in the world. The Bible is very clear that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). If you try to function in any other way than faith, you will malfunction. Fear, for instance, will make your vision short-circuit.

 

Jesus was filled with faith, and He was the calmest person on earth. He slept soundly in the middle of a storm. When His frightened disciples woke Him up, He asked them, “Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He was telling them, “If you have faith, you’ll be able to sleep during a storm as well.” I have been living this way—by faith instead of fear—for over twenty years, and it’s been so much fun. I don’t worry for very long

 

about anything because I believe that, ultimately, everything is on my side. All things work for my good because I am called according to God’s purpose. (See Romans 8:28.) Prayer: Father, I know that faith comes from hearing

 

the Word of God. As I study and grow through Your Word, I can count on my faith increasing. Please help me to continually walk in faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The vision in your heart is greater than

 

your environment.

 

Reading: Isaiah 32–33; Colossians 1

 

October 10

 

Creative Thoughts and Words How does faith for your vision work? Let’s look more closely at how God functions. In Jeremiah 1:12, God declared, “I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” The New American Standard Bible says it this way: “I am watching over My word to perform it.” As this verse—along with many others throughout the Bible—demonstrates, God always brings His words into being.

 

We talked about this truth earlier. What did God use to create the universe? He used words. All through the account of creation, we read, “God said” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26). God had an idea for the universe, and then He saw or visualized it. Finally, He spoke His idea into existence. The result was that everything God saw in His mind’s eye for the earth and the rest of the universe became visible reality in the physical world.

 

Nothing on earth is more important than a thought. Thoughts are even more important than words because words are produced from thoughts. Yet while thoughts are the most important things on earth, words are the most powerful. This point is crucial to understand because, while thoughts design a future, words create that future. You can think about something

 

for twenty years, but that will not bring it to pass. Creative power is in the words (and actions) that come from thoughts. Whether those words are spoken or written, they are full of creative power.

 

Prayer: Father, the Bible tells us that You will perform Your word. I trust You to perform Your Word in my life as I read and apply it. Your promise in Jeremiah 29:11

 

is true for me: You indeed have a plan for me

 

that will give me a future and a hope.

 

Thank You for making my vision a reality.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: While thoughts design a future, words create that future.

 

Reading: Isaiah 34–36; Colossians 2

 

October 11

 

The Negative Power of Words Words have power. Unfortunately, there is a negative aspect to this truth as well as a positive one. You can undermine your vision by what you continually say about yourself, such as “I’m fat,” “I’m slow,” “I’m not intelligent,” “I’m a timid person,” “I don’t like people,” “I’m a failure,” or “I’ll always have a mortgage.” I am. I am. I am. You will become everything you constantly declare about yourself. That is the power of words.

 

Satan knows that the key to creating anything is having a clear vision of it and speaking it into existence. He wants you to speak negative rather than positive things so that your effectiveness for God’s kingdom will be negated. Remember that Satan’s desire for your life is exactly the opposite of God’s. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full [“abundantly” NASB].”

 

We can help protect our visions, therefore, by guarding what we say. Instead of saying, “I’ll always have a mortgage,” say, “I’m going to be debt free.” You may have been imagining that you don’t owe any bills, but you have to start saying it as well. Say, “My God will meet all [my] needs according to his

 

glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), then pray, “Lord, please perform Your Word.”

 

A vision doesn’t have any power until you talk about it. As you talk about it, you can develop a plan for achieving it. The Lord will meet you in your words and actions that are spoken and performed according to His Word.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the power of words.

 

Please help me to speak faith-filled words

 

over my vision and my life.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: We can help protect our visions by guarding what we say.

 

Reading: Isaiah 37–38; Colossians 3

 

October 12

 

Life the Way You See It Life is the way you see it. When you begin to see with the eyes of faith, you will understand how to make your vision a reality. There is a story of a man and his friend who visited India years ago. They were walking down the streets of Bombay and saw the

thousands of poor people on the streets. The man said to his friend, “Look at these people. Isn’t it a sad sight? They’re without shoes. Isn’t it a shame that we have so much at home in our country while these people are poor and without shoes. I’ll never forget this sight.” By this time, his friend had already taken out a piece of paper and was writing down some notes. He had started working out a plan of how to ship shoes over to India and how to manufacture shoes in India. Instead of saying, “Look at the bare feet,” he was saying, “Look at the feet that need shoes!” Today his enterprise is one of the largest shoe companies in America. One man saw bare feet. Another man saw an opportunity for a much-

 

needed business. It’s all in how you see.

 

You can see every problem as an opportunity for ministry, service, or business. That is really how Bahamas Faith Ministries International got started. The number one problem of people in developing nations is ignorance. God raised up BFMI to be one of the solutions to that problem: to bring knowledge, training, and information to the Third World.

 

Prayer: Father God, if I would see life through Your eyes, I would see all things as possible, I would have faith without doubt, and I would not experience fear. Please help me to see life as You do!

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Life is the way you see it.

 

Reading: Isaiah 39–40; Colossians 4

 

October 13

 

Your Vision Should Outlive You Successful men and women who have impressed and impacted their generations weren’t “lucky.” They didn’t just stumble on greatness. They thought great things and expected great things, and greatness found them. Big thinking precedes great achievement. You don’t need to be big to think great thoughts. You need to think great thoughts to become big. That is the faith of vision.

 

You must realize that ideas control the world. Ideas are so powerful that many nations are ruled by the thoughts of men who have long since died. When I went to college, most of the books I read were by people who are no longer living. A vision is an idea that is so powerful it can live beyond the grave. Your own vision should outlive you. In order for that to happen, however, you can’t keep your ideas to yourself. You must clearly conceive and express them.

 

I’ll never forget the time I was grappling with the possibility of writing books. I told God that I didn’t want to write because so many others were writing, and I didn’t want to do it just because everybody else was doing it. I wanted my teaching to be real and genuine. However, when I was preparing my notes one night for a teaching, I felt as if the Lord was saying to me,

 

“If you do not write, what you know will die with you. If you write down the ideas that I have given you, however, your words will live on after you are gone.”

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the ideas You have placed within me. Please guide me as I write down my vision and fulfill it, so that future generations may benefit from it, for Your glory.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: A vision is an idea that is so powerful

 

it can live beyond the grave.

 

Reading: Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1

 

October 14

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Your success or failure is determined by how you see. Jesus continually dealt with the sight of the disciples because their sight got them into trouble so often. He wanted them to move from sight to vision, and that is why He taught them about faith through life illustrations such as the fig tree, the feeding of the five thousand, and the raising of Lazarus. (See, for example, Matthew 21:19–22; Mark 6:34–44; John 11:1–44.) The faith of vision is crucial because the way you see things determines how you think and act and, therefore, whether or not your vision will become reality. Remember that Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (NKJV). Do you have sight or vision?

 

What is your answer to the above question? Are you thinking and speaking in positive or negative terms in relation to your vision? This week, choose one aspect of your vision and practice speaking words of faith regarding it.

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, we join with the

 

psalmist David

 

in prayer that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts would be pleasing in Your sight, Lord.

We know that only words of faith are pleasing to You. If we are tempted to speak negative words concerning our lives or visions, please convict us. Remind us that words of faith reveal that we are

 

in agreement with You. We know that words of faith are vital to the fulfillment of our visions.

 

Help us to function as You do, Lord, speaking creative words and then watching them come to pass. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The way you see things determines

 

how you think and act.

 

Reading: Isaiah 43–44; 1 Thessalonians 2

 

October 15

 

Principles of the Faith of Vision Today, reflect on the following principles regarding the faith of vision: 1.Sight is a function of the eyes, while vision is a function of the heart.

 

2.Sight is the ability to see things as they are, while vision is the ability to see things as they could (or should) be.

 

3.We must never let what our eyes see determine what our hearts believe.

 

4.Faith is vision in the heart.

 

5.Sight without vision is dangerous because it has no hope.

 

6.The vision in your heart is greater than your environment.

 

7.God gave us vision so we would not have to live by what we see.

 

8.We were created to live according to the way God functions.

 

God functions through faith and His Word.

 

9.While thoughts are the most important things on earth, words are the most powerful. Thoughts design a future, but words create that future.

 

10.Whether words are spoken or written, they are full of creative power.

 

11.Faith sees problems as opportunities.

 

12.Great thinking precedes great achievement.

 

13.You don’t need to be big to think great thoughts. You need to think great thoughts to become big. That is the faith of vision.

 

14.A vision is an idea that is so powerful it can live beyond the grave.

 

15.In order for your vision to outlive you, you can’t keep your ideas to yourself. You must clearly conceive and express them.

 

16.The faith of vision is crucial because the way you see things determines how you think and act and, therefore, whether or not your vision will become reality.

 

Reading: Isaiah 45–46; 1 Thessalonians 3

 

October 16

 

The Sixth Principle:

 

Understand the Process of Vision The sixth

 

principle in our Twelve Principles of Vision is

 

that we must understand the process of vision.

 

God has a plan for each of our lives, yet He brings those plans to pass in a gradual way. I’m learning that God tells us where we are going with our visions, but He rarely tells us exactly how He will take us there. He gives us purpose but doesn’t explain the full process.

 

Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Notice the word “steps.” God didn’t say He would direct our leaps, but rather our steps. There is no hurried way to get to God’s vision. He leads us step-by-step, day-by-day, through trials and character-building opportunities as He moves us toward our dreams. Why does God lead us in this way? Because He doesn’t want us only to win; He wants us to win with style. God’s desire is to fashion people with character and battle scars who can say, “God didn’t just hand me this vision. I have qualified for it.”

 

At the time when we receive our visions, we are not yet ready for them. We don’t have the experience or the character for them. God could accomplish quickly what He desires to do

 

through us, yet He wants to prepare us to receive and work in our visions. This is the way in which the Lord worked in the lives of the great Bible leaders, and it is the way He still works today.

 

Prayer: Father, I have seen in my life that there is no hurried way to get to Your vision. You have a step-by-step plan to lead me where I need to be. Help me to have the patience and faith

 

to trust You each step of the way.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: We must understand that vision is a process.

 

Reading: Isaiah 47–49; 1 Thessalonians 4

 

October 17

 

God Chooses the Route We must learn to train for what God has already told us is coming. We ask God, “Why do I need to go this way? I don’t like this route.” He answers that the route is going to do two things for us: (1) develop our character, and (2) produce responsibility in us. We weren’t born with those things; we have to learn them. Moreover, if God were to show us the full route to where we are going, we might say, “I’ll stay right where I am.”

 

Let’s look at the life of Joseph as an example. When he was seventeen years old, he had a dream from God in which his father, mother, and brothers were kneeling down before him. (See Genesis 37:9–10.) Joseph thought to himself, “Yes! I like this dream.” God had given him a vision, yet He didn’t tell him how he was going to get there. Suppose God had said, “Joseph, you’re going to become a great ruler, and here is what I have planned to get you there: your brothers are going to tear your favorite clothes right off your back, throw you into a pit, and sell you as a slave. Then your master’s wife is going to lie about you, accusing you of rape, and your master is going to have you put in jail, where you will be forgotten for a long time. But eventually you will get there.” If God had said that, Joseph

 

probably would have replied, “I’ll just stay a shepherd. I’m very happy where I am right now.”

 

God protects us and our visions by leading us according to His route and His timing.

 

Prayer: Father, You are committed to me

 

and to completing the work You have begun in me.

 

Thank You for developing character and responsibility in my

 

life.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: You must learn to train for what God has

 

already told you is coming.

 

Reading: Isaiah 50–52; 1 Thessalonians 5

 

October 18

 

In the Midst of the Process

 

Are  you  in  the  midst  of  the  vision  process?  Are  you

 

wondering, “Where is the vision God promised me?” Perhaps you are beginning to wonder if there is a God in heaven.

 

Joseph likely felt the same way during his ordeals. He found himself sitting in a pit when, just a few days earlier, he had seen himself on a throne. He was probably thinking, “Where is the God who showed me that dream?” If so, I believe God’s reply to Joseph was something like this: “I’m with you in the pit, and I’m working on your character because you can’t rule well without it.”

 

Suppose Joseph hadn’t learned self-control through all his hardships? When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, he might have given in to the temptation. Instead, because he had learned discipline and reliance on God, he could be trusted in such a situation.

 

What if God had told Moses, while he was still one of the most powerful men in Egypt, that in order to fulfill God’s vision to free the Israelites, he would lose his position, go through numerous hardships, and eventually not even enter the Promised Land himself? I think Moses would have said, “Lord, You can keep both the people and Pharaoh. I’ll pass on this vision.” Yet, through a long process, Moses deepened his relationship with God, developed character, and fulfilled his

 

purpose.

 

Do you really believe that God sees and knows everything? If you do, then you have to trust that your hardships are part of His perfect plan for you.

 

Prayer: Father, I believe that You see and know everything about me and about the plan You have for my life. Please help me trust You and to face trials joyfully and confidently, knowing that You are perfecting me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: You have to trust that your hardships are part of God’s perfect plan for you.

 

Reading: Isaiah 53–55; 2 Thessalonians 1

 

October 19

 

Preparing for the Purpose Just because we’re going through difficult times doesn’t mean God has stopped working to fulfill our purposes. God is working on us, preparing us for our purposes through the process. However, we often sit back and say, “Why is it taking so long? Why do I have to go through all this?” That attitude of complaint and lack of faith is exactly what God is trying to work out of you. He doesn’t want you to go into your promised land dragging bad attitudes behind you. He is working for your good.

 

Let’s talk about the life of Paul again. God told him, essentially, “You will be an apostle to the Gentiles for Me. You will preach to kings.” (See Acts 9:15.) Paul might have thought, “That sounds pretty good.” However, if God had told him about the fastings, the whippings, the stonings, the hunger, and the prisons, Paul might have said, “I think I’ll stay in Jerusalem rather than going on that road to Damascus.” As it was, after his conversion, God did warn Paul through Ananias, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (v. 16).

 

God’s plan to get you where you are meant to be is unpredictable. He doesn’t tell you about it because you might be tempted to quit. You might say, for example, “Isn’t there

 

another way to start a business?” God will answer, “No. This is the way I am taking you. You want to have a store? Good. I want you to start by working in one. This is your route. I’m working on your character and your training.”

 

No one can have the vision without being qualified for it.

 

Prayer: Father, as You conduct my training and prepare me for my vision, I pray that I may live and work in a way that honors You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God is working on us, preparing us for our purposes through the process.

 

Reading: Isaiah 56–58; 2 Thessalonians 2

 

October 20

 

Your Vision Awaits an Appointed Time The prophet Habakkuk asked God, “How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). He was referring to all the problems and difficulties that were taking place in his nation. There was disorder, corruption, and murder. The Lord’s answer to him was this: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay....But the righteous will live by his

 

faith.(Habakkuk 2:2–4) The vision that you have received awaits an appointed time. This is where walking by faith and not by sight comes in. You must believe in what God has told you because it won’t happen overnight. Again, it will occur through a process of character development, which will come as you live by faith and inner vision—not by what you see.

 

You may not face a life-or-death situation, as some of God’s people have, but you will have challenges and difficulties in one degree or another as you move toward the fulfillment of your vision. That is why I want you to be aware of the process of vision and be prepared for it. I don’t want you to give up on your vision prematurely. God will continually fulfill a little more of your dream until it comes to pass. It will culminate in His timing. Lamentations 3:26 says, “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

 

Prayer: Father, it is sometimes so hard to wait,

 

especially in these days when the world seems to move so fast

 

around me. May Your Word continue to encourage me to wait on You with faith and joyful expectation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Don’t give up on your dream prematurely.

 

Reading: Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3

 

October 21

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision

 

While you are waiting for the fulfillment of your vision, you

 

must realize that regardless of what job you are in right now, purpose gives your job meaning. Being in a pit and in prison didn’t stop Joseph because he saw himself as a ruler, and he knew that one day his vision would be fulfilled. God’s purpose in your heart is what enables you to keep moving forward.

 

God places us in jobs that will prepare us for our life’s work. Remember that a job is a pre-occupation on the way to true occupation. I’m very glad for each of the jobs I have had, because they all prepared me for what I’m doing right now. What I am doing now is so fulfilling that I could do it for the rest of my life. So get all the knowledge you can from your job, because you’re going to move on in a little while.

 

In the meantime, ask yourself these questions:

 

•How has God used experiences in my life to build character in me?

 

•What character qualities has God shown me I need to work on?

 

•In what specific ways is my job preparing me for my life’s work, such as skills, knowledge, and experience?

 

Let’s pray together:

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are so encouraged by Your care for us. You have promised in Your Word

 

to complete the work You have begun in us and to bring us to maturity. We know that we can trust You in the process of preparing us for the visions You have given us.

 

We have seen how You prepared Abraham, Jacob, Joseph,

 

Moses, Paul, and so many others for their roles

 

in Your plan for the world.

 

Prepare us, Lord, so that we will be equipped to do

 

all that You desire us to do for Your glory.

 

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

 

Thought: Purpose gives your present job meaning.

 

Reading: Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1

 

October 22

 

Principles of the

 

Process of Vision Today, reflect on these principles concerning the process of vision: 1.God has a plan for each of our lives, yet He brings those plans to pass in a gradual way.

 

2.God will tell you where you are going with your vision, but He will rarely tell you exactly how He will take you there.

 

3.There is no hurried way to get to God’s vision.

 

4.At the time that we receive our visions, we are not yet ready for them.

 

5.The process of vision develops our character and produces responsibility in us.

 

6.God places us in jobs that will prepare us for our life’s work.

 

7.The vision God has given you will come to pass. Until then, you are to live by faith.

 

Reading: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2

 

October 23

 

The Seventh Principle:

 

Set the Priorities of Vision Principle number seven in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that you must set priorities for yourself in relation to your vision. Understanding priority will help you accomplish your dream because priority is the key to effective decision-making. Both successful and unsuccessful people make decisions every day that influence their chances of achieving their visions. Whether they realize it or not, it is the nature and quality of the choices they make that determine their success or failure.

 

Life is filled with alternatives; we are constantly bombarded with choices, and our preferences reveal who we are and what we value in life. Remember, your life is the sum total of the decisions you make every day. You have become what you have decided for the last fifteen, twenty, or thirty years of your life. Even more significantly, you can tell the kind of life you’re going to have in the future by the decisions you are making today. In this sense, the future really is now. Sometimes we believe that we can make bad choices today and make up for them later on. That thinking is in error. Whatever we are doing now is our tomorrow.

 

This is why yes and no are the most powerful words you will ever say. God wants you to be able to say them with precision because they will determine your destiny. You will be blessed by saying yes to what is in accordance with your vision and no to anything else.

 

Prayer: Father, I make many decisions each day.

 

Please enable me to make decisions that will benefit the vision You have given me.

My desire is to make godly, good decisions today.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Priority is the key to effective decision-making.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3

 

October 24

 

Not Everything Is Beneficial If you want to fulfill your dream, you must fix your eyes on it and not get caught up in anything that won’t take you there. Please understand that prioritizing creates useful limits on your choices.

 

In the first part of 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul wrote, “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial.” Even though we have permission to do everything we want to, “not everything is beneficial” for us. You have to determine what is beneficial based on the needs of your vision. The second part of that verse is a very powerful statement: “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything” (emphasis added). Even though you can do anything in life, the only things that should master you are the things that will take you to your goal. Of course, that goal should be what pleases and glorifies God.

 

Remember, even if something is good, that does not necessarily mean it is beneficial to fulfilling your God-given vision. For example, when you are traveling along a highway, there are dozens of exits you might take. Is there such a thing as a “bad” exit? No, they’re all good, legitimate routes. Many of them lead to helpful services, such as hotels, restaurants, or gas stations. Therefore, is there anything that makes an exit “bad” for you? Yes—if it doesn’t lead to your desired

 

destination. Ask yourself, “Which activities are aligned with God’s purposes for me? What will move me toward my goal?”

 

Prayer: Father, please lead me by Your Holy Spirit. Give me the wisdom to choose the things that are truly beneficial to me and not to become involved in things that will pull me away from my goal.

In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

 

Thought: “Everything is permissible for me,

 

but not everything is beneficial.”

 

Reading: Jeremiah 3–5; 1 Timothy 4

 

October 25

 

The Beneficial Things What is beneficial for you? Obviously, the first thing that you should consider as beneficial is your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you want to know where you’re supposed to go in life, you have to establish a connection with the Person who gave you the assignment, the Person who created you.

 

It’s no wonder the Bible says the greatest

 

commandment is to love God first with all your heart, mind, soul (will), and strength. (See Mark 12:30.) When you do that, He reveals to you the assignment that you were born to fulfill. Once you are certain of where you are meant to go in life and have truly committed to it, then a lot of the extraneous things will fall away on their own.

 

After you capture your vision, you need to prioritize your life in keeping with that vision. You have to decide how many of the things that you are currently involved in are beneficial to your dream. Again, there might not necessarily be anything wrong with them. They just may not be right for you to be involved in based on what you need to accomplish.

 

The key is that 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. Most of us know the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, your greatest challenge is not in choosing between good and bad but between good and best. A vision protects you from being misguided by good alternatives. It allows you to say no to lesser opportunities, even if there are certain benefits to them.

 

Prayer: Father, help me to choose between

 

good and best. Sometimes they are so similar;

 

please give me discernment by Your Holy Spirit

 

to know the difference.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The vision itself decides what is best and most beneficial for your vision.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 6–8; 1 Timothy 5

 

October 26

 

Good versus Best We can see a clear

 

illustration of the principle of priorities in Jesus’ reaction to the choices of Martha and Mary of Bethany.

 

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”(Luke 10:38–40) Martha had made a very honorable request: “What I’m doing is important; I need help.” Yet note the Lord’s answer: “Martha, Martha,...you are worried and upset about many things” (v. 41). Jesus didn’t say “bad” things, just “many things.” He continued, “But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v. 42).

 

Jesus was saying, in effect, “You’re doing what is good, Martha, but Mary has shifted into an area of life that I wish everyone would go to. Don’t just do good things. Concentrate on what is best.” In the story of Martha and Mary, nowhere does it say that Jesus was hungry. God doesn’t want us to start anything, including doing good works for Him, until we consult Him. This is because He doesn’t want us to work for

 

Him, but with Him in partnership. We are “God’s fellow workers” (2 Corinthians 6:1).

 

Prayer: Father, I want to focus on what is best.

 

As I meet with You each day in prayer, reveal to me the good things I can do that day to serve You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Concentrate on what is best.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 9–11; 1 Timothy 6

 

October 27

 

Keep Your Eyes on the Mark When I was in Israel, I visited a farm that used modern tractors and combines. Nearby, I saw a little field in a valley where a man was tilling the ground using just an ox hooked up to a plow. I was intrigued by the sight, and I said to one of the men from the farm, “He’s using an animal and an old, outdated plow, but his field is just as perfect as yours, and you use modern machinery!” The man told me, “That guy’s system is better than mine! He keeps his furrows completely straight. At the end of the field, he sets up little sticks and ties red or white flags on them. He sets his eyes on the little piece of cloth at the far end of the field as he controls the movements of the ox. If he didn’t use the sticks, his furrows would be crooked.”

 

Then he said something that put the whole thing into perspective for me: “That little stick is called ‘the mark.’” That term took me back two thousand years to that same area of Palestine where Jesus had lived. I understood what Jesus meant in Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

 

When you set your hand to the plow, you must put your eyes on the mark and not look to the left, right, or behind you. Then you will hit God’s mark for your life.

 

Prayer: Father, I want to hit the mark for my life! Please help me to keep my eyes and my heart focused on the vision You have given me, without being tempted by what lies to the right, to the left, or behind. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: When you put your hand to the plow,

 

you must put your eyes on the mark.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 12–14; 2 Timothy 1

 

October 28

 

My Yoke Is Easy When someone sets his eyes on a goal and never takes them off it, he will reach that goal. The apostle Paul talked about focusing on his goal: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 3:13–14) Do you remember when you were learning to ride a bicycle? You were told to look straight ahead because wherever you looked, that’s where you were going. If you looked down, you would fall down. Many of us have set markers in our lives— our visions—claiming we are headed in that direction, but then we keep looking everywhere except at our visions. It doesn’t take too long before we’re off course.

 

 

In Matthew 11:30, Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” A yoke is a single piece of wood that joins two oxen together. It keeps them at the same pace and in the

 

same position. Jesus also said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me” (vv. 28–29). We are to join with God’s plan for our lives and let His yoke guide us. This means that if He turns, we turn; if He stops, we stop. This is the way we hit the mark.

 

Prayer: Father, I desire to take Christ’s yoke upon myself so that I may learn from Him and rest in Him. I willingly join with Your plan for my life. Thank You for guiding me.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: We are to join with God’s plan for our lives and let His yoke guide us.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 15–17; 2 Timothy 2

 

October 29

 

Vision Protects You Vision protects us from trying to do everything. The apostle Paul had a deep love and concern for the Jews. They were his people; he was born from among them, and he was one of them. Yet his purpose was to preach to the Gentiles: “For this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles” (1 Timothy 2:7). He knew what he was appointed for, and he stayed in his vision. Paul’s vision was his motivating force: “I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome” (Romans 1:15).

 

Perhaps we become involved in too many things because we’re trying to impress God and other people by showing them how much we are capable of doing. Yet we must remember that our gifts are the key to fulfilling our personal visions. If we spend time on things that we’re not as gifted in, we will wear ourselves down to the point that when we come back to our gifts, we are too tired to use them effectively.

 

Jesus Himself was born to do one main thing. At one point, one of Jesus’ closest friends tried to talk Him out of His vision.

 

Peter said, in essence, “Master, You’re talking about how You’re going to die. ‘This shall never happen to you!’” (Matthew 16:22). What Peter said wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t right based on Jesus’ vision. We must keep our eyes on God’s true purpose for our lives.

 

Prayer: Father, I have been guilty of being involved in too many things. Please help me to say yes only to the things that You have given me to do based on Your true purpose for my life.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Vision protects us from trying to do everything.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 18–19; 2 Timothy 3

 

October 30

 

Vision Disciplines Your Choices Vision is the key to an effective life because when you see your destination, it helps you to discipline your life in ways that train and prepare you, providing for your vision.

 

Proverbs 29:18 is often quoted but not fully understood: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). The word in the Hebrew for “perish” means “to throw off constraints.” If you don’t have vision, there are no real restraints in your life. Yet, when you have vision, you are able to say no with dignity. The New International Version reads, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” The use of the words “revelation” and “restraint” is very significant because the verse may be interpreted as meaning, “Where there is no vision, the people throw off self-control.” You will never be disciplined in your life until you have real vision.

 

Discipline may be defined as self-imposed standards and restrictions motivated by a desire or vision that is greater than any alternatives. According to Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary, the words discipline and disciple come from the same root word that means “pupil.” A disciple is a student who is dedicated to learning to think like his or her teacher. The followers of Jesus, the ultimate Teacher, were called His disciples because they were committed to changing

 

their thinking so that they thought like He did. As You follow the Lord in Your vision, you will become more and more disciplined in the choices you make in life.

 

Prayer: Father, many choices are available to me.

 

The most important one is to choose to love and serve You. Please teach me to be more disciplined so that I might make choices for the rest of my life that truly honor You.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Seeing your destination helps you to discipline your life in ways that train and prepare you, providing for your vision.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 20–21; 2 Timothy 4

 

October 31

 

Discipline Is a Teacher How disciplined is your

 

life in relation to your dream? Ask yourself questions such as these: What am I using my energies on? What am I putting my heart and soul into? Is it worth it, based on my purpose? Where am I investing my money? Your vision dictates where you put your resources. Are you buying things that you don’t need? Are you so much in debt that you can’t channel your money toward fulfilling the vision in your heart?

 

What movies and television programs am I watching? Are they helping or hindering me? What books am I reading? If you’re only reading romance novels, you are living in a fantasy world and not living out your true dream. What am I taking into my body? There are talented, gifted people who are dying prematurely because they consistently eat food that isn’t good for them. If you’re going to make it to the end of your vision, you must take care of your health.

 

What is my attitude toward life? If you know where you’re going, you can keep your attitude positive. When things go wrong, you can say, “That’s okay. This is only temporary. I know where my true destination is.” Paul said we should discipline our thoughts to think about what will build us up:

 

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

 

Choose to live well! Associate with people and be involved in things that are conducive to your dream.

 

Prayer: Father, all that I have and all that I do should be dedicated to You and should lead me to my dream. I submit my energy, my money, my entertainment, my books, my body, and my heart attitude to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Associate with people and be involved in things that are conducive to your dream.

 

Reading: Jeremiah 22–23; Titus 1