September

 

September 1

 

Follow His Directions Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” God has plans for us, and He wants those plans to be fulfilled. Yet for this to happen, we must follow His direction.

 

When Joshua took over leadership of the Israelites, God said to him, in effect, “Though Moses is now dead, you have a big vision; it’s your time now to fulfill your purpose.” (See Joshua 1:1–6.) The Lord’s advice to Joshua was to obey His Word: Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful [“have good success” NKJV].(vv. 7–8) In other words, God was saying, “You will be successful if you learn and follow My precepts and principles.” God guaranteed Joshua success if he would obey the commands that Moses himself had had to obey. Note that God didn’t tell Joshua to literally imitate Moses’ life, but to follow Moses’ principles, the ones Moses had used in his own work. Likewise, you can never—nor should you ever—imitate

 

another person’s life. Follow God’s principles in His Word and You will be an imitator of Your heavenly Father while carrying out the vision He has given you. (See Ephesians 5:1.) Prayer: Father, teach me to follow Your precepts and principles. Help me to be attentive to everything You tell me in Your Word. I believe that success will follow me.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God has plans for us, but they can be fulfilled only as we follow His direction.

 

Reading: Psalm 135–136; 1 Corinthians 12

 

September 2

 

Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision God has never created a failure. He designed you, sculpted you, and gave you birth to be a success. If you have failed, it is only because you are a success who went off track. Remember that you don’t have to stay on the sidelines. Redemption restores to you the ability to accomplish your vision.

 

As I have studied God’s Word and the nature of vision, I have developed “Twelve Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision.” These principles will help you to find your specific vision and stay on course. The principles aren’t hidden or exclusive to only a few. They may be clearly discerned from the Scriptures and the lives of accomplished visionaries, and they are historically proven. Jesus Himself had to use each one of these principles to be successful in His work of redemption.

 

Few people seem to be following the principles that lead to success. Either they don’t know them, or they have never proven them by putting them into practice. A successful person is someone who understands, submits to, and adheres to the principles that will carry him to success. The twelve principles that follow have been used by people of vision and are designed to protect, preserve, and guarantee the fulfillment

 

of your dream. We will explore these important truths for the rest of the year. If you can capture these principles, you will move beyond survival mode; you will be an overcomer and see your vision come to pass.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us principles to live by in Your Word. Open my heart to understand these principles for the protection and fulfillment of my dream. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: If you put these principles into practice, you can see your vision come to pass.

Reading: Psalm 137–139; 1 Corinthians 13

 

September 3

The First Principle:

Have a Clear, Guiding Purpose The first principle in our Twelve Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision is that you must have a clear guiding purpose for your life. Every effective leader or group of people in history has had one thing in common: They were directed by a clear vision. Remember that Moses, Joshua, David, and Nehemiah each had visions that drove them and motivated their actions.

 

I cannot stress enough the need for a guiding vision in life because it is perhaps the single most important key to fulfilling your dream. You personally, as an individual, must have your own guiding life vision. This vision must be absolutely clear to you because, otherwise, you will have nothing to aim at, and you will achieve nothing.

 

As I wrote earlier, when you know and understand what you were born to accomplish, that is purpose. When you can see it in your mind by faith and begin to imagine it that is vision. You cannot contribute to God’s greater purpose if you don’t know your personal vision. If you have no sense of focus, you will just drift along. I like what Jesus said in Luke 2:49: “I must be about my Father’s business” (KJV). There were many other businesses Jesus could have been about, but He identified a specific life work that was His own and that motivated everything He did. Having a clear guiding purpose will enable you to stay on track when you are tempted to be distracted by lesser or nonessential things.

 

Prayer: Father, please help me to define a clear guiding purpose for my life, according to Your will for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Without a clear guiding purpose, you will achieve nothing.

Reading: Psalm 140–142; 1 Corinthians 14:1–20

 

September 4

 

The Why of Existence One of my undergraduate degrees is in education, and I had to take a course in biology for a full year as part of my degree requirements. I really enjoyed that course because it was extremely detailed; we studied the neurological and circulatory systems of the human body. At the end of the class, a question burst into my mind: “Now that you know what the human body is, do you know why it is?” Education can give us knowledge, but it can’t always give us reasons. It is more important to know why you were born than to know the fact that you were born. If you don’t know your reason for existence, you will begin to experiment with your life, and that is dangerous.

 

Let me ask you some difficult but necessary questions: Have you changed jobs several times in the last few years? Do you keep changing your major in college? Do you do one thing for a time and then go on to something else because you are bored or dissatisfied? If so, you lack vision. You were not created to be bored and dissatisfied. I want to squeeze everything I can out of each day because I have a vision that keeps me

 

passionate. Proverbs 6:10–11 says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” You must choose where you want to go in life and then be decisive and faithful in carrying it out.

 

Prayer: Father God, You have created me to love and serve You. Please direct me in vision so that I will know the reason for my existence and be faithful in fulfilling it.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Having purpose and vision enables you to answer the question, “Why was I born?”

 

Reading: Psalm 143–145; 1 Corinthians 14:21–40

 

September 5

 

A Job versus a Purpose There is an excellent illustration in the Bible that shows the difference between simply having a job and having a clear guiding purpose. It is found in the life of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was in a top position in the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes; he was cupbearer, and he was a highly regarded, trusted, and influential advisor to the king. As prestigious as Nehemiah’s occupation was, it was simply a job for him because his mind was occupied with something else.

 

Nehemiah was a descendant of one of the large number of Jews who had been carried into captivity by the Babylonians. At the time of the Babylonian captivity, the city of Jerusalem had undergone terrible destruction. Yet, when the Babylonians were defeated by the Persians seventy years later, fifty thousand Jews had returned to Judea and had rebuilt the temple. Then, an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was thwarted by opposition from neighboring peoples who had convinced King Artaxerxes to issue a decree to stop the work.

 

When Nehemiah heard that “the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:3), the news filled him with grief. He “sat down and wept. For

 

some days [he] mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah’s job might have been prestigious, but his life was clearly shifting in another direction. Is God shifting your direction to line up with His purposes?

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the job that I have right now. Yet please reveal to me a purpose beyond my job, a vision that will bring meaning to my life.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: There is a difference between simply having a job and having a clear guiding purpose.

 

Reading: Psalm 146–147; 1 Corinthians 15:1–28

 

September 6

 

What You Were Born to Do I like to think of Nehemiah’s cupbearer job as his preliminary occupation, or his “pre-occupation,” because he was born to fulfill another, much more important role. Your true work is what you were born to do. Your job is what you do only until you are ready to fulfill your vision. God had placed in Nehemiah’s heart a vision of rebuilding the wall: “I had not [yet] told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:12).

 

Nehemiah 2:1 reads, “In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before.” It appears that Nehemiah was doing fine on his job until he heard about the wall. Then he had the idea to rebuild it. His desire to accomplish his life’s work began to interfere with his job. The king said to him, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart” (v. 2).

 

When God gives you a vision and confirms it, nothing can stop it. If He tells you to build, start, invest, create, or manufacture something, then it will bother you deep inside;

 

you will be dissatisfied until you do it. Is your true work—your purpose—making it uncomfortable for you to stay in your present job? That was Nehemiah’s situation. Nehemiah saw the wall completed in his mind’s eye before he started to work on it, and that vision drove his passion.

 

Prayer: Father, I was born to love and serve You.

 

Help me to serve You according to my true purpose.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Your true work is what you were born to do.

 

Reading: Psalm 148–150; 1 Corinthians 15:29–58

 

September 7

 

What Do You Want?

 

One of the most significant questions you can ask a person

 

is “What do you want?” When King Artaxerxes saw Nehemiah’s sadness, that is exactly what he asked him. (See Nehemiah 2:4.) What is equally significant is that Nehemiah was able to answer the king specifically. He said, “Let [the king] send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it” (v. 5). Nehemiah knew his clear guiding vision, and his plan was so specific that he was able to give the king a time frame for completing it. (See verse 6.) You need to seriously ask yourself the same question: What do I want?

 

Do you know what you really want out of life? Some people want to indulge in self-serving activities. Others think life begins at retirement, and they miss out on practically their entire lives. Some people just want to own a nice house and car. Fine. Then what? There has to be something more to life than the things we accumulate. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

 

In order to find your vision, you must be in touch with the values and priorities of the kingdom of God. Your vision should be something that lives on after you’re gone, something that has greater lasting power than possessions. People’s lives should be changed by your vision. What do you want? The

 

King of Kings is asking you this question today, and you must be able to give Him an answer.

 

Prayer: My King and Father, Your Word says that if we call to You, You will hear us. Please help me to answer the question, “What do I really want?” Confirm the vision you have placed in my heart and give me clear direction.

In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

 

Thought: You need to seriously ask yourself, What do I want?

 

Reading: Proverbs 1–2; 1 Corinthians 16

 

September 8

 

Vision Is Future-Focused Your vision is a clear conception of something that is not yet reality, but which can exist. It is a strong image of a preferable future. This means that the present is not enough; something else is needed. Vision is always pushing the envelope. It demands change by its very nature.

 

This is a very important point. Many people don’t realize that vision is active even when times are good and things are in a positive state. Why will God activate a vision when things are going well? To stir up your life so that you will move forward and progress rather than becoming complacent. A vision will always take you from good to better and from better to best.

 

Vision is always future-focused. Sometimes people say, “Let’s go back to the good old days.” Yet if we do that, we will not progress in what God has planned for us. We need to build on the past, but we cannot return to it. I confess that the temptation to focus on the “good old days” has been one of my challenges in life. Vision does not mean regaining what you had; it means moving forward to gain what you have never had. Vision doesn’t try to recapture the good old days; rather, it desires to create days that have not yet existed.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the times in my past,

 

both good and bad. You have used them to mold me into the person I am today. Yet I don’t want to focus on the

 

past.

 

Move me forward each day in fulfillment

 

of the exciting plans You have for me.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: A clear vision gives us a passion that keeps us continually moving forward in life.

 

Reading: Proverbs 3–5; 2 Corinthians 1

 

September 9

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision When you are very close to a visionary, or very close to a vision, you’re constantly going to be driven to change. To go to a new place, you have to go to a new location. You also have to think in a new way. That sometimes causes discomfort. Vision can constantly keep you unsettled, but it also keeps you fluid and mobile, ready to take the next step toward your vision. This truth is essential to understand because, when you keep company with God, you have to keep moving. When the Israelites were traveling in the desert, they would put down their stakes and set up their tents, but soon the pillar of cloud would move again, and they would need to follow it.

 

Have you truly answered the King’s question, “What do you want in life?” Write down your answer. What things are distracting you from the real “business” of your life? Take some time to really pray about this important question. It will change your life.

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for declaring

 

in Your Word that You have a plan for our lives

 

that will bring us a good future and an abiding hope. You have placed within us a purpose that is exciting and that goes beyond just working at a job.

 

Through Your love and Your purposeful design, You give our lives true meaning.

 

Please help us to walk in Your purposes, for Your kingdom’s sake.

 

In the name of Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Savior, amen.

 

Thought: When you keep company with God,

 

you have to keep moving forward.

 

Reading: Proverbs 6–7; 2 Corinthians 2

 

September 10

 

Principles of Vision as Guiding

 

Purpose

 

Today, reflect on these principles of vision as our guiding

 

purpose and catalyst: 1.You must have a clear guiding purpose for your life.

 

2.The key to life is not only knowing what you are, but also why you are.

 

3.Your true work is what you were born to do. Your job is what you are doing just until you are ready to fulfill your vision.

 

4.When God gives you a vision, it will bother you until you do it.

 

5.One of the most significant questions we must each answer for ourselves is, “What do you want?” (See Nehemiah 2:4.)

 

6.Your vision should be something that lives on after you’re gone.

 

7.Your vision is a clear conception of something that is not yet reality, but which can exist. It is a strong image of a preferable future.

 

8.A vision demands change by its very nature.

 

9.A vision is active even when times are good and things are in a positive state.

 

10.Vision doesn’t try to recapture the good old days; rather, it desires to create days that have not yet existed.

 

11.When you keep company with God, you have to keep moving.

 

12.A clear vision gives us a passion that keeps us continually moving forward in life.

 

Reading: Proverbs 8–9; 2 Corinthians 3

 

September 11

 

The Second Principle:

 

Understand Your Potential In our Twelve Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision, the second principle is that you will never be successful in your vision until you truly understand your potential. Recall that your potential is determined by the assignment God has given you to do. Whatever you were born to do, you are equipped to do. Moreover, resources will become available to you as you need them.

 

What this means is that God gives ability to fulfill responsibility. God will never call you to an assignment without giving you the provision for accomplishing it. If you understand this principle, no one can stop you from fulfilling your vision.

 

We must come into an awareness of our potential. In the biblical story of Gideon, we first see him threshing wheat at the bottom of the winepress, hidden from the Midianites, the enemies of Israel. The angel of the Lord comes to him and says, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Gideon’s answer is, in effect, “How can you say that? The Midianites are destroying Israel, and I am the youngest man in the smallest clan. What can I do?” (See verses 13–15.) Yet the angel of the

 

Lord knows Gideon’s potential because of the purpose the Lord has for him. Through Gideon, three hundred men of Israel defeat thousands of their enemies, and God receives the glory.

 

What hidden seeds of potential has the Lord placed in you, ready to be revealed through your purpose and vision?

 

Prayer: Father, so often my own abilities come up short. Help me to look to You and understand that the ability

 

to fulfill my vision comes from You. I can truly do everything You set before me through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Whatever you were born to do,

 

you are equipped to do.

 

Reading: Proverbs 10–12; 2 Corinthians 4

 

September 12

 

The Power at Work within Us Now to him who is able to do immeasurably [“exceeding abundantly” KJV] more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.(Ephesians

 

3:20) Many of us have heard this verse so many times that we think we know it. Yet I don’t believe we really understand what it is saying: “According to his power [or potential] that is at work”—where? It doesn’t say His power is at work in heaven. It says it is at work in us! God put His vision and His Spirit within us, and that is more than enough potential for our needs.

 

What are the implications of this truth? It means that what you are able to accomplish has nothing to do with who your parents were. It has nothing to do with your past or with physical factors such as your race or appearance. Instead, it has to do with “his power” working within you.

 

This Scripture changed my life at a point when I wasn’t manifesting much of my purpose. I was brought up with the religious idea that you receive only what you ask for. Consequently, I didn’t receive much. Then I came to understand that God never promised to give me merely what I

 

asked for. Instead, He said something truly extraordinary: He will do “immeasurably” or “exceeding abundantly” beyond all that I can ask for, think about, or imagine. Once I grasped this truth, it began to transform my perspective. It enabled me to progress from the knowledge of my purpose to the faith that accompanies vision.

 

Prayer: Father, what an amazing promise You have given us!

 

You will do more than we can ask or imagine through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name.

 

Thought: God’s power is actually working within you for the fulfillment of your dream.

 

Reading: Proverbs 13–15; 2 Corinthians 5

 

September 13

 

Take a Tour of Your Vision We can’t begin to imagine all the things God wants to do for us. Yet God gave us the gift of imagination to keep us from focusing only on our present conditions. He wants us to take a “tour” of our visions on a regular basis. What do you imagine doing? Visit everything. See all the details. Then pray, “Let’s go there, God!”

 

The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). Notice that God used the past tense. He had already set apart and appointed Jeremiah as a prophet. Yet at first, Jeremiah responded, “I do not know how to speak” (v. 6). God’s reaction was, in effect, “Do not say that! If I built you to be a prophet, don’t tell Me you can’t talk!” (See verses 6–7.) Once God showed Jeremiah why he was born, Jeremiah discovered what he could do. In other words, when Jeremiah understood his vision, he began to realize his ability. At first he didn’t think he could speak publicly for God. Whatever God calls for, however, He provides for. Whatever He requires, He enables us to do. In this case, God gave Jeremiah the ability to speak for Him: “Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your

 

mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9).

 

Whatever God is causing you to dream is a revelation of your ability. Responsibility is really “respond-ability,” or the ability to respond to the requirements of your vision.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for providing me with the ability each day to accomplish the works You have given me. I know I can trust You to supply all that I need.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Whatever God calls for, He provides for.

 

Reading: Proverbs 16–18; 2 Corinthians 6

 

September 14

 

Perfect for Your Purpose Everything about you is determined by your purpose. God built you, designed you, and gave you the right makeup for it. Your heritage and ethnic mix, the color of your skin, your language, your height, and all your other physical features are made for the fulfillment of your vision. You were built for what you’re supposed to do. You are perfect for your purpose.

 

Dreams are given to draw out what’s already inside us and to activate God’s power in enabling us to achieve our visions. This is why God may give us dreams that are bigger than our educations. For instance, I shouldn’t be able to do what I am currently doing, based on my background and the expectations of the society I grew up in. Likewise, you may not have the background to do what you are going to do. People may not believe you can do it, yet what does it matter what they think? Just keep doing what God tells you to do.

 

God never gives us dreams to frustrate us. He gives us dreams to deliver us from mediocrity and to reveal our true selves to the world. The more I study the Word of God, the more I realize that God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes people to fulfill His will. He doesn’t like them to get lost in

 

mediocrity. Therefore, He said, in effect, “Abraham, come out. Moses, come out. David, come out. Gideon, come out. Nehemiah, come out. You are lost among the average.”

 

Prayer: Father, my ability isn’t limited to the shortcomings I think I have. I will trust that as You appointed me to work toward my vision, You will anoint me for it well.

 

May my work bring You glory!

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes people to fulfill His will.

 

Reading: Proverbs 19–21; 2 Corinthians 7

 

September 15

 

Say Yes to Your Dream The ability to

 

accomplish your vision is manifested when you say yes to your dream and obey God. Nehemiah’s job of cupbearer, in itself, did not give him the ability to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If he had looked only at the resources he had at that time, he never would have fulfilled his vision. Yet God had placed him in his position for a reason, and Nehemiah trusted God to provide what was needed. You don’t know how your present job may contain hidden potential for your true life’s work. Nehemiah had favor as a trusted servant of the monarch, and God gave him even more favor with the king so that he could fulfill his vision. God reveals our potential as we act on our dreams.

 

Note that after Nehemiah had stepped out in faith and articulated his vision in answer to the king’s question, “What is it you want?” (Nehemiah 2:4), his ability and resources came into place. The king gave Nehemiah letters granting him safe passage to Jerusalem and giving him access to timber from the king’s forest for the rebuilding of the wall. The king basically

 

paid for the project. Moreover, the king appointed Nehemiah as governor in the land of Judah so that he had the authority to carry out the reconstruction of the wall. (See Nehemiah 2:7–10; 5:14.) Have you said yes to your dream? Have you begun to act on it? When you do, the ability and resources to accomplish your vision will begin to be manifested.

 

Prayer: Father, help me to overcome any negative feelings I may have about my abilities and to rely on You to provide all I need as I step out in faith and obedience.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: The ability to accomplish your vision is manifested when you say yes to your dream and obey God.

 

Reading: Proverbs 22–24; 2 Corinthians 8

 

September 16

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Let’s review the second principle for fulfilling personal vision: understanding our potential. Potential is hidden capacity, untapped power, unreleased energy. It is all you could be but haven’t yet become. Potential is who you really are, in accordance with your vision, even if you don’t yet know your true self. God has created you to do something wonderful, and He has given you the ability and resources you need to do it.

 

Our lives are like seeds. We were born with the potential for the fulfillment of our destinies that have already been established within us. When God gives a vision to someone, He’s simply calling forth what He put into that person. This is why you can always determine what you can do by the dream that is within you. Plant the seed of your vision by beginning to act on it and then nurture it by faith. Your vision will develop until it is fully grown and bears much fruit in the world.

 

How can you begin to plant the seed of your vision today?

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have placed potential

in our lives, just as You did in the great men and women

 

of the Bible. When You called Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Esther, Paul, and Peter to serve You, You always gave them the strength, the power, and the abilities to complete their visions. You acted exceedingly beyond their imaginations. Please enable us to walk in God-given power each day of our lives.

 

Help us to take our ideas from dream to full-fledged reality.

 

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

 

Reading: Proverbs 25–26; 2 Corinthians 9

 

September 17

 

Principles of Vision as Potential

 

and Ability

 

Today, reflect on these principles of vision as the measure of

 

your potential and ability: 1.You will never be successful in your vision until you truly understand your potential.

 

2.Your potential is determined by the assignment God gave you to do. Whatever you were born to do, you are equipped to do.

 

3.God gives ability to fulfill responsibility. When you discover your dream, you will also discover your ability.

 

4.Power or potential is at work in us. God put His vision and His Spirit within us, and that is more than enough potential for our needs.

 

5.God will do “immeasurably” or “exceeding abundantly” beyond all that we can ask for, think about, or imagine. (See Ephesians 3:20 NIV, KJV.) 6.God gave us the gift of imagination to keep us from focusing only on our present conditions.

 

7.Whatever God calls for, He provides for. Whatever He requires, He enables us to do.

 

8.Your ability isn’t dependent on what you perceive as your limitations. You are perfect for your purpose.

 

9.Dreams are given to us to draw out what’s already inside us and to activate God’s power in enabling us to achieve our

 

visions.

 

10.God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes people to fulfill His will. God gives us dreams to deliver us from mediocrity and to reveal our true selves to the world.

 

11.The ability to accomplish your vision is manifested when you say yes to your dream and obey God.

 

Reading: Proverbs 27–29; 2 Corinthians 10

 

September 18

 

The Third Principle:

 

Develop a Clear Plan The third principle in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that you must have a clear plan. There is no future without planning.

 

I’ve known people who tried to be successful over and over again without a plan. It never works.

 

When I was a teenager and had been a Christian for only about two years, I kept wondering why God didn’t seem to be guiding me in my life. Perhaps you are wondering the same thing about your own life. I used to want God to show me His will, so I would stay up all night with one eye open, just waiting. I used to pray, “Oh, Lord, let the angels show up.” Then I would look and there would be nothing but mosquitoes. Whenever they sang a certain song in church, I used to sing it the loudest: “Lead me, guide me, along the way!” One day, as I was singing this song, I felt as if the Lord was saying to me, “Lead you along what way?” I realized then that if you don’t have a plan, God doesn’t have anything specific to direct you in.

 

Proverbs 16:1 says, “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.” That’s a very powerful statement. God is saying, in effect, “I gave you the vision. Now you put the plan on paper, and I will work out the details.” Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his

 

course, but the LORD determines his steps.” If you don’t have a plan, how can He direct you?

 

Prayer: Father, You have given me a clear purpose; now, please help me to write a clear plan. Direct me as I articulate the details of my vision. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: For your vision to be successful,

 

you must have a clear plan.

 

Reading: Proverbs 30–31; 2 Corinthians 11:1–15

 

September 19

 

Ideas Are Seeds of Destiny Ideas are seeds of

 

destiny planted by God in the minds of humankind. When ideas are cultivated, they become imagination. Imagination, if it is watered and developed, becomes a plan. Finally, if a plan is followed, it becomes a reality. However, when a person receives an idea from God, it must be cultivated soon or the idea often goes away. If that person doesn’t ever work on the idea, God will give it to someone else. Inevitably, if the second person takes the idea, makes a plan, and starts to work on it, the first person will become jealous because he had the idea first! Yet it’s not just having ideas that is important. Ideas need plans if they are going to become reality.

 

Young people often think their dreams will just happen. Yet none of us can move toward our dreams without a plan. Jesus said that a wise person doesn’t start to build something unless he first works out the details: Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will

 

ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”(Luke 14:28–30) God Himself had a plan when He created humanity. Ephesians 1:11 says, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

 

Do you have a plan for your vision?

 

Prayer: Father, You had a plan when You created me.

 

Thank You for choosing me in You.

 

Please guide me as I develop a plan for my vision.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Ideas are seeds of destiny planted by God in the minds of humankind.

 

Reading: Ecclesiastes 1–3; 2 Corinthians 11:16–33

 

September 20

 

Don’t Float through Life Someone once said to me, “You always seem to be going somewhere.

 

Why don’t you just relax?” I told him, “I’ve

 

discovered something about life. Where I live in the Bahamas, when you just sit on a boat in the ocean and relax, the current takes you wherever it’s going, even if you don’t want to go there. Life is the same way.” Too many people float through their lives and still expect to make it to their goals.

 

A ship has a compass so that the navigator can know what direction he is going in, and it has a rudder so that the pilot can steer it. However, a ship is given a specific course—a plan—by the captain, so that it can arrive at its destination. All three are necessary—the compass, the rudder, and the plan. Just because a ship has a rudder doesn’t necessarily mean it is going anywhere specific. It needs to be steered according to the coordinates of the plan.

 

Are you developing a plan for your vision? Suppose you wish you could start a business, but you’ve never thought about how you’d go about it. What if someone came to you and said, “I want to invest some money, and I like you. Why don’t you develop something with it?” You would probably

 

answer something like, “I’d like to, but right now I’m just a clerk....” However, if you had developed a specific plan, if you

 

were reading the appropriate books and preparing yourself, if you had everything down on paper, you’d be prepared for this opportunity. You could say, “You have the money? Here’s the plan. I’m ready to go!”

 

Prayer: Father, please direct me in developing a plan for my vision so I can sail on a specific course to a clear destination. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Too many people float through their lives and still expect to make it to their goals.

 

Reading: Ecclesiastes 4–6; 2 Corinthians 12

 

September 21

 

A Blueprint of Your Vision When a contractor is building a structure, he uses a blueprint. That is his plan for his vision, which is the finished building. The contractor always keeps a copy of his blueprint on site with him. Why? He needs to keep checking it to see if the building is being constructed correctly. If you don’t have a plan for your life, you have nothing to refer to when you want to make sure you are on track. How do you begin developing a blueprint of your vision?

 

Again, you must first secure for yourself the answer to the question “Who am I?” Until you do, it will be difficult to write a plan for your life because such a plan is directly tied to knowing who you are. You will never become really successful in your life if you don’t have a clear idea of your own identity in God. Many of us have become what other people want us to be. We have not yet discovered our unique, irreplaceable identity. Yet it is knowing your true identity that gives you the courage to write your life plan.

 

Next, you must answer the question “Where am I going?” Once you learn God’s purpose, you can start planning effectively because you will be able to plan with focus.

 

Prayer: Father, please continue to reveal to me my unique, irreplaceable identity so I have

 

a clear idea of who You have made me and can write my life plan with courage and confidence.

Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: You will never become really successful in your life if you don’t have a clear idea of your own identity in God.

 

Reading: Ecclesiastes 7–9; 2 Corinthians 13

 

September 22

 

The Importance of Planning The importance of planning for your vision is evident in Scripture. Note the way Nehemiah planned for his vision of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem: I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire....I went

 

up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.(Nehemiah 2:11–13, 15–16) Nehemiah did not tell everyone about the vision right away

 

because not everyone could have handled it at that

 

point. Sometimes you have to keep your plan secret for a time. Some people will try to talk you out of it, saying, “You can’t do that!” If you listen to them, in no time you will throw your plan away and end up an average person. Not everybody will understand what you’re dreaming, but put your dream on paper anyway. Why? Your dream is worth writing down. If God gave it to you, it deserves to be done.

 

Prayer: Father, Nehemiah was wise and did not take action until he first prayed and then developed a plan. Remind me of the need to seek You and to plan before I take action. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

 

Thought: Your dream is worth writing down.

 

Reading: Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1

 

September 23

 

Acknowledge God’s Work Remember the

 

principle of potential? It’s not what you need that is important. Starting with what you have makes your vision successful because God will take care of the rest. I know you have some great ideas. Start right where you are and go where you need to go by making a plan and beginning to implement it.

 

After Nehemiah had fully made his plan, he was ready to talk to others about it. He talked to those who would be directly involved in carrying it out. “Then I said to [the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, and others], ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace’” (Nehemiah 2:17). Nehemiah expressed to them his clear vision. Here was one man, with just a few people, who was planning to do a project that would take thousands of people to accomplish. He was starting out with a seeming impossibility, but he said, “Let’s start.”

 

Next, we read, “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me” (v. 18). Nehemiah gave credit to God for the vision, and in the process built up the faith of those who would work on the project. The

 

statement also shows that Nehemiah was so sure that his vision was from God and that the Lord was with him that he was able to say, in effect, “God told me to do this.” I hope you feel the same way about your dream.

 

Prayer: Father, I give You the credit for the vision and the plans You have given me. Help me to always acknowledge You as my source. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Starting with what you have makes your vision successful because God will take care of the rest.

 

Reading: Song of Songs 1–3; Galatians 2

 

September 24

 

Fulfilling Your Destiny

 

A vision becomes a plan when it is captured, fleshed out, and

 

written down. Anyone who works with me will tell you that I’m a stickler for planning. I have plans for what I’m going to do next week, next month, next year, and five years from now. In fact, the vision for Bahamas Faith Ministries is on paper for the next sixty or seventy years!

 

When you put your plan on paper, you will find that you have plenty of material for your prayers. If your prayer time is short, maybe it’s because you have nothing specific to pray about. If you develop a plan, however, you will never have enough time for prayer.

 

Your plan will also enable you to fulfill your destiny. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God told the people, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” In other words, He was saying, “Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you’re going to get a curse or a blessing.” Jesus said in Revelation 3:15–16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

 

Are you going to make a plan, or are you going to procrastinate on your dream and drift along, ending up wherever the lukewarm tide takes you? You were not designed to drift. You were designed for destiny. Make a plan and fulfill

 

it!

 

Prayer: Father, as I place my plan on paper, confirm Your will in it.

I want to know with certainty that my

 

plans and desires come from You.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: You were not designed to drift.

 

You were designed for destiny.

 

Reading: Song of Songs 4–5; Galatians 3

 

 

September 25

 

Who Runs Your Life?

If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life.

 

The wise king of Israel, Solomon, declared, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28 NKJV). If nothing controls and orders your life, then you are fair game for other people to control you, and you won’t accomplish your purpose. Remember that the more successful you become, the more people will compete for your time, so you have to guard your plans and goals even more carefully.

 

Let’s define what a goal is. A goal is an established point for achievement that leads to a greater accomplishment. A goal is a point of measure for progress toward an ultimate purpose.

 

Goals give us a structure for accomplishing our plans one step at a time. They give us a starting place and an ending place, and they help us to focus.

 

There are very clear benefits to having goals:

Goals separate achievers from dreamers.

Goal setting is the art of discipline.

Goals give specifics to the plan.

 Goals create targets for our energy.

Goals protect us from procrastination.

 

If you want to fulfill your vision, make goals for your life. One of the secrets to success in vision is living a very focused life in line with your purpose.

 

Prayer: Father, I realize that goals are important steps to reaching my vision. Please help me to be more disciplined in setting up a personal plan for my life.

 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life.

 

Reading: Song of Songs 6–8; Galatians 4

 

 

September 26

 

Setting the Right Goals If you are pursuing a vision, then you are a leader. All true leaders possess a goal-driven attitude. Leaders distinguish themselves from followers by their passion for preestablished goals. They regulate their activities and measure their progress against prescribed objectives and milestones.

 

Everyone in the world is a goal setter, in one way or another. Even the man who is failing at life is setting goals that cause him to fail. In fact, many of us plan not to do things that would make us successful. Many times, we don’t realize that we are setting goals. Whenever we make plans to go to the grocery store, go to school, do the laundry, or meet friends for a meal, we are in reality setting goals. When we don’t achieve what we want to achieve or accomplish what we desire to accomplish, the problem is not goal setting, in itself. Instead, it’s that we don’t set goals for the things we truly care about, or we set the wrong kind of goals.

 

A leader needs to understand how to set the right goals. This is a vital attitude to cultivate because your future and your life depend on the goals you set—either consciously or subconsciously. Where you end up in life is a result of the goals that you set or did not set for your life.

 

Success comes from the discipline of goal setting according to one’s purpose. This is why it is vital, as we set goals, to remain in communion with the One who gave us our visions.

 

Prayer: Father, as I work to fulfill my vision, help me to be a true leader—a goal setter who will not roam aimlessly through life but will set specific objectives according to the purpose You have given me.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Thought: Where you end up in life is a result of the goals that you set or did not set for your life.

 

Reading: Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5

 

September 27

 

Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Do you have a plan for your life? Do you know what you want to do next week, next month, next year, and five years from now? Do you have a plan for the next twenty years of your life? God has given you the ability to do that. He has given you a mind, the gift of imagination, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the vision of faith. He has also given you the ability to write so that you can put down what you see in your heart. What are you waiting for? God says He will explain how your vision will be accomplished, yet He can’t discuss it with you until you have something concrete to talk about.

 

Have you truly answered the questions “Who am I?” and “Where am I going”? Start the process of developing a blueprint for your vision by writing down answers to these questions. Think seriously about where you want to be one, five, ten, twenty, thirty years from now. Jot down your ideas and continue to think and pray about them. The Lord will be faithful to hear and answer your prayers. He wants to see His purpose fulfilled in your life.

 

Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, we have much to consider

as we think about our lives and answer these questions. Prompt us to search our hearts for the thoughts and dreams You have placed there. Enable us to write down plans with specific goals for accomplishing our visions. We will always submit our plans to You, knowing that

 

You will make any necessary adjustments along the way.

 

Help us to take concrete action to carry out our plans.

 

We trust You to give us the abilities we need

 

to see our visions become reality.

 

Thank You, Father, for Your guiding hand.

 

In Jesus’ loving name, amen.

 

Reading: Isaiah 3–4; Galatians 6

 

September 28

 

Principles of Vision Planning

 

Today, review the following principles for developing a plan for your vision: 1.To be successful, you must have a clear plan.

 

2.       If you don’t have a plan, God doesn’t have anything specific to direct you in.

 

3.“To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue” (Proverbs 16:1). God leaves the planning up to the heart of the person, but He will provide the explanation as to how the vision will be accomplished.

 

4.When a person receives an idea from God, it must be cultivated soon or the idea often goes away.

 

5.We need to have a plan in place to be ready when opportunities come.

 

6.       If you don’t have a plan for your life, you have nothing to refer to when you want to make sure you are on track.

 

7.You must secure for yourself the answer to the question “Who am I?” You will never become really successful in your life if you don’t have a clear idea of your own identity in God.

 

8.You must answer the question, “Where am I going?” Once you learn God’s purpose, you can start planning effectively because you will be able to plan with focus.

 

9.A vision becomes a plan when it is captured, fleshed out, and written down.

 

10.You can’t tell your plan to everyone because some people won’t be able to handle it right away.

 

11.Your dream is worth writing down. If God gave it to you, it deserves to be done.

 

12.Your plan is material for your prayers.

 

13.Your plan will enable you to fulfill your destiny.

 

14.     If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life.

 

15.Goal setting must be done in accordance with your purpose.

 

Reading: Isaiah 5–6; Ephesians 1

 

September 29

 

The Fourth Principle:

 

Possess the Passion of Vision The fourth principle in the Twelve Principles of Vision is that you’ll never be successful without passion. Passionate people are those who have discovered something more important than life itself. Jesus told His disciples, in essence, “If you are not willing to take up death and follow Me, then you can’t be My disciples; you can’t go on with Me.” (See Luke 14:27.) Giving up false visions and ambition for your genuine vision is the path to true life.

 

Are you hungry for your vision? How badly do you want what God has placed in your heart? Passion is stamina that says, “I’m going to go after this, no matter what happens. If I have to wait ten years, I’m going to get it.” Again, let me say especially to young people that if you want to go all the way to your dream, you can’t sit back and expect everything to be easy. You must have the attitude of those who worked on the wall with Nehemiah: “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (Nehemiah 4:6, emphasis added).

 

Remember that after Nehemiah first saw in his heart a vision of the rebuilt wall, he returned to his job, but he was no longer satisfied with it. He was depressed until he was working on the vision. The depression came from his passion for change. People who are satisfied with less than God’s vision for their lives will never go where they need to be.

 

Will you be a person who works with all your heart on God’s vision?

 

Prayer: Father, I desire to work on my vision with all my heart, as working for You, Lord, not for men. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: Passionate people are those who have discovered something more important than life itself.

Reading: Isaiah 7–8; Ephesians 2

September 30

Enabled by Passion One reason I stress the need for a clear guiding purpose is that vision is the prerequisite for passion. The majority of people on earth really have no passion for life because there is no vision in their hearts. In 2 Corinthians, we find a unique passage that shows the passion Paul had for his vision. Some false prophets had challenged Paul’s right to be an apostle and had drawn people away from the truth. Paul responded by addressing the Corinthian believers: I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in

danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.(2 Corinthians 11:23–28) Paul was saying, “If the vision I received wasn’t real, do you think I’d go through all those hardships?” Paul paid a price for his vision, but his passion enabled him to do it.

Prayer: Father, I want to serve You

with passion—to be so focused on Your vision for my life that I am willing to pay the price for it.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: You know your vision is from God when you are still at it once the storm clears.

Reading: Isaiah 9–10; Ephesians 3