The video is here.
Over the last two weeks we had the privilege of helping several dozen people in Poland and Denmark to get in touch with themselves and the dream that God wrote in their hearts (Heart Plan Workshops). It’s really a process of hearing God and overcoming the boundaries that hold us back… not necessarily easy. We all end up catching a glimpse of something precious, and have to discern its validity.
It’s one thing to think up a dream, but we want to know if it’s also in God’s heart, and if it has a Kingdom connection. Equally important is this simple question, “Does my own heart believe that this dream can come true?” One of the common false starts for Christians is that we are very prone to trying to fill someone else’s expectations instead of operating out of our own hearts. We end up making ourselves like what we “think” God wants us to do (sacrificially) instead of what He really wrote in our hearts – which is what we would naturally enjoy and desire. The spiritual question is, “Is it really from God?” and the practical question is, “Is it financially possible?” No matter what our minds want to believe, our hearts will answer those questions far below the surface of mental logic and reason.
Heart Boundaries – Most of us have boundaries in our hearts that represent vows from our past which have cemented into ceilings for our future. Changing the beliefs in our hearts about our own identity and potential is a key step of inner healing before we can go to the next level.
We’ve all had two experiences that resulted in vows in our heart never to repeat:
1. I was sure it was God and that it would work… only to end in a colossal failure. I felt guilty. It eroded my confidence and I totally ran out of money to make it happen. I wondered where I went wrong.
2. I thought about doing it and decided to pass… and later saw that someone else did it, and I could have as well. I felt like I missed the bus… sense of loss.
Our hearts actually think logically, although subconsciously, and it’s always a bit of a challenge to get our hearts and minds going in the same direction to avoid sabotaging our own future. Our minds are really the computer that we use to implement a plan. Our hearts are the well spring that must own the plan in two ways – by revelation and by wisdom, prophetically and practically. Our hearts have to have sound reasons that our dream is really something that God wrote in our hearts and that it will work.
Revelation (is this dream also in God’s heart?) – Faith to embark on a track that is not strictly possible in our own strength is the fabric of every dream. It is always more than we can ask and imagine. We always have to give ourselves permission to dream because that’s a primary way that God leads us… it’s an adventure, it’s fun and it builds over time. What starts with just a word or a flash of light grows from a mustard seed into a mighty tree over time. What isn’t from the Father will diminish over time. We have to give ourselves time for our dream to take shape and receive the confirmations that God adds along the way. Faith is not a blind leap; it’s the substance and evidence that our own hearts are connected with the heart of God, and that He will add his part as we co-labor to achieve something great in the Kingdom.
Wisdom (Will it work?) – The practical question our hearts ask is simply this: “Dreams cost money. How does the cash flow work?” Many Christians are extremely naïve in believing that God will miraculously provide the money. He can, he could, but he usually doesn’t. The reason is that, in the Kingdom, he puts an anointing on us to create the wealth through wise choices, creative ideas and hard work! Someone else isn’t usually going to fund your dream. God wants you to do that by creating value for others. It’s part of our ministry and it has to be a practical aspect of having a sustainable dream. If the cash flow doesn’t work, your heart won’t be in the dream… it’s that simple.
You might say at this point, “My dream is impossible.” If that’s the conclusion of your heart, then it’s simply time to make a mid-course correction and find the dream God has really written in your heart that is possible. That’s a much better track than nursing a religious delusion in our minds. A dream that is possible has a financially and emotionally sustainable path to get to the finish line. That means I can make progress on it now and still pay the bills. I can set goals, evolve, work every day and feel good about myself even if the dream is farther down the road. It’s not a leap! I have a plan.
Conclusion – our hearts will believe in our dream and work with us when we have the right balance between wisdom and revelation, when we are both practical and prophetic.
It all begins when we are really convinced that God does have something for us. He loves us enough to include us, invite us, and involve us in this grand Kingdom strategy to bless the nations. You and I have been personally chosen; the first step is to respond and tell Jesus, “Yes Lord!”
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13 NIV
