KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 8TH NOVEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

READ: Habakkuk 2:1-3

1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:  though it tarry, wait for it;  because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

MESSAGE

Every child of God is created to be great. Jesus, the forerunner of our faith and who our life is modeled after, was Himself great. Angel Gabriel spoke these prophetic words about Him in Luke 1:32:

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

Although, you might not feel like you are a great person in your present condition, do not lose sight of who you are. Irrespective of your current condition, God has promised to bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). 

In other words, He will bring you to a place you have always dreamed of getting to. For this reason, you need to have a dream of what you want your future to look like. You must have dreams, ambitions, hopes and desire to do great things. The good news is that if your dreams are from God, they with surely come to pass if you don't give up on them.

How does a dream possess a man's heart? The seeds of dreams are planted in a man's heart by God Himself. Your dream must be given to you by God for it to stand the test of time. God is the Alpha and Omega who sees the end of a thing from its beginning. 

He knows your future, and He knows what your capabilities are. If anyone can give you a dream that will come to pass, it is your heavenly Father. Joseph's dreams were given to him by God, and they came to pass despite all the opposing circumstances he went through (Genesis 39-41). 

To receive a dream from God, let your mind be flooded with holy and righteous thoughts, so that it becomes very easy to hear and see what God has in store for you (Philippians 4:8). You also have to fertilize and water your dreams by being persistent in prayers for their fulfillment. 

Furthermore, you have to work hard for your dreams to come to pass. Joseph was never idle. When he was in Potiphar's house, he was so hard working that his master left the affairs of his entire household in his hands. Even when he was in prison, he maintained a good relationship with the other inmates and was known for interpreting dreams accurately. 

You can't be idle and expect your dreams to come to pass. If you expect that somehow your dreams will come to pass by prayers only, you are just joking. You have to work hard at it. Even if what you find yourself doing right now seems not to have any relevance to the attainment of your dreams, still do it diligently. 

Peter was a diligent fisherman, doing his job when he was linked to the fulfillment of his destiny (Matthew 4:18-19). Finally, you have to wait for your dreams to come true. No matter the situation, you are never to lose sight of the fact that your dreams will come to pass. Even when it seems like everything is working against the fulfillment of your dreams, hold on to that vision, for it will come to pass.

ACTION POINT:
Keep your dreams alive at all cost, and in due season they will become reality.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 50, Luke 18:18-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!