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Four years ago, I drove to my very first speaking engagement, driving in silence the whole way. I was scared. I had only really been seeking God for a year, and now I was getting ready to stand at the pulpit and preach to a church. I was unqualified, I was unsure about myself. But not about my God. So, as a 23-year-old college student, I answered the call to ministry.
I remember after the completion of my first sermon, the spirit of God fell. Everyone came to the altar and I, myself, was in tears. I stood there, a baby in faith, not knowing what was ahead of me. But at that moment I KNEW MY CALLING AND VISION!
That powerful moment turned into seasons of no more speaking opportunities. It turned into a season of wanting to preach, but no one knew me. It turned into a season of doing everything in the secret place with God. It was a season of patience and preparation.
Another word for patience is ‘longsuffering’. And I suffered long. Years went by, but no more speaking opportunities came. I began to doubt whether God really called me. Even when I was most discouraged and overwhelmed with the busyness of life, I never lost the hunger for the vision and calling God placed within me!
I share my story with you because I want to tell you how to know that the Vision is from God.
It is Tested
My seasons of testing haven’t stopped. We must realize the longsuffering is a way God grows us. In the comfortable routines of life, we are not exercising faith or even believing in the impossible. When we are in the uncomfortable seasons, our mindsets change, we expand our faith, and God reveals Himself to us in new ways! Your Vision will be Tested!
It is Energizing
When you get a glimpse of a vision from God, you feel the need to get up and make moves toward it. It pulls you to stay up late, making business plans, which lead you to dream bigger than your bank account. It will give you a zeal and fire for more. The vision will seem far, but something about it fires up a drive inside of you to run after it! Your Vision Energizes You!
It Requires Supernatural Faith
A vision from God is beyond your natural means. The vision is bigger than you with many obstacles in the way, and many times you will ask God “How?” A vision that you can accomplish on your own won’t require faith, nor will it cause you to step into unknown territory! A vision from God is so big that it will be a journey of making faith moves, getting closer and closer to it.
Your Vision Requires Supernatural Faith!
It Requires Submission
The vision requires you to submit your ways, your ideas, your wants, your timeline, and your life to it. The vision will only be accomplished if you change. It will cause transformation in your life and you will be eager to go along with it. The vision will pull on the better version of you!
Your Vision requires Submission
It Requires Work
The vision will keep showing up through every season of life until you achieve it. However, it will not get fulfilled until you begin to actually believe it and work towards it. Many people don’t work towards their vision because they believe it is unreachable. However, with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. When we work towards our vision we show God our faith in the vision that we won’t just stand still waiting on it. We will actually start walking towards it. When we begin to make faith moves for our vision we will see doors of opportunity open up before us!
Remember, God will not fail! If He showed it to you, it must come to pass! Your visions reward is a life of beauty! Don't run from your vision, run towards it!
Jeremiah 29:11
" 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."
