It's good to have dreams, but we must be willing to wait on God and, if He calls us to, abandon them.

I used to dream more when I was younger. As I've gotten older, I've found myself working more and dreaming less. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by my own inadequacies and become afraid of dreaming big. Other times I'm buried by a mountain of work, and I'm tempted to give up on dreaming.

But what if I could still change my world? Where would I start?

I believe there are four stages to every dream.

1. Pray for your dream.

If you don't have a dream yet, the first place to start is with prayer. Ask the Lord what He wants you to do with your life. Pray for vision. Pray for clarity. Pray for a stirring in your heart for God's kingdom and His people.

In Matthew 9:37–38, we're told that "the harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." 

Prayer is the answer to the need in our world.

2. Prepare for your dream.

The second stage of every dream is to prepare for it. In my twenties, I wanted to write books, so I wrote in a journal for a while, then I wrote a weekly newsletter, and eventually a daily blog. Today I'm finally writing my books. Dreams don't just happen. You have to prepare yourself to make them happen. I had lunch with a friend last week who told me she was learning Spanish. I looked surprised. She went on to explain that she has a dream of starting a ministry to Spanish children.

If you want to see your dream become a reality, do what you can to prepare for it!

3. Wait for your dream.

I love Habakkuk 2:3: "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."

If you want to accomplish great things for God, you're going to have to get used to God's school of waiting. God uses the waiting season to change you and make you what He wants you to be. He is preparing you today for what He has planned for you tomorrow. Will you trust Him in the waiting?

4. Let go of your dream.

David wanted to build a house for God sooo badly he could taste it. God loved David's heart, but instead of giving him the green light, God said "no." Do you know what David's response was? He worshiped.

In 1 Chronicles 17:16, David "went in and sat before the LORD and said ‘Who am I, O 
LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?'"

David never lost sight of the reality that the Lord was far more precious to him than any dream could ever be. David was willing to let go of his dream and hang on to the Lord instead.

What about you? Do you have a dream? Are you willing to hold on loosely to your dream while chasing after the Giver of every good dream?

He is worth far more than any dream could ever be.

Let's dream God-sized dreams together. I'd love to hear what dream He has set in your heart.