What dreams or visions do you have for the next 5 years? Have you written them down?

Over these past almost 3 years, I’ve written a few blog posts about purpose. I shared some of my own story about seeking for purpose and stepping out, sometimes afraid, into the things that the Lord has placed on my heart to do.

Ephesians 3:20 KJV “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

This morning the above scripture kept on coming to my memory. It is as if the Holy Spirit is reminding me that the Lord is still working in me and that I have only just begun on the journey of stepping out into the purpose God has for me.

I’ve been doing a lot of new things lately. Like starting an online shop and learning how to do marketing. These are not things that I would normally think of by myself, but I feel prompted to do them, therefore I know this is not out of myself.

Have you ever felt the Lord asking you to step out of your comfort zone?

Each year in November I take my current vision board and reflect on the past year. I look at the accomplishments as well as those things that are still incomplete. I take the completed ones and put them in a book, and then ask the Lord about the others, whether it should remain or whether it was just a prompt to get me going in a certain direction.

Through the years I’ve learnt that sometimes having the vision for one thing can lead into another altogether. It doesn’t mean that the previous one was not of God, but that it had the purpose of preparing you for the actual one.

Over the years I’ve found that there are different seasons that I would go through:

• Winter: No new visions, just spending time on developing and growing what is already on my table. Continuous prayer for the times when I start to feel disheartened. (Phil 4:6)
• Summer: Learning new things to help me accomplish what was placed on my heart. A heavy reliance on the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom and on Jesus for strength to push through. (Phil 4:13)
• Autumn: Seeing some dreams come to an end so that others may start. (Isaiah 43:19)
• Spring: A new influx of ideas that needs to be sifted and prayed about to make certain that it is truly what the Lord wants me to spend time and energy on. (Proverbs 16:9)

In what phase of life do you find yourself currently?

It is hard to go through a winter season, one where you have to endure and push through, but remember that on the other side there will be spring and summer. Rely on Jesus to give you strength and renew your mind through God’s word. Let your faith grow by stepping out of your comfort zone and meditating on the Word. Speak life into your circumstances by declaring what God says in his Word about it.

Philippians 4:8 KJV "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What are you thankful for today? Write it down in your journal.

Advise that I received recently was to do a brain dump. To write down everything that you think are things that you should accomplish. Then in prayer ask the Lord which ones are those he wants you to start with. This system helped me to sort out through all of my ideas and narrow down to those which is for the here and now.

I use this weekly now when I meet with the Lord about the various items on my vision board. It helps me to get better clarity of my next steps and takes anxiety away because I know that the Lord is guiding me through his Holy Spirit.

I hope this helps you in your journey and encourages you to draw closer to God. He loves you and has thoughts to prosper you!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Catherina