Ugh, yes… this is a hard-hitter, for sure! (Good on your —very wise— wife!)
I’ve been waiting on the fulfillment of a word from God for 19 years, already, and it’s been SUCH a hard thing to continue to be patient… to trust. I’ve questioned, I’ve prayed (okay, maybe even begged! 🤦🏻♀️), and God has been gracious to give me confirmations that what I heard was from Him and that it will still come to pass. Yet, He also keeps reminding me that His timing is perfect. I just need to relax and keep on seeking Him.
If you’ve not yet heard of it, Mariel Villarreal has a great new book out called, “Prophetic Promises”. I highly recommend it. I’ve been following her on IG for years, and she’s genuine.
Ah, is the Lord answered all my prayers I'd be on my third wife! Seriously I think "confident waiting" is one of the hardest things about our faith. I was saved in jail enroute to prison. I only did four years but waiting for the next parole date toughened me for waiting. I do youth/prison/camp/church ministry [since 1977 - yes, I'm older than dirt. Some inmates I work with are doing life without....one brother I know has been locked up since 1973 and, barring a governors pardon will never see the street. He knows something about waiting. In youth ministry I remind teens and young adults of First Jack 1.8 "ti's better to be single wishing you were married than to be married wishing you were single."
This concept is so true. I was plagued with crushing migraines. I had retire early because it disabled me. For 21 years, I prayed, my church prayed, my family and friends prayed for healing or help. I was under the care of the "best" neurologist around. I submitted to drugs, procedures, infusions and I got worse and worse. Then I went to a special dentist and he found biomechanical issues that were corrected. Migraine/medicine free for the past 6 years. However, I got to the point that even I was never healed and was totally bedridden, I still believed God, Jesus were who they said they were and I belonged to them. I desired the dream of healing, but it was no longer the idol and driver of my life.
This is so wonderful and there is so much wisdom here. Letting go of a dream is the hardest thing to do. Every time Ive done it, it’s been painful. But the holding on is even worse as the unrealized dream becomes a living nightmare. I had to let go of my dream of being a published author recently. Suddenly, I’m enjoying writing again and am open to wherever this goes. There is just so much freedom in letting go that you would think it gets easier, but it’s always a struggle for me. Thanks for the reminder.
Nice thoughts. I can understand how one's feel when their dreams are out of their grasps. However, what can help is the notion that journey is your destination, there's no other destination at all.
You have a great dream! My prayer is that God in His mercy will change the dream into a reality. I was reminded of the man by the Pool called Bethesda, who waited for 38 years to be healed. Jesus turned up, ignored all the other people who needed healed and after speaking to the man, healed him. How often was the man angry with God for not answering his prayers? How often was the man depressed, disheartened and disillusioned that he was still sick? Yet he waited at the pool, hoping that Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals, would turn up and transform the man's life. Jesus did turn up; the man was healed. Your dream is to transform other people's lives. A good and noble dream, so be patient.
One time I saw a 7-storey office block that was vacant. I dreamt that I could turn it into flats for the homeless. My wife and I went to the office block and had a walk around. But I said to God, I wouldn't do anything until I got planning permission to change the office blocks into residential use and until I had plans for the building, so that I could sketch up the accommodation.
I went to work as normal and sometime later at lunchtime I spoke to a colleague, who had just returned from a site. He told me about the building he had visited and I knew it was the building I was praying about! I was so excited. The man gave me all the plans that I needed. (One condition met, one to go). Having produced some sketches, I wrote to the local authority to seek guidance on their thoughts about changing the type of use from an office to residential. The local authority signalled to me that they were minded to accept the change of use. Both of my conditions had been met!!!
I wrote to the landlord and gave him the sketch plans, the letter from the local authority, and told him the vision. Nothing happened. The building was demolished and the land is now vacant. WHY???
I have learned not to hold tightly onto dreams and visions. God does work and fulfil dreams and sometime He doesn't. He showed me that He can take me all the way, but ultimately if it's not in His will it won't happen.
So much wisdom here. God gave Joseph a vision for his life in literal supernatural dreams, and then it was 20 years or so before they came to fruition. Hard to imagine knowing that God had told you that your brothers would bow down to you, but waking up as a slave and then as a prisoner for YEARS. David was anointed king of Israel, and it was about 20 years before he took the throne, with a whole lotta struggle and persecution before he got there. In my own life, I had to be mentally stable and healthy for over 10 years before I felt ready to boldly share my story with a wider audience.
Ugh, yes… this is a hard-hitter, for sure! (Good on your —very wise— wife!)
I’ve been waiting on the fulfillment of a word from God for 19 years, already, and it’s been SUCH a hard thing to continue to be patient… to trust. I’ve questioned, I’ve prayed (okay, maybe even begged! 🤦🏻♀️), and God has been gracious to give me confirmations that what I heard was from Him and that it will still come to pass. Yet, He also keeps reminding me that His timing is perfect. I just need to relax and keep on seeking Him.
If you’ve not yet heard of it, Mariel Villarreal has a great new book out called, “Prophetic Promises”. I highly recommend it. I’ve been following her on IG for years, and she’s genuine.
PS… Thanks for sharing this, Jon, as I really needed the reminders right now. ☺️
Thank you for sharing, Jenn!
Ah, is the Lord answered all my prayers I'd be on my third wife! Seriously I think "confident waiting" is one of the hardest things about our faith. I was saved in jail enroute to prison. I only did four years but waiting for the next parole date toughened me for waiting. I do youth/prison/camp/church ministry [since 1977 - yes, I'm older than dirt. Some inmates I work with are doing life without....one brother I know has been locked up since 1973 and, barring a governors pardon will never see the street. He knows something about waiting. In youth ministry I remind teens and young adults of First Jack 1.8 "ti's better to be single wishing you were married than to be married wishing you were single."
Ooo, some good truths there, too!
This concept is so true. I was plagued with crushing migraines. I had retire early because it disabled me. For 21 years, I prayed, my church prayed, my family and friends prayed for healing or help. I was under the care of the "best" neurologist around. I submitted to drugs, procedures, infusions and I got worse and worse. Then I went to a special dentist and he found biomechanical issues that were corrected. Migraine/medicine free for the past 6 years. However, I got to the point that even I was never healed and was totally bedridden, I still believed God, Jesus were who they said they were and I belonged to them. I desired the dream of healing, but it was no longer the idol and driver of my life.
This is so wonderful and there is so much wisdom here. Letting go of a dream is the hardest thing to do. Every time Ive done it, it’s been painful. But the holding on is even worse as the unrealized dream becomes a living nightmare. I had to let go of my dream of being a published author recently. Suddenly, I’m enjoying writing again and am open to wherever this goes. There is just so much freedom in letting go that you would think it gets easier, but it’s always a struggle for me. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks, Priscilla! So glad it was helpful.
Nice thoughts. I can understand how one's feel when their dreams are out of their grasps. However, what can help is the notion that journey is your destination, there's no other destination at all.
You have a great dream! My prayer is that God in His mercy will change the dream into a reality. I was reminded of the man by the Pool called Bethesda, who waited for 38 years to be healed. Jesus turned up, ignored all the other people who needed healed and after speaking to the man, healed him. How often was the man angry with God for not answering his prayers? How often was the man depressed, disheartened and disillusioned that he was still sick? Yet he waited at the pool, hoping that Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals, would turn up and transform the man's life. Jesus did turn up; the man was healed. Your dream is to transform other people's lives. A good and noble dream, so be patient.
One time I saw a 7-storey office block that was vacant. I dreamt that I could turn it into flats for the homeless. My wife and I went to the office block and had a walk around. But I said to God, I wouldn't do anything until I got planning permission to change the office blocks into residential use and until I had plans for the building, so that I could sketch up the accommodation.
I went to work as normal and sometime later at lunchtime I spoke to a colleague, who had just returned from a site. He told me about the building he had visited and I knew it was the building I was praying about! I was so excited. The man gave me all the plans that I needed. (One condition met, one to go). Having produced some sketches, I wrote to the local authority to seek guidance on their thoughts about changing the type of use from an office to residential. The local authority signalled to me that they were minded to accept the change of use. Both of my conditions had been met!!!
I wrote to the landlord and gave him the sketch plans, the letter from the local authority, and told him the vision. Nothing happened. The building was demolished and the land is now vacant. WHY???
I have learned not to hold tightly onto dreams and visions. God does work and fulfil dreams and sometime He doesn't. He showed me that He can take me all the way, but ultimately if it's not in His will it won't happen.
Keep on praying, keep on trusting God.
So much wisdom here. God gave Joseph a vision for his life in literal supernatural dreams, and then it was 20 years or so before they came to fruition. Hard to imagine knowing that God had told you that your brothers would bow down to you, but waking up as a slave and then as a prisoner for YEARS. David was anointed king of Israel, and it was about 20 years before he took the throne, with a whole lotta struggle and persecution before he got there. In my own life, I had to be mentally stable and healthy for over 10 years before I felt ready to boldly share my story with a wider audience.