Four Ways You Can Talk to God about Your Dreams | Ronnie Floyd
By Dr. Ronnie Floyd
The more fit you are spiritually, the more deeply and widely God will impact your world. This is why you should live dreaming. You should talk to God about your dreams and let Him create some God-sized dreams in you that He desires to see done through you and in the future He has planned for you. Do as Jabez did. He prayed, and God answered. Enough said.
First Chronicles 4:10 says, “Jabez called out to the God of Israel: ‘If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not experience pain.’ And God granted his request.”
We need to talk to God about our lives, our dreams, and our future, just like Jabez did. While his words do not become a simple formula for success, they do show us how we need to talk to God about our dreams.
Jabez was a convictional man. He cried out to God for help in his future. He prayed with intensity, passion, and in humility, but with great conviction. Jabez knew who to talk with about his dreams and his future and even how to talk to Him. He talked to God. Call out to God about your dreams and your future. I believe if you do, He will fill your life and future with His dreams.
What I am about to share with you comes directly from God’s Word. It is not a recipe or a hoop to jump through in order to get God’s future for you, but it is God’s Word that you can stand on for your life and your future.
Four Ways You Can Talk to God about Your Dreams:
From God’s Word in 1 Chronicles 4:10 and the example of Jabez, let’s talk about four ways you can talk to God about your dreams.
1. Lord, bless me.
When you ask God for His blessing upon your life, you are asking God to place His favor, His grace, and His power upon you. You are asking Him to intervene in your life supernaturally. Just as Jabez prayed fervently, you should do the same. Just as Jabez knew that he needed the blessing of God upon his life, surely you know the same.
Therefore, ask God for His blessing upon your life, your dreams, and your future.
2. Lord, extend my border.
While Jabez desired what was seemingly more land, this meant his influence would become greater. Just as Jabez did not let his present or future be dictated by what appeared as borders or obstacles, neither do we.
Therefore, call out to God to extend open doors for your life and future, where your influence for Him could be increased and extended for His glory. This is not about us having more of anything. It is about believing God wants to use us to make a greater difference for Him. Since we believe that God has a purpose for our lives, we also believe He wants to give us dreams for our future that will open doors so we can make a greater difference for Him.
3. Lord, let your hand be with me.
Jabez knew he needed the power of God and His guidance through his life and future. You see, just as Jabez experienced God opening doors and extending borders, he needed more of God’s power upon his life. You might ask how I know this. The Bible says that God granted his request.
Never apologize for asking God to place His hand on your life and the dreams He has given you for your future. As God opens the doors for your future, you are in greater need for His power for your life.
4. Lord, keep me from harm.
Jabez knew that as God blessed him, he needed God’s protection. Not just from Satan or other people, but from himself. He did not want to be harmed, nor did he want to harm others. This is a great lesson for each of us. We must ask God to protect us from evil, but also to protect us from ourselves each day.
Prayer is the bridge to your future—not just for your life today, but for the future life God has planned for you. He wants to deposit dreams into your life that only He can bring about.
Pray fervently. Keep your motives pure. There is no telling what God may choose to do in and through you. Believe God. Live dreaming.
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the CEO of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, former President of the National Day of Prayer, and author of more than 20 books.