Defending Your Field of Dreams
In 2021, we approached our annual 21-day fast a little differently. The first seven days we fasted food with the Daniel Fast. The second week we fasted social media. The last week of the fast we fasted negative words.
I encourage you to add fasting to your spiritual disciplines. Even if you didn't begin your year with fasting, it's never too late! Start now, and finish the last half of the year practicing the discipline of fasting. Here are some key reasons why, and what you might expect to see during your journey.
Key Scripture:
Daniel 10:12; II Samuel 23:11-12; Mark 14
Key Points:
Formula: Change of pace, plus a change of place equals a change of perspective.
1. Fasting breaks up the routine of normal activity. Whatever the Lord leads you to fast this fast, do it. The goal is to break up your normal routine.
2. A change of geographical location can result in fresh perspective. Even if it’s for a short period of time, a new point of view changes perspective. Get away with God and ask to hear His voice. Get alone with God in a place that is new and conducive to ‘alone time’ with the Lord.
3. If it’s from God, it’s more than a dream, it’s a calling. If you ask, God will give you your marching orders. There is an assignment that has your name on it if you are willing to seek Him and ask.
4. Sometimes the way forward is backwards. There is something about going back to places where you heard from God before. This builds our faith for even more. Those memories fuel our faith and ignite our imagination. The further back you look, the further forward you can see.
5. God wants you to have a dream that is born again. Don’t put a period (.) where God puts a comma (,). Dreams die because we were not ready for it or the place of your dream wasn’t ready for you.
6. The devil is a dream stealer. Satan has targeted our sons and daughters and is trying to steal their dreams. We need to pray for their protection and for new visions and greater faith.
7. Give yourself to the Word of God (the Bible) and the Word of God will speak to you. We ask for God’s will and then we do not read His Word. The Lord stands ready to speak and the first step is to open His Word. Faith is taking the first step before God reveals the next step.
8. Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Faith is learning from mistakes and taking the trials of life in stride, knowing He is walking with you.
9. A dream will never work until you go public with it. Telling others about your dream places an accountability on your actions.
10. Faith is thanking God BEFORE He comes through. The Bible is full of field of dreams moments. There is power in words of declaration. This will be our prayer for our young people, that they understand the power in their words for God’s best for their lives.
11. Faith is unlearning your fears until all that is left is the fear of God. You have to replace your fears with the truth about who God says you are and what is possible. Stop telling your God about your fears and start telling your fears about your God.
12. The hardest part of any dream is the holding pattern. Some could even call the holding “pattern” the holding “cell.” Abraham had to wait 25 years for his child. David had to wait decades for his anointing as a king to come to pass. Moses had to wait for 40 years before God took him into his purpose.
Final Thoughts:
Set time aside time to fast and do not let anything interrupt it. Read God’s Word and He will speak to you through each page if you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal His truth to you. Change your pace, change your place, and seek God like never before. Let worship fill your atmosphere this year!
Ask God for a “Field of Dreams” moment during your fast. Worship like never before. Declare your future will be different than your past. Return to the altar of God and fight for your dream during this fast. Fight for your family. Fight for your purpose. Step out of the ‘tent’ of limited vision to see what you have never seen before. Ask the Lord for a family vision.
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