Can prayer make dreams come true?
It depends on whose dreams they are!
I discovered this prayer when I was single for longer than my dream had provided. I thought I had found my formula for making dreams come true. Just pray what I wanted and if my faith was big enough, my dream was waiting for the taking. But that’s not the way it works.
My problem was that I forgot to add God to my dreams until after I had created them, detailed them, timed them and handed them over to God to make happen. God is not on call waiting to hear what I want so He can provide it. I had it backwards. It was this prayer that guided me through one of the most important trust lessons I have ever learned.
Now glory be to God
Who by his mighty power at work within us
Is able to do far more than we would ever dare
To ask or even dream of
Infinitely beyond our highest prayer, desires, thoughts, or hopes.
Ephesians 3:20, TLB
Wait a minute. Did I hear this right? Beyond my dreams? Past my prayers? Outside of my thoughts? Bigger than my hopes? Really?
I have come to understand that this prayer is more about who God is than how big my dreams are. It is more about trust in the incomparable resources of God and His knowledge of how to use them to give me what I would never dream for myself. Besides, if I can’t trust God’s dreams for me, what’s the point of following Him? I will question everything else.
So I started playing this game. It was rather silly but it was where I started this new trust journey. I would think of a dream and immediately say to God, “Well, that’s the best I can do; so if you can dream better than that; I’ll take your dream.” And I waited to see what He would do. It was a curious, hopeful, trusting, give-God-a chance wait.
And you know what? His dreams swept me off my feet more than once. Took my breath away. Humbled me. I think it’s where I began to experience the unfailing love of God for me. For me! I was a woman who had a thimble full of belief in herself and was willing to trade it for God’s unbounded belief in her. And I’ve never been the same since.
My wonderful gifts of Mark and Lisa were the dreams I didn’t know how to dream. Writing has been my creative call and my growth center, but I never would have dreamed of the opportunities I have had because God’s dream was bigger.
Don’t misunderstand here. I still have dreams. God encourages me to dream. He just smiles when I do because He knows that what He has in mind will always go past my dreams.
Now, I know it, too.
Will you pray this prayer with me this week? Pray it from trust. Pray it wanting to find out how well God knows you and loves you. Pray it to understand God’s exponential possibilities for you. And let me know what you learn in the process.
Prayer Prompts for the Week______________________________________
Wednesday What “mighty power” is working within us according to the first
prayer we considered? (Eph. 1:19) Pray for God God’s dream from that source.
Thursday What unfulfilled dreams do you struggle with? Ask God what He
needs from you so He can give His version of your dream.
Friday Where have you trusted in your dreams instead of trusting God to
dream better? It’s never too late to let God take over dream-making. Pray that you will.
Saturday Where has life disappointed you, confused you, or broken you?
Pray for God’s dream there.
Sunday Rest in the God who loves you with such incredible force that He
wants you to have His best. Pray that His love shapes you and the dream He has for you.
Monday What is an example of your “highest prayer?” Is it a prayer that will
take you all the way to God Himself? Then, pray that prayer.
Tuesday Do you believe that your worth to God means He has dreams that
will satisfy and complete you? Pray to anchor your faith in God’s inestimable love for you and not just in His dreams for you.