Dreaming with God in the New Year | Northlands Church

Dreaming with God in the New Year

January 16, 2018 | Jenny Lynn

Dreaming with God in the New Year

by: Jenny Lynn

As you contemplate your plans and goals for the new year, consider spending some time dreaming with God. His words will shape the steps you take this year and the new adventures you embark on.

You will show me the pathway to life, to abounding joy in your presence. Psalm 16:11

January is often a time of assessing the previous year and making resolutions for the new one. Whether it’s working out, eating cleaner, gossiping less, praying more, working harder, or spending more quality time with the family, many of us resolve in the new year to do better. We identify areas of weakness and resolve to fix them. Now I don’t know about you but 9 times out of 10 I rebel against my own resolutions at some point and am left feeling discouraged and disappointed.

As 2017 was coming to a close I asked the Lord what I should do in 2018. Rather than showing me areas of lack in my life where I need to be, act, eat, look, serve better, Jesus invited me to dream with Him. Isn’t that so like God? WE look in the mirror and stare at our faults and resolve to fix them, but GOD lovingly gazes at us with dreams in His heart for our future. Whether you thrive with goals and resolutions or you fumble over them like me, I believe God is inviting all of us to dream with Him this year. He wants to reveal and impart dreams that will fuel us day after day, month after month in 2018.

Over the next 3 weeks I will share 3 practical steps to dreaming with God as you begin a new year: 1. Tune In, 2. Think Big, 3. Look Forward. Today, we start with step one:

TUNE IN

The best way to dream with God is to get alone in His presence. For me that typically involves worship and journaling. I turn on a worship song and start out singing my praise, then I settle into a comfortable position on the couch close my eyes and rest in His presence. As peace conquerors my active mind, I am able to tune into the voice of God. His voice comes to me like thoughts but they aren’t mine. I ask Him questions like, “What are you doing right now in my life? What is on your heart for my community this year? How can I partner with you? Is there something new you want to show me?” As thoughts flood my mind I write everything down. Often when I reread my notes the Holy Spirit takes a yellow highlighter to the paper and phrases jump out commanding my attention.

Enjoy the process of listening to God, asking Him questions and trusting that you will hear easily from Him. God often uses the arts to cast vision in our lives and birth new dreams in our hearts. Whether writing in a journal, sketching a picture or playing an instrument, God will creatively expresses His plans and perspective in a way that will inspire passion in you heart.

Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the pathway to life, to abounding joy in your presence.” I love the expectations that this verse offers us. We can expect that God WILL show us the pathway to life and He WILL reveal His dreams for our lives. He won’t hold back.

So I challenge you to carve out some quiet time this week and tune in. I am excited about the words He will speak to you and the dreams He will awaken in your heart!

Prayer

Father God thank you that you love me so personally, for being eager to spend time with me. I want to know your heart God, I want to dream with you. I submit all of my own ideas and desires to you and ask that you would do something new in my heart and bring clarity and direction to a new dream, a better one, for this year! I’m all ears Lord. Would you speak to me, give me fresh vision, and fill me with passion?

© 2024 Northlands Church and Jenny Lynn. Permission to share so long as credit is given.