How Bold Is Your Dream?

How bold is your dream? 

Paul wrote to a struggling preacher: “You must keep on believing the things you have been taught. You know they are true for you know that you can trust those us who taught you. You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God’s salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15) 

Persistent prayer is about trusting Christ to lead and guide us. We seek a deeper relationship with God. We cling to our faith through whatever obstacles we encounter. Persistence and perseverance in prayer are huge challenges, but God hears our prayers. We are not forgotten or forsaken. So, continue to pray, trusting that God listens and responds in God’s way, in God’s time.  

In the process, I believe these lessons can help us become more tolerant and less judgmental. As we better understand God’s church and God’s Holy Spirit, we take a giant step toward greater spiritual maturity. It’s my prayer that we think and pray about the impact we are having on other people’s lives. I pray you will experience personal relief as you hear encouragement and guidance to help you deal with personal issues.  

Here are some examples of churches following up on big dreams. 

A woman found herself in the middle of a divorce. She had all the emotions of betrayal, shame, loneliness, insecurity, and desperation. She had no family in the area. A neighbor invited her to visit a nearby church. She was welcomed so warmly that she returned. The friendship and faith of the people she met combined with the inspiration of the services seemed to be aimed right at her. She said, "I felt the presence of Christ. I have never been so happy. I try every day to show the gift of God's love to all I meet." 

One church member is a nurse at a hospital. She prays with patients. She says, “the Holy Spirit directs me to offer this precious gift of prayer. Being a patient at a hospital can be an overwhelming experience.” She feels called to offer the healing comfort of God. 

Following a hurricane, the call went out to assemble flood buckets filled with items that enable people to begin cleaning up after a flood. Within days, hundreds of buckets were assembled by several churches and shipped to where they were needed. 

At a youth camp, crews were assembled for work projects. One group took on the job of building a wheelchair ramp for an elderly woman with health conditions. She seldom left home because of the steps. After the ramp was completed, the woman smiled and told the group her wheelchair bound sister could now visit. When they left, the woman and her sister were in the living room together for the first time in many years. 

From an email: “We host dinners for those who need a home-cooked meal. Recently, we placed prayer cards on the tables. The concerns written are shared with our prayer team. Many of our guests reach for the prayer cards soon after finding their seats.”  

When newspapers were filled with news of violence, a youth director asked the congregation to bake cookies and the youth delivered them to police and fire stations, so we could say, "Thank you and we are praying for you."  

These everyday life-changing miracles bear testimony to the critical role of God’s church. Some of the most exciting and fulfilling moments of life happen through a church or church member. Attending church should lead to deepening relationships followed by ministry and missions throughout our community and world.  

“Digging Deeper: Three Questions for Pastors and Church Leaders” will challenge all of us to walk away from the habits and practices that prevent our churches from being fruitful and effective.