Writing down 100 dreams is a well-known discipline, championed by many, including my hero Danny Silk. (Great listen here: http://podcasts.ibethel.org/en/podcasts/living-the-dream). But why write them down? Why should I bother?
The power of written dreams (and declarations, and affirmations, etc.) can never be underestimated. Let me illustrate with a story very, very close to my heart.
Funny Story.
My wife Michelle, is hilarious, hilarious in the sense of being unknowingly prophetic (can you say accurate?), and hardly aware of it. (I find myself both marveling and chuckling at what she does, without her even knowing it, constantly.) She doesn’t know the thing she is saying or doing has prophetic power and is making lasting, positive impacts on others around her, and her own life as well.
Let me give you an example. She works at our chiropractic clinic (River City Wellness in Austin, Texas), and a couple days back Dr. Cody was telling me one of the stories she told him. To set the scene properly: Dr. Cody is currently single. She told him about finding a piece of paper where she had written down all the qualities in the man she would marry. (This was after we had gotten married.)
And I remember this. I remember her telling me this story when she found it. At the time I thought how extraordinarily cool this was, and how happy it makes me feel that I am her ideal husband. (No surprise; my love language is “words of affirmation.”) But when Dr. Cody told me the story it knocked me off my feet, in two, distinct ways:
The first thing was this. As we continued talking I told Dr. Cody, “See? You should do this, too! You should write down all the qualities you want in your Ideal wife, because…(right at this moment the lights inside of me started flashing, and the bells started ringing)…by writing this down you will be doing what my beloved Michelle did – you will prophesy your ideal wife to come into your life, the wife of your heart’s dreams.” It was right there, in mid-sentence, that the realization hit me.
Holy Spirit took me back to a favorite verse in Job:
You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways. (Job 22:28 NKJV)
You see, our declarations have power. They carry weight in heaven and on earth. They are acts of faith, the evidence of things not seen:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
With them we imitate God, Who calls those things which don’t yet exist as though they do:
…as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS” in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did… (Romans 4:17 NKJV)
But that wasn’t all! As I finished up my visit and got in my car to go home, a second thing happened. A realization began welling up within me about my entire adult life. Since age 24 I have been writing things down. (On paper. With a pen.) Things like goals, dreams, project plans, tasks, desires, etc. Now let me say that not everything I have written down has come to pass. By no means.
Some I did not have the discipline to pursue. And others were not appropriate for me, given the spiritual maturity level I had at the time. (joining a traveling worship and praise band in 1976). But many, many dreams have been realized. I can say without blinking an eye that the life I am living today is truly a dream fulfilled. It’s by no means perfect, and I have plenty of dreams yet unfulfilled that I with Papa’s help I am doing my bit to bring to life.
Now, if you had told me 40 years ago what I would be doing today, with whom, for what cause, and with what impact, I would have been dumbfounded in disbelief. My life is truly a miracle – a miracle of the God Who is good all the time knows the plans He has for me, gives me great courage in believing, helps me stay connected with others, and teaches me the way in which I shall go. He’s a good, good Father.
As Danny Silk told me in a soon-to-be-released podcast interview, “I created the spot I’m in 20 years ago.”
Here’s an invitation for us all to do the same. Here’s your writing assignment:
- What do I see myself doing 20 years from now?
- With whom?
- Making what impact?
- Giving me what kind of life satisfaction as a result?
The dreams you dream with God today write out the story of your life tomorrow. Test this and see. Write your dreams down – make a plan – and watch the power of the prophetic go to work for you.
