By Tom Shanklin

As this new year begins, maybe you are praying, “God, when are you going to do something in my life?” When are you going to change my circumstance? When are the things that you have promised me going to come to pass.”

Prayer is good, but God’s purposes in your life are not accomplished through prayer alone. You must cooperate with His plan. You must seek Him for guidance and prepare yourself. You must walk out His plan step by step in your daily life. You may be waiting on God to do something, but He is waiting on you to begin moving forward. It’s time to get out of passivity and to begin to move in God’s direction for your life. Then things will begin to change!

Your God has a specific purpose for you! You were not placed on this earth to take up space on the terra firma and to eat three meals a day. You have a God-ordained destiny, a calling, a reason for being here. When you discover that calling and purpose, the vision for your life will begin to take shape. And God will give you dreams, goals and aspirations to fulfill His purpose for you. As the scripture says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4, KJV.

As you begin a new year, it’s time to evaluate where you are going and what you are accomplishing. Are you accomplishing your God-given goals? Are you fulfilling His purpose for your life? Are your dreams coming true? Is your life headed in the right direction?

The Word of God has a very clear road map for you to follow. You will achieve your goals and see your dreams come true as you follow His plan. Let me share with you seven steps toward seeing your dreams come true in 2016:

1. You must be born again. Like Jesus told Nicodemus,  “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3, KJV. You must be born again to begin to see spiritual things, including God’s vision for your life. Until you repent and turn your life over to God and receive forgiveness through the cross of Calvary, you will be separated from the life of God. But when you make that life-changing decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God can begin to establish His plan and path for you.

2. Consecrate yourself to God. A key principle of guidance is that you must be willing to go the direction that God is leading. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27, KJV. If you are not willing to follow Him, then we won’t be able to hear His voice. Your vision will always be clouded, because inside you there will be a mixture of God’s plans and your fleshly, earthly desires. You must first of all consecrate yourself to do whatever He wants you to do, go wherever He wants you to go, and to say whatever He wants you to say. This is an ongoing work, because our flesh, our mind and emotions, and the influence of others will always have a pull on us as long as we are in this body and on this earth. Therefore, you must continually consecrate and dedicate yourself to God, saying “Father, not my will but thy will be done.” This is what Jesus is talking about when He told you to take up your cross and follow Him. The cross is an instrument of death. For us it means death to fleshly, carnal things and selfish desires. It doesn’t sound pleasant, and it’s not, but always remember, without the cross, there can be no resurrection. Unless you die to pride and self-will, you cannot walk in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

3. Allow God’s Word to shape the vision for your life. As the scripture says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105, KJV. We need to understand that God’s Word is alive and powerful. The Bible is not just another book. It’s God message, His wisdom, His grace, and His power. When we read and meditate in God’s word, we are learning to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, because He is the author of the Book. Then, when we practice God’s Word (especially walking in love), we are learning to follow the Holy Spirit. The Bible is God’s revealed will in black and white. Only when you follow it’s precepts can God begin to give you your customized individualized instructions for your life.

4. Begin to see God’s ability as your ability. The Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13, KJV. Paul was talking about the challenges and difficulties in His life, but he said in effect, “I’m going to make it. I’m going to do great things for God. I CAN get the job done through Christ who gives me strength. It’s Christ, the anointed One who enables you to succeed. It’s His power through the Holy Spirit that will put you over and enable you to achieve the dreams and visions that God places in your heart. David slew the giant because He believed that He could. He believed that the God that was with Him was greater than the devil that was with Goliath. I tell you, you can do great things for God, abundantly above all that you ask or think according to the power that works in you. Begin to count on your heavenly bank account. Understand that the resources of heaven are behind you when you walk in God’s ways. Go forth in confidence and you will be able to run through a troop and jump over a wall,

5. Spend time in God’s presence, worshipping, praying in the Spirit and waiting upon Him. The Bible tells us about a prayer meeting in Antioch. “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Acts 13:2, KJV. I often call this “the prayer meeting that changed the world.” Here Saul (or Paul) received confirmation to the Lord’s direction for the remainder of His life. It was because they “ministered to the Lord and fasted” that his commission to take the Gospel to the nations was confirmed. As a result, he reached much of the known world and wrote a large portion of the New Testament. This holds true for us in our churches and in our individual lives. Set aside time to wait upon the Lord in prayer. Worship Him! Pray in the Spirit. Yield yourself to Him. Listen to His voice. Then He will reveal what He wants you to do and how to do it.

6. As God reveals His plan for you, ask Him to guide your steps. The Scripture says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalms 37:23, KJV. It doesn’t say the “leaps and bounds” of a good man are ordered of the Lord. It says the steps. Here’s a very important truth. God leads us step by step. In fact, we often do not see clearly the whole picture about what God is doing. It is as we are obedient to take the steps He gives us, that the next steps are revealed. Abraham had to leave Ur of the Chaldees before he could leave Haran and come into the land of promise. God often gives us glimpses of the future, but we must be careful not to try and rush out and fulfill His plan in our own strength and our own way. We must wait on the Lord for His timing and we must prepare for what he has for us. For example, you may be called to be a pastor, but God may want you to serve in the helps ministry in your local church first. Or He may want you to attend a certain Bible School or receive some type of training. So seek God not only for the vision for your life, but also for the steps to walk out that vision. And don’t be guided by your own reasoning. Wait upon the Lord and let Him show you the way.

7. Steadfastly walk out your dreams, continually looking to the Lord for guidance and strength. As God gives you direction, begin to take the steps that He gives you. There will be times that these steps will stretch your faith. Be like Peter who had the boldness to step out on the water. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Matthew 14:28, 29, KJV. Sometimes we put a great deal of emphasis on the fact that Peter began to sink, but think of it, the Bible says before he sank, he WALKED ON THE WATER. Not only that, but when he sank, Jesus was there to rescue him. There have been times in my own life that I have tried something and failed, but I’ll tell you one thing, “I’d rather be a wet water walker than a dry boat talker any day.”

So get your feet wet. Get out and do something for the Lord this year. Consecrate yourself to Him. Be persistent! Let His Word light your path. Get into His presence, and trust the Lord to bring you forward into your dreams in 2016. May this be a year of great miracles for you, in Jesus name. Amen.

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