Lately I have been spending a lot of time praying about my dreams and aspirations. We all have them, but I don’t think we spend enough time actually going after them or praying over them. I believe that a successful life is one lived in pursuit of our biggest dreams and aspirations, even if we never see them come to pass, because usually along the way we may discover another dream, our true dream, and we will see that one come true.

My dreams are numerous, but one of my biggest aspirations is to one day be an author. I have been writing since I knew how to type and I have always wanted to publish a book. Just recently, mostly through blogging and journaling, that dream has begun to take real root in my heart as an actual possibility. I write as often as I can, both fiction and non-fiction, and every time I do, I begin to play out the fantasy in my head. Seeing my book on the bookshelf, picking it up for the first time and flipping through the pages, hearing stories about people whose lives have been touched by this book I have written.

As I began to entertain these thoughts, even though they are a long way from becoming reality, I felt a tug in my Spirit to begin praying for all the people who would one day read my books. Now it might seem a little silly, why would I begin praying for someone reading a book that doesn’t even exists yet? But isn’t that what faith is?  “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). 
I believe that God has called me to write, he has put the desire in my heart to touch peoples lives through words. And when God calls us into something, if we are to go down that path, we must have faith that he will accomplish what He has promised, what He has called us to. Praying for the readers of a book you haven’t written requires faith. Praying for your future children before your wife is pregnant requires faith. Praying for the ministries of the church you haven’t planted yet requires faith. And these advanced prayers won’t just grow your faith, praying for things in advance is a great way to inspire yourself towards the dream God has called you too. We begin to work with renewed tenacity because the prospect of our prayer being answered excites us once again that God will indeed fulfill His promise.

But that is the key, we must continue to sort through the dream or the desire to make sure that it is Spirit led and Spirit filled. We cannot be praying in advance for just anything we selfishly desire, but we must base our prayers on what we have heard from God and what He promises us in His word.

Praying for things in advance is a wonderful test of faith. But it also helps me spell out my dreams more specifically, and to continue working towards them even when I may not feel like getting up early in the morning to write.

Pray like it depends on God, work like it depends on you.

-jon

Last night I finished the prologue to a novel that I have been working on for the last four months. I spent the first three months free-writing a rough draft or part one of the book without planning any of the story. And while I had created an intriguing world and interested characters, the plot was extremely messy and complicated. So I spent the last three to four weeks going back and writing a chapter by chapter summary of the new and improved version of this book. After starting in late December of last year, I have a story that I will not begin putting onto paper. 

This being my first novel, I am doing my best to take everything in stride and continue pressing on towards finishing the book. I don't know if a free-writing period will always be a part of my process, as a young writer, I'm not even sure if I have a process yet. But one thing I'm sure of, is that it is being developed and perhaps after 10,000 hours of practice I will be blessed enough to become a master at it.

Here is a sneak preview of the novel, please read the prologue. I would very much appreciate your thoughts. Don't worry, it doesn't give too much away.

It’s been said that a genius, in the artistic, scientific, or mathematical sense, is someone who asks the biggest questions, seeks the biggest answers, and settles for nothing less. Einstein, Da Vinci, the Wright brothers, Beethoven, Scorsese (especially Scorsese), these were all men who asked the biggest questions, or better yet, dreamed the biggest dreams.

These men set out to do and create things that no one, including themselves, ever thought possible. But no great work of art was ever created by someone who dreamt about the possible, the easy to attain. The greatest artists dream huge dreams for their work, dreams that, before they become reality, may even be called foolish. The biggest dreamers are the greatest artists.

In the same way, the biggest dreamers are also those in scripture who made the largest Kingdom impact for the Lord, Joseph, Moses, Peter, and lest we forget the impossibly huge dream of Jesus Christ, to save humanity from it’s sins. All of these men had God-sized dreams for their lives, and God came down and blessed those dreams.

God loves big dreams, and he will bless them. God loves ‘impossible’ dreams because to Him, they are completely possible. The Christian artist dreams impossible dreams for his work as well as his life, all based on the promises of God. He then ‘circles them in prayer’ as Mark Batterson would say, knowing that God is the only way these dreams will become reality.

Allow to highlight this truth.

The beauty of a big dream is that when it comes true, we know that it was not by our own power, but by the power of God.

God is the only way your lost friend will find Christ.

God is the only way you will write that book.

God is the only way you’re going to pay that impossible loan.

God is the only way to accomplish big dreams.

Another thing about big dreamers, and this is important to remember. All these leaders had their dream, their vision thrust upon their heart. There was a moment of divine inspiration that came from the heart, not from the head. God places it on their spirit. They did not just arbitrarily choose a dream, and neither can we.

We must wait on the Lord to hear His voice calling us into a dream and a life that only He can make happen, then circle that dream in prayer, until we see the Lord bring it into reality, all in His glorious timing.

-jon

We live in a generation of Christians obsessed with the cross and forgetful of the resurrection. A big claim, I know, but hang with me for a minute. What I’m talking about here is how many times have you heard someone thank Jesus for the cross versus how many times you have heard someone thank Jesus for his resurrection? In my experience, I hear a lot about the cross, I hear that Jesus died to pay the price for my sins, I hear about sacrifice and I hear about grace, but I don’t hear much about how three days later He was gloriously raised, at least not in my day to day conversations....

I’ll be real honest. Satan did not want me to celebrate Easter this past weekend. I have never had to overcome so many obstacles just to get into the door of a church on Good Friday and Easter.

I was truly livid when I missed half to Good Friday service because of terrible traffic and the unbearable parking conditions of the greater Pittsburgh area. By the time I finally got into the sanctuary, I was extremely frustrated and my heart was in the completely wrong place.

Then on Easter, I planned to meet my awesome girlfriend at church for the 9:00 service, but the bus she usually takes, without announcement, was not running on Easter. And I would have gone to pick her up, but I had dropped my keys somewhere under my seat and I could not find them without disturbing the fervent worshippers beside me....