Without vision people perish
What happens when you don’t have vision? Vision is powerful. We all need it.
I’ve shared a five-fold process that helps us move from hearing God’s word to seeing it fully activated.
- We hear the Word from God or others.
- We learn to meditate or ruminate on the Word.
- We receive a revelation about it after meditating on it.
- We practice it. And often serve others to grow.
- As we apply it, we then see it manifested.
In Acts Chapter 16, we see how whole households, like Lydia’s, were saved. These stories illustrate a movement from reception to revelation to salvation for the entire family. For many people, using terms like manifestation to describe this process is new age. But that’s not the way it works. It’s a process for God to manifest His purpose in your life.
Some things can hold us back from fully receiving a vision. For example, we can operate under the poverty mindset. For me, that was a real thing. I focused on being a minister and seeing souls saved, but my perspective was that I wouldn’t be successful financially. However, I received a prophetic word that I would be in business and receive financial success bringing Godly influence into the business community.
That changed my mindset. I didn’t want to make a lot of money -I wanted to win souls. But God changed my perspective. I had been living with a poverty mindset. I didn’t think I would accomplish success in certain spheres of influence. I didn’t know I could do both.
God’s Word gave me vision.
Then doors opened up, and more words were spoken into my life. God’s vision came to pass, and now I have a business with around 50 employees. But it took much studying the Word, praying, and moving to action.
This is where Proverbs 29:18 comes into play. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
When a word is spoken into your life that you don’t understand, ask for clarification and pray into it.
And if you don’t have vision, you can learn to serve someone else’s dream, which is actually acting in maturity. It allows you to learn and grow. Serving another man’s vision gives you the direction to step into your vision and purpose.
We need vision to know where to go when it’s dark or when we feel like we are in a cloud or haze. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). God doesn’t always give us all the details. He may test us with someone else’s responsibility. If you are faithful with that, He will provide you with more.
Before God gives you the responsibility of a whole community, He gives you a neighborhood block.
So how do you get vision?
Get it in prayer and in quiet times. God will speak. He will show you next-level details, but you have to get quiet and sit with Him in communion and relationship with Him. You won’t be close to God if you are not connected to Him in prayer and meditation. Recognize that your connection can be weak if you are in sin. It will separate you from God. Sin is like a bad internet connection. The way to connect with God is to align with His plans for your life. Forgiveness is essential, and asking for forgiveness will reconnect you.
Sin is a wedge between you and God…perversion, adultery, pride, arrogance, anger, gluttony. God hates these things in our lives. He opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. When we lower ourselves, we properly posture ourselves to hear the Father more clearly which ultimately helps us step into who He created us to be in Him.
Our knee has to bend before the Savior to be able to take on the giants (and to take on big visions). Other things that help us with this connection are fasting, extended time in worship – like worship nights, hearing and reading the Word, being around people of faith, and sitting quietly in His presence.
That doesn’t mean running from conference to conference to get Christianity’s good feelings and highlights. It means digging into a Word that you have received. That is what gives your relationship with Christ depth.
It’s essential to have mentors, pastors, and the community that know you well enough to speak into your life.
If you haven’t been given clear vision yet, it may be time to come alongside someone else’s vision and help them bring it to fruition. Not everyone is made to get the big picture; some help to carry out others’ vision in a fantastic way. That’s working together as the Body of Christ!!
If you need help figuring out where you fit in – ask leadership. Tell God you will go wherever He wants you to go. And then act on it. If He can trust you with that, He will give you more.
Be faithful and do what He is speaking to you.