Are you Watering Your Dream? By Donna R. Patrick
Our guest blogger today is Donna Renay Patrick. Donna serves as the Minister of Music at the Hill Chapel C.M.E. Church in Plano, Texas. She has a passion for praise and worship ministry, and teaches the body of Christ in the true meanings of praise and worship from a Biblical perspective via conferences, workshops, and video training and development.
She is a contributing writer for www.experiencingworship.com. Her first book, At All Times, a devotional, won the Henri Award during the 2013 Christian Literary Awards. Her second book, It’s In Your Praise!, is due out this year. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bishop College, and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Dallas Baptist University.
. . .But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (I Sam. 30:6, KJV)
Are you watering your dream?
No, I’m not talking about a dream you had while sleeping. I’m talking about the dream or the vision that God placed on your heart; something you want to achieve, make happen, or see made reality. It’s that thing that grips your consciousness day and night. It stays with you no matter how much you may not believe it will ever come to pass. It’s that dream or vision that troubles you to the point that it won’t be ignored.
Whether sleeping or wide awake, your God-given dream won’t let you go. That’s how it is when God gives you a dream. I believe when God gives us a dream He intends to help us fulfill it. That’s how you know the difference between a God-given dream, and some other kind of dream. The one God gives you won’t leave you alone. If it isn’t from God, it won’t linger. The dictionary defines a “vision” as a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination. A “dream”, on the other hand, is defined as a strongly desired goal or purpose; it is something you want. So we can fuse the two kind of like this: A strongly desired goal or purpose that is fed by a thought or concept formed by the imagination.
So would you say your dream and your vision are connected? Whatever your dream is you must write it down, nurture it, keep it close to you, pray over it, speak life to it, put the Word on it, encourage yourself, thank God for the dream, AND for the manifestation of it.
Water it.
I know that’s a lot, but your dream is much too important to leave to chance, or let it dry out. It is also much too important to share with the wrong person. Everyone won’t embrace your dream. There are haters out there who don’t want to see your dream become reality, so be very careful who you share your dream with. I am of the opinion that those who cannot share in the process of your dream don’t deserve to see it when it’s realized.
I have a dream and I am determined to see it manifest. Sometimes I am so full of my dream that it’s all I can think about. I am putting feet to my prayers, learning the blessing in delay, and learning to trust God during the process of making my dream a reality. I know what God gave me and I will not be stopped. While discouragement is part of the process, we don’t stay discouraged. We stop, pray, regroup, and understand the power in encouraging ourselves in the Lord. That’s what David did when his army wanted to stone him after they returned from battle to find their wives and possessions gone.
I know you have a dream – are you watering it?