Believe. Pray. Persevere.

I am desiring something. It's a gift that only God can give. Like a whisper or a secret, only He knows about this; only He has the power to give me what I need.
It's a frustrating, yet beautiful dilemma  to be in such  a position where your needs can only be met by

the Lord. When the dreams within our hearts seem to begin to unravel, our instincts, degrees and friends cannot console us or provide an answer and we are forced to become desperately dependent on Him. As I've stated before, it's a frustrating, yet beautiful dilemma to be in.

In such a case, I am reminded about Hannah in scripture, who's hopes seemed to continue to unravel all around her. Hannah, as the Bible teaches, had a very special dream and wanted a very special gift... a child! In her culture, to be childless was assumed to be cursed. She so desperately wanted a son or daughter, but the years kept rolling by, with nothing to show for it.  All around her, it seemed as if women were being blessed with children. Her husband didn't understand. Her family despised her. She had a deep desire that could only be fulfilled by God, and even when she was mocked for her faith, she continued to believe. She was scolded, made fun of and ignored by those around her because of her belief that God could answer her prayers and fulfill her dreams, yet she stayed faithful (1 Samuel, chapter 1).

Have you ever been in such a position? Have  you ever believed in a promise before you had confirmation of it? Have you ever had a hope so deep seeded in your heart, that tears spring forth at the thought or mention of it? Then you understand Hannah, and you understand me. We, dear friends, are full of desires and hopes and each one is pricelessly precious to our God!
Sometimes, the space between our hopes and our reality can feel as if it will suffocate us and cause us to shatter from within. We strive, yet see no results. We ask, yet the answer seems to never come. We pray, but feel ineffective. So what do we do? Like Hannah, we cry- we cry out to God, who is always present and always loving. He cares so much about our yearnings, our disappointments, our frustrations and our dreams. He is the visionary who plants each dream seed within each of our hearts, so it's safe to say that God does understand. Our hopes and aspirations are not random or accidental, they are purposed and they are ordained- not to fulfill us, but to reveal who He is in us. In our limitations to realize our dreams, we have a Heavenly Father who exhaled the galaxies into existence. From the breath of this Spirit, He created you and he created me... do we now then limit Him in His abilities to open doors or tear down walls because we are not seeing results in our timing? Where is our faith?

Scripture tells us in Psalms that God is aware of our yearnings and our tears (Ps. 56:8). He recognizes our drive to do and to be and to create. We are made in His image... when we dream, we are operating in His likeness. He is THE Creator... His imagination is what causes the universe to glow! His thoughts are far above ours and His ways cannot be compared (Isaiah 55:8)! So it is safe to say that He understands, but whats more, He truly cares.
We must learn to trust our loving God with our hopes and desires, our dreams and our aspirations; not  throwing in the towel because we have run out of options or ideas- not buckling down when we see others around us becoming successful as we are still struggling to figure out our place. To every moment under the sun, there is a specific and appointed time, yet reward waits for those who choose not to give up (Galations 6:9)!

Hannah prayed through her frustrations, seeking God to deliver this gift that she so desperately wanted. She persevered in her pleading. She did not loose hope; and at the right time, she gave birth to a son who became one of the pillar leaders in all of Israel. Even today, he is still honored. Samuel's legacy began from Hannah's simple dream, hope and prayer.

In each of us, there is a gift, a ministry, a calling, a purpose and a plan that God has strategically placed in our hearts. What's so amazing is that there are more than one! Our God is not one dimensional... He wants to use you in multiple areas, in multiple ways and with multiple people. The dreams you have, they have been placed within you in order that you may have the desire to realize the calling that He has upon your life. Don't toss them away because things aren't working out the way you imagined. Instead, give it to God... just like Hannah! She cried out... she stayed consistent and persistent. When women around her bore children, she poured her heart out to God. When people assumed she was cursed and would never see her dream fulfilled, she trusted in the Lord. God wants us to do the same. He wants us to rely on Him for the realities of our dreams. He wants to be our source in making our goals come into fruition. He wants to use your situation as a platform to declare His Love, His power and His goodness! What an honor!!!

Next time, when you feel ready to throw in the towel, instead, give your frustrations to God. Tell Him  of your plans, your hopes, your disappointment and of your determination. Ask Him to help you. He will!!! Each of us who belong to God, have the power of the Holy Spirit living within our hearts. There is NOTHING that we cannot do, in Jesus name (John 16:24)! Our dreams are a gift that God wants to open up within us. Never doubt His ability to do so.
Believe. Pray. Persevere.

Never give up!
~Pearls

Give Your Dreams To God

A thought interrupted my prayer today: "Lord, my heart is willing, but my direction is unknown".
How many times in our lives do we say that? How many times in our days? I find myself turning these words over and over within me, at any given moment, buecause like many I'm sure, I struggle with the aspirations of having faith and the actual practice, itself.

Faith is what we hope for, yet cannot see. Faith is having a dream or a goal, yet no thinkable means as to how to create it into a reality. Tell me this: why is it that some people can create conglomerates out of absolutely nothing, while others struggle to launch? The ingredient is Faith.

Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), so then what are we left yo do? How do we navigate through waters of doubt, unscathed by fear of the unknown or worries about tomorrow? How are we suppose to handle dreams that seem too big or plans that fall apart at the very intent?

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.~1 Peter 1:21

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ~1 John 5:4

So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. ~1 Corinthians 2:5

It strikes me profoundly that each of these scriptures, and others throughout the Bible, tell us that the source of our faith is not in faith alone. It's not our dreams that we need to build our beliefs in. It's not our determination and perseverance that we need to hold tightly to or increase in order for our aspirations to survive. No. If we want to grow our faith to the magnitude in which our hopes are seen and our dreams are realized, we have to rely on God, who gives faith and allows the outcome for dreams, for hopes and for goals. It is in Him, and only Him, where the mustard seeds of our faith can grow. God is our source, not the seed.

As of late, I've been very overwhelmed with the unrealistic expectations of my own dreams. If I were to tell you what's been in my heart, you might think, "well how do you think that can happen?".  Even as I bring my dreams to Jesus, I tell him, "Lord, I know this seems impossible, but it can happen if you open the doors for me". See, I realize that I have nothing to offer to ensure my dreams come true. I don't have the resources, the required degrees, the experience or the connections to do what I feel God has placed in my heart. Yet I know it's there for a reason and the vision sparks a light in me! I am excited about this dream- I am hopeful in what may one day come, but I must remind myself, even as I am doing now, that if not placed properly in God's will or in Him as my source, my dreams will be misplaced and my faith will never grow.

D.L. Moody, a 19th century evangelist, wrote, “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.” Isn't time we experienced Heaven in a personal way? Don't you want to partake in active faith, not just wish about it, but live it out? I know I do! I want my own story to tell about the acts of God and His response to my faith in His promises! I want to use my lack as fuel for my faith in The Lord, who never lacks. He never needs to ask or borrow from anyone, so why do we hesitate to start with Him?

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ~John 14:12

When we put our faith in The Lord, there is no limit to what He can do, through us! We don't need to be afraid or embarrassed about our hopes and dreams with our Heavenly Father. He loves us and He wants us to come to Him in all that we do. I'm Let's do great works, through our faith in God! You
and I can impact the nation...we can impact the world, but it takes faith in a God who is always faithful! He will never disappoint us. He will never give to us less than who He is!

Keep the Faith!

~Pearls