Pastor's Corner: Dream and pray, trust and obey

“I have a dream … .”

Most of us are familiar with that quote from the very powerful speech of Martin Luther King Jr., delivered on Aug.t 28, 1963. I have a few dreams of my own. I dream of seeing drug addicts in our community living in health and freedom; I dream that a friend of ours who has Parkinson’s will be healed; I dream that broken relationships will be restored. Those are just a few of my current dreams. Some of them seem pretty outrageous, perhaps even unattainable. But why not dream big, especially knowing how big — and how good — our God is.

What about you—what are you dreaming of? Are your dreams alive and well? Or are they languishing? Have you gotten discouraged or perhaps given up on some of them altogether? Is so, you’re not alone. The Bible is full of accounts of those who had a dream but waited a long time to see it fulfilled.

Chapter 1 of the first book of Samuel in the Old Testament tells the story of Hannah, a woman who was barren and desperately wanted a child. Year after year she went to the house of the Lord, presumably hoping for something to change. At times she wept and wouldn’t eat because of the anguish in her soul. One year when she was at the tabernacle praying, she ended up talking to Eli the priest, who prayed that God would grant her request. And sure enough, in due time, she had a son, whom she named Samuel and dedicated to the Lord. He grew up to become an amazing prophet. Eventually God sent Samuel to locate a successor to King Saul. The successor turned out to be King David, and the rest is history, as the saying goes.

So, my question is this: What if Hannah had given up on her dream? Apparently she waited a long time. What if she had decided to quit going to the tabernacle or to quit praying for a child? Would there have been a Samuel? Who would have located King David in that case? Perhaps God would have raised up someone else to do the job. He is well able to accomplish what He wants. But He also delights in partnering with us to see His plans come forth on the earth.

When He wants us to partner with Him, He may give us an assignment. Joshua and the Israelite army were told to march around Jericho for six days and then on the seventh day to march around six times. Then on the seventh time around, the priests were to blow the trumpets and the people were to shout. What if the people had decided they were too tired to march around that many times or too embarrassed to shout? But it was time to do their part, time to obey. And the seemingly impenetrable walls crumbled.

What if Abraham and Sarah had decided 20 years was long enough to wait for a baby? Or Moses had gotten tired of going back to Pharaoh with yet another plea for freedom and another warning of the consequences of refusal? Again, you are in good company if you have prayed faithfully and fervently for days or weeks or months or years, even decades. Let me encourage you: don’t give up, don’t stop now. God sees you, God hears you, God loves you, and God answers prayer.

Perseverance is important, not just to see our prayers answered, but also to forge a deeper relationship with the Lord. It’s about continuing to come to Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, partner with Him, and grow close to Him. And it’s about training. If all our prayers were answered right away, our faith wouldn’t grow as much and we wouldn’t depend on God much as we do in the times when our faith is tested.

So let me encourage you with these Bible verses:

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much” James 5:16.

“And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lost heart” Galatians 6:9.

Theologian Walter Wink is credited with saying, “History belongs to the intercessors.” Will you partner with me in asking God for good things to come forth in our community? Will you pray fervently and also do your part? Let’s continue to dream and pray, trust and obey. And then see what God will do!

(Brian and Vicki Barrows are co-pastors of Abundant Life Ministries.)