The power of vision – 1

here are five faculties of the soul you need to understand and harness for your progress:

1. Memory: with it you contact the past.
2. Intellect: with it you process information.
3. Emotions: with it you react to events and people etc.
4. Imagination: with it you contact the future and create things.
5. Will: with it you make decisions.

We are going to focus on imagination; one of the greatest gifts of God to mankind. This is the quality of seeing images in your mind of things that don’t exist physically.

“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” Jonathan Swift

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

Success requires vision. What is vision? It is an image of a preferred future.

God specialises in creating images of greatness in the minds of those who became great. God spoke about making Abraham great and giving him a great name. Genesis 12:2. Later, God showed him stars to create an indelible image of his future seeds in his mind Genesis 15:5. You can see your future from where you are.

These images of greatness are created throughout scripture for those who would follow Christ.

Whatever dominates your mind will dominate your life.

It is the ability to see farther than your eyes can see. It is seeing the future before it comes into being.

John Sculley, the former CEO of Pepsi and Apple Computer once said, “The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”

Sight is a function of the eyes while vision is a function of the heart. Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare. Helen Keller said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.”

Success never comes by accident. Success begins as a dream. Every great venture you see today began as a dream, an idea. There can be no real success without a vision. Every successful person desired it, dreamed it and worked it out or shall we say worked hard at it. What you cannot conceive you cannot achieve. Only those who see the invisible can accomplish the impossible. What you see long enough you conceive and what you conceive you deliver; you become. This was the principle God made Jacob to use to get the flock to conceive and deliver spotted sheep and transferred the wealth of Laban to Jacob.

“Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.”   – As A Man Thinketh

Unanimous disagreement

A gentleman who served on one of Walt Disney’s original advisory boards told amazing stories of Walt Disney. Those early days were tough; but that remarkable, creative visionary refused to give up. He talked about how Disney responded to disagreement. He said that Walt would occasionally present some unbelievable, extensive dream he was entertaining. Almost without exception, the members of his board would gulp, blink, and stare back at him in disbelief, resisting even the thought of such a thing. But unless every member resisted the idea, Disney usually didn’t pursue it. Yes, you read that correctly. The challenge wasn’t big enough to merit his time and creative energy unless they were unanimously in disagreement!

Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.107

It is time for your dream to be fulfilled

Habakkuk 2:2-3, “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. [3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

15 Things you need to know about dreams

1. A dream is a proof you have a better future
2. A dream is a promise to be received and claimed by faith.
3. A dream is a preview of your destiny; a chapter in your future.
4. It is futuristic so there is a time of waiting for manifestation.
5. The fulfilment of a dream requires a process. You move from promise through process to possession.
6. A dream must be documented for records, planning and constant reminder. Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables…(v2)
7. There is an appointed time for the fulfilment of every vision. 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time…(v3)
8. A dream is meant to be pursued actively: That he may run that readeth. Apostle Paul said, I press. You have to press if your dreams must become reality; press in prayer and work.
9. A dream is a harvest therefore seeds must be planted for them to come to pass. Seeds of time, energy, resources, etc.
10. A dream must be celebrated until fulfilled. Israel murmured; they spent 40 years in the wilderness instead of 40 days. Celebrating life and your dream while waiting is a secret many have not discovered. If you want to get out of the wilderness fast, you must not allow the devil to steal your joy.
11. A dream protects against anxiety, frustration and fear. Joseph could be cheerful in a slave house and in prison because he had seen his future.
12. Vision helps you to set goals.
13. A dream focuses our energy and steers us in the right direction. Vision helps you to remain focused. Vision protects you against unprofitable ventures. It is not enough to run, you must be in the right race and run in the right direction. You must run in the direction of your vision if you expect to win.
14. Vision is tied to purpose. Your Vision in not your assignment. Your assignment is what you are called to do but your vision is what you will eventually become. God gives you visions based on His purpose for your life. He is intentional. A very simple way of looking at it is this: purpose is what you are meant to do; what you are created for; while vision is what you are meant to be in order to accomplish what you are meant to do. God showed Joseph what he was going to be in future. He was going to be raised to a position of leadership in life where he will be higher than his brethren; even his parents. But the purpose of that elevation was in line with God’s plan for His people Israel- to preserve them through the period of farming, multiply them in Egypt before taking them to the Promised Land. God will always show you how far and how high you can go; how blessed you can be but you must find out why he is taking you high and why He is blessing you. He is not blessing you just so you can show off. He is not blessing you for you only but for the Kingdom and others. (To be continued…)

Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.

Website: www.dayspringcmi.org

e-mail: [email protected]

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