Dreaming and Fearless

As I was struck with the revelation that those who live from an orphan heart either don't have dreams or have dreams that are so small that they can accomplish themselves.  Dreams, visions, and prophecies are a manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit (Joel 2:29).  In other words God wants to co-create with us and through us by fulfilling the dreams that He gives us.  Daydreaming is for children, exactly we are children of God and He invites us to have dreams that are impossible, way out there, and beyond our reach without Him.  Since I admittedly have lived much of my life from an orphan heart, my dreams have been either darkened by the cloud of foreboding and fear or quickly aborted by the lies of the enemy, lack of resources, unbelief, or the fears that so easily try to take over.  I am convinced that since fear was the first bad fruit (feeling) that came from believing "the Lie", choosing sin and separation, it is a tap root for the Kingdom of darkness.  What would your dreaming be like if fear was not a factor?    In Romans 8:15 the Word says, "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”  Father has brought us into His family and empowered us with the Holy Spirit to produce the spirit of adoption (mindset) as sons but what is opposed to this is the spirit of slavery leading to fear.  I am convinced that fear is the absence of love from the Presence of God, because God is love.  Agreeing with our fears, brings internal darkness and a sense of distance from the Presence of God.  The Grace of God is so powerful that John would proclaim in 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love."  Since this is true, I honestly have to say I know very few, if any, people who are perfected in love.  The world shows us the way to overcome fear is to face our fear with all our might and strength, jump, leap, or do that crazy thing you have been afraid of.  I do agree we need to face our fears head on but can I really conquer fear through my own effort, since the Word is clear that perfect love casts out fear.  I have attempted to face many of my core fears, making some progress but also having setbacks when I try by my own effort instead of hearing the voice of my Father.  I am done trying to overcome fear by my own effort, yet surrender does not mean defeat but simply turning from my own effort to His face.  Fear undermines our dreams for our relationships, our family, finances and resources, our career and vocation hopes, our hobbies, and life calling.  Fear paints pictures in our mind of relationships going poorly, failure in vocation/career, disappointments, and nightmares for our future.  I believe through fear the enemy has high-jacked our imaginations, using it to picture what he wants to bring about instead of dreams of Kingdom realities.  Can you imagine if we, the children of God, learned how to walk with sanctified imaginations.  In Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinks within himself, so he is."  I believe besides God, the human mind is the most powerful and creative tool but especially as led by the Holy Spirit.  I am asking God to teach me the keys to seeing people cast out fear, dreaming to be awakened, and Kingdom realities to be released through His sons and daughters.

Dreaming with my Papa,
Bret