Having a God-given vision is essential to our future if we ever expect to reach our God-appointed destiny.

Recently the Lord spoke to my heart and asked, “What do you see, and what did you see?” This caused me to pause and take a look at my current situation to determine where I am in relation to my destiny. I also had to think back and remember what He had shown me in times past. I believe God had me ponder these questions because the time has come for me to step into my destiny and live in the reality of a vision He gave me many years ago. Thirty years ago to be exact. It may seem like much time has passed, and it has. But this is the way God works in the lives of His children.

If we stop and consider our forefathers in the faith, we can see a similar pattern of how God worked in their lives and ours. In the Old Testament when God gave someone a dream or vision concerning their future, many years passed before it actually came to past. Consider Abraham, Joseph, and even Moses and the children of Israel. They waited a long time before they saw the manifestation of what God promised them.

It’s not that God can’t bring things to past as soon as He gives the vision, but time and process are necessary to prepare us for where we’re going. The Bible tells us, “For the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3 ESV).

Over the years I’ve come to realize that vision gives us staying power.

It gives us the strength and endurance to press on when life is difficult so that we can see what the end fulfillment will be. The word tells us, “Without prophetic vision, people run wild, but blessed are those who follow God’s teachings” (Proverbs 29:18 GW).

Stop and take a moment to consider you current location.

Where are you in terms of your God-appointed destiny?

Are you living in it, or does it seem afar off?

Do you even remember what God has shown you concerning your future?

I’m asking because I believe these questions apply to the body of Christ as a whole. They are end-time questions that pertain to our current season. They have everything to do with our faith and whether or not we truly believe God will bring our visions to pass.

Seeing is believing and also receiving. We cannot receive what we cannot perceive or have a vision for. I’m not talking about seeing our future with our natural eyes, but seeing it with our spiritual eyes, or the eyes of our heart.

Vision comes during times of quietness and prayer when we are alone with God. We can be in the middle of a prayer when all of a sudden God shows us something.

Whenever God has given me a vision, it’s as if everything around me has disappeared and instead I’m looking at a movie screen. I may see a single picture of something or a scene of a particular thing taking place. This is not a common occurrence by any means, but when it happens it is so significant that I never dismiss what God has shown me because it points to things that are to come.

When God called Jeremiah to the office of Prophet, He began to talk to him about vision.

And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

Jeremiah 1:11,12 ESV

God had Jeremiah pause and look with the eyes of his heart in order to see what He was about to do concerning His people. I love the fact that God told Jeremiah, “You have seen well” because God was letting him know that He was seeing accurately. In other words, he was on target.

Having a clear vision, whether spiritually or physically is necessary to move in the right direction. Even physically blind individuals sometimes walk with the assistance of a seeing-eye dog so that they can get to where they need to go.

When Jesus healed and restored the sight of a blind man He asked him if he could see.

And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when He had spit on his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything? And he looked up and said, “I see people but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8:23-25 ESV

In this hour, God wants us to restore our ability to see clearly. He wants us to be in tune with the visions He has shown us in times past, and bring them into sharp focus so that we can move into our destiny.

If you’ve never received a vision from the Lord, you can ask Him to show you things concerning your future. Vision will come as you seek the Lord and search after Him with all your heart. That’s how it happened for me.

5 Steps to take

Don't seek the vision, Seek God.
When God gives you a vision, write it down.
Keep the vision ever before you by thinking about it and seeing yourself living in your destiny.
Believe that it's so and thank God for it.
Be ready to move or shift when God prompts you to do so. Discernment is key.

We are living in a time when we must walk in a perpetual state of faith and expectancy. God is moving and shifting things suddenly. We can be in one place today and in another place tomorrow, doing something totally different.

The world is waiting on us – the children of God. It’s time for us to rise up and take our rightful places in the earth so that we can show the lost the pathway to life and offer them the hope that is available in Christ. When we step into our destiny, we will be, do, and have all that God has intended for us.

It’s an exciting time to be alive in Christ.

Kathy