3 Keys to Seeing Your Biggest Dreams Come True!

These days, we have the ability to "super-size" many things in our life: from burgers to burritos, from lattes to fries. People love to super-size, don't they? But what about when it comes to our prayers?

Several years ago, I had the exciting privilege of attending service at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas with my son, Jon. If you are not familiar, Lakewood is what you call a "mega-church". Pastor Joel Osteen has written numerous books and it was dream of mine to hear him in person. That Sunday, he said something that really struck home. He said we need to pray God-sized prayers.

Be Bold and Ask

Now I know we all have dreams, desires and wishes we would love to come true. I also know that many of you are praying folk. As a strong believer in the power of prayer, I have seen God do great things in my life in answer to prayer. A favorite verse my dad had memorized was James 5:16 which says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man has great results and it is so true.

"Oh, but I'm afraid to ask God for too much. He might think I'm greedy."

Really? Luke 11:11 says "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?" and John 16:14 promises us that when we ask in Jesus' name we will receive and our joy will be full. How's that for motivation?

Be Ready to Receive

Now the caveat to asking big, is being ready to receive. Take time to think about how your request will affect your life. I remember two girlfriends of mine who were pining for years to get married. Shortly after they both married, both of them said the exact same thing to me: "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." I couldn't believe it. Proverbs 10:22 says it is the blessing of the Lord that makes a man rich, and he shall add no sorrow to it. In other words, be sure to ask according to God's will for your life or you may regret it.  

Accept God's Timing

As we know, God's timing is S- L-O-W. Usually. There are times when things happen really quickly, but that is the exception rather than the rule. God's timing is not our timing. Just think about all the people and things he has to coordinate to get our blessing to us. I have learned it's often our failure to learn our own  lessons that keeps the blessing at bay. Be patient. Keep being obedient and keep doing the right thing. Get rid of any sin in your life and above all, don't take things into your own hands. Wait on God's timing. 

For Reflection
My question for you today is how big are your prayers? Better yet, how big is your God? What may be preventing you from receiving your miracle? The more we understand how good God is and how much he loves each one of us, the more comfortable we will be asking for his blessings.

Today it is time to super-size your faith. Be bold enought to pray bigger prays and see what God does. I promise it will increase your faith and give God a chance to show you His great love and power. 

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Stay tuned for more on how to ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

How to Practice the Presence of God

Do you find yourself fretting over the future? Getting older? The stock market? No matter how well we develop our personal power, there will always be situations that are beyond our control that can cause us to be anxious. However, there is a supernatural power available to each of us to help us deal with the unknowns in life. It is the third component in our series on taming our unruly minds.

Perhaps, like me, you were raised in a family where there was a lot of drama, discord, and chaos. When children are raised in this type of environment, they become anxious, worried, and fearful. We learn to ruminate over our problems. Yet this is not the way we were meant to live and somehow, deep inside, we know it. We yearn for peace but often we search for it in the wrong places.

As a young woman attending a Jesuit college, I was required to take a course in theology. I began to read the Bible and learn about the power of prayer. Prayer is our supernatural weapon to combat anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. Prayer is more powerful than we realize.  When we take our concerns to God in prayer, we shift our focus from our circumstances to the One who controls our circumstances. The result is less anxiety and fretfulness and more peace of mind.

Today, prayer plays an integral part of my daily life. When something upsetting happens, rather than get all riled up like I used to, I say a prayer. If I am on the phone awaiting an answer in my favor, I pray. When the weather report is ominous, I pray. When a child calls and says they have bad news, I pray. I lift every issue, every concern, every decision up to God. I have learned I cannot and need not carry all these burdens on my shoulders. God's shoulders are much more capable. We were made to depend on God.

Praying is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of Faith and Faith is pleasing to God. This is what Thomas a Kempis and Brother Lawrence refer to as "practicing the presence of God". It means maintaining an ongoing connection with God throughout the day and keeps us focused, centered, and at peace.

When we have problems without solutions - pray.

When we are afraid, worried, or discouraged - pray.
When the trials of life overwhelm us - pray.
When the joys of today please us - pray.
When we don't know what to do about a situation - pray.

Prayer activates the power of God in your life. Never think that God is too busy to listen to your prayers or that He isn't interested.  He always has time to listen and his line is never busy. You can talk to God anytime, anywhere. Just as a parent loves to hear from her child, God is delighted when we talk to him through prayer.

What is it that you need divine intervention with? A relationship? A health issue? A job concern? God has your back. God is on your side and when we bring our worries to him, he acts in supernatural ways. Try it and see.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, enter your email in the box provided. You'll  receive my bi-weekly posts and a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" to enjoy and pass on to a friend.

So go ahead and give prayer a try.  See what a difference it makes.

Until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz