She Is Strong and Courageous 30-Day DevotionalSample

Dare to Dream – Clara Barton

When was the last time you dreamed? Grab hold of the courage to dream and to take practical steps today to walk towards your God-given future.

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11).

Pray: Lord, teach me from your Word and help me walk in your ways. 

Observe: When was the last time you dreamed?

Dreaming focuses on the future, it sees beyond our current circumstances into the possibilities of what could be. We develop various dreams and ambitions throughout our lives; some are godly, while others are more worldly and self-focused. Dreams are an integral part of the direction our lives take. Therefore we must evaluate them carefully, and then pursue honorable ones passionately.

God has God-sized dreams for us if we are willing to move beyond where we are. If we set aside time with the Lord, he will reveal the direction he wants to take us. God’s dreams are far beyond what we can think or imagine, and he will open the doors to our dreams if we will submit to his plans and allow him to lead.

At a young age, Clara Barton dreamed of caring for the needy. Through a passionate desire to nurse wounded animals and injured pets, she prepared for a life that would be dedicated to serving men, women, and families who were in desperate need. 

During the Civil War, Clara risked her life to bring needed supplies to soldiers who were out in the field. She was intelligent, strong-willed, and determined. At sixty years of age, she founded the American Red Cross and led it for the next twenty-three years. Today, Clara Barton is one of the most honored women in American history.

Courageously dare to dream by exercising these following steps: 

1. Write your dreams down on a piece of paper and pray over them. 

2. Ask yourself: Do I believe these dreams are ones that God desires for me? 

3. Ask God for wisdom, discernment, and to reveal his dreams for your future. 

4. Seek wise counsel, set measurable goals, and begin following your dreams! 

Interpret: God will give us the power to accomplish the things our faith prompts us to do so that we might live a life worthy of his calling. 

Apply: What dream has God placed on your heart? Take the first step today toward realizing your dream by sharing it with a godly friend and ask him or her to pray for you. 

Pray: Father, thank you for giving me dreams and for promising to be with me as I strive to achieve those dreams. Please help me discern your will and give me the courage to choose rightly as I consider my choices.