Freedom in Surrender: Live God’s Great Purpose for YouPavyzdys

Ask God to conform your dreams to his.

Consider the specific dream you treasure in your heart. Mrs. Kip dreams in specifics too. For most of her adult life, she prayed for and worked toward her dream of going to Brazil to care for orphans in São Paulo. A noble dream to be sure, and one that is not in itself wrong. But she trusts God with it, regardless of whether he opens the doors or closes them. She shares her heart’s desire with him and asks him to conform it to his desires, his plans, and his dreams.

Her life is not chained to her dreams. Rather, it comprises the faithful pursuit of God’s dreams for her. If he says yes, then all glory is his. And if his answer is no, she trusts that he will help her to understand and he will bear her grief.

For Mrs. Kip, a new dream takes shape by leaving a legacy of faith with young Aidyn, for whom God also clearly has a purpose. She keeps her heart focused.

She felt weaker than she ever had. More ill-equipped than she ever had. But she knew the Lord’s nudging when she felt it. And she knew he had answered her prayer from the courtyard—to give her joy and wisdom if any work remained for her. “Lord, my life is yours. Show me the way.”

Are you able to surrender your specific dream to God? Will you trust him to answer according to his will? Will you trust him to write a better story than you could possibly imagine, even if it looks entirely different from what you would write for yourself?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, your ways are not my ways. Your thoughts are not my thoughts. Your ways and thoughts are so much greater than mine. I tell you the desires of my heart, and I do not withhold them from you. I entrust them to you, and I believe you will answer me according to your good will. If these desires align with your will, please give me patience until you bring them to fruition. If you have a better plan for me, help me to let my desires go. God, my life is yours. Show me the way forward.