Part 6 - Creating Space for God’s Dreams
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.'" - Jeremiah 29:11-12
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." - Proverbs 16:9
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." - Psalm 37:7
Insight
The year ahead stretches before you like an unwritten book, full of blank pages waiting to be filled. But before you grab your pen and start frantically planning every chapter, there's something beautiful about pausing in preparation—creating space for God's dreams to take root in your heart before your own plans crowd them out.
Preparation for the future isn't about having everything figured out. It's about positioning your heart to be open to what God might want to write in the year ahead. It's about clearing away the noise, the pressure, and the need to have it all mapped out so you can listen for His gentle whispers about the direction He's leading you.
Once again, think of preparation like tending a garden, but this time in early spring. You're not forcing anything to grow—you're simply creating the right conditions. You're pulling weeds of anxiety about the unknown, removing rocks of past disappointments that might hinder new growth, and turning over the soil of your heart to make it receptive to whatever seeds God wants to plant.
This past year has taught you things about yourself, about God, and about life that you didn't know twelve months ago. Those lessons weren't random—they were preparation. The character developed through challenges, the faith strengthened through uncertainty, the compassion deepened through your own need for grace—all of it has been getting you ready for whatever God has planned next.
But here's the thing about divine preparation: it rarely looks like we expect. God's way of preparing us often involves stripping away our backup plans, humbling our self-reliance, and teaching us to trust His timing even when it doesn't match our preferred schedule. The year ahead might require a kind of faith you haven't needed before, or call forth strengths you didn't know you had.
As you prepare your heart for the year ahead, resist the temptation to immediately fill every moment with goals, resolutions, and detailed plans. Instead, create margins for mystery. Leave space for God to surprise you. Hold your dreams lightly enough that if He has something better in mind, you won't miss it because you were too busy pursuing your own agenda.
The God who knows the plans He has for you isn't waiting for you to figure them all out first. He's inviting you to take the next step in faith, trusting that He'll provide the light you need for the path as you walk it. Your preparation isn't about having all the answers—it's about cultivating a heart that's ready to say yes to whatever He reveals next.
Journaling Questions
What anxieties or pressures about the year ahead do you need to release in order to create space for God's direction and timing?
How might the challenges and growth from this past year have been preparing you for something specific God has in store?
What would it look like to approach the new year with expectant preparation rather than controlling planning?
Where do you sense God inviting you to trust His timing even when it doesn't align with your preferred timeline?
How can you create practical margins in your life and schedule to remain open to unexpected opportunities or divine redirections?