The Bible tells us about a seventeen-year-old dreamer who dreamed an outrageous dream. And for him, that dream was only the beginning.

I had big dreams when I was seventeen years old. I bet you did too. But more importantly, what are your dreams now?

I believe that the ability to dream is one of God’s greatest gifts. So let me ask you again: What do you dream about? Do you dream of things far bigger than you are?

Have you ever heard the saying “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”? Well, in the same way, if you aim at a target, you may not hit the bull’s-eye, but at least you’ll get as close as you can. Even if your dreams only become 80 percent real, it’s still better than nothing at all!

The truth is, we should shoot for the moon. God gave you the ability to dream, to create, and to imagine endless possibilities. In many ways, dreaming is just like faith, and the size of your dream can be in direct correlation to your belief in what God can achieve. In my opinion, if you’re dreaming about something you can do on your own, you’re dreaming too small! God-sized dreams are dreams that can only be done when we put our faith in the Creator, the one who knows the beginning from the end and who desires our future to be one filled with hope and abundance. So much potential perishes because of the lack of an audacious dream.

Dreams come in varied forms. You can consciously dream, by having aspirations for your future; and you can physically dream through visions in your sleep. I believe that God can work through and speak to us in both. Dreaming is important—your dreams can become your destiny. So if you don’t have a dream, you are limiting your destiny.

I dare you to dream big, scary, and outrageous dreams. The kind that would make other people laugh if only they knew. And for you, like for Joseph, the dream will be only the beginning.

Use a journal in your prayer time today, and sketch, diagram, or write about the dreams you feel God might be giving you.

Genesis 37:1-11

1 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time,the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.