I’m asking you to dream big, walk on water, and step out by faith. That’s what Peter did when he was in the Galilee on the boat, and Jesus invited him onto the unknown. He stepped out by faith. Let’s read the story, and as you do, think about your dreams and what God is calling you to do. 
 
“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ “‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ 
“‘Come,’ He said. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” “Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’
“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
—Matthew 14:27-33
 
Peter did the impossible, even if only for a few steps. And notice, when the scene was over, and everyone was in the boat together, all the glory and awe were directed to God. Dreaming big and stepping out is not about you and me; it’s about bringing praise to God. When you have a dream from God, you have to step out by faith. The dream God gave me at age eleven didn’t come to pass when I was 12 or even 21. I didn’t see the real significance of that dream until over 20 years later.
 
God-inspired dreams make room for the impossible because God is the architect and the One Who fulfils the dream. Our role is to obey what He tells us to do. And you can have the assurance that God gave you that word. One word from God can change your life forever. Faith moves the hand of God and turns the head of God.
 
Obedience and faith in God’s dreams unlock His favor in your life and in the lives of those around you. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines favor as “regard shown toward another, especially by gracious kindness; a special privilege or right granted.” As children of God, we receive forgiveness and favor—His gracious kindness. Jesus humbled Himself in obedience to the Father. He gave His life so that you and I could experience forgiveness for sin. God’s favor rests upon Him and is released abundantly in our lives when we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. One important lesson to be learned: God bestows His favor so that you may live in the fruits of His blessing. When that happens, God is glorified and you are blessed beyond measure. 
 
Sometimes the biggest dreams move God to show up in the biggest ways. And, despite our mistakes and wrong turns, God’s dreams can come to pass. 

I wasn’t fully aware of how I operated in the area of dreams until I had lunch one day with an evangelist friend. “I’ve been watching you for several years,” he said. “You say you’re going to go to New York City and meet with the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and it actually comes to pass. You say that you’re going to go to India and preach to a million people, and it actually comes to pass. You say you’re going to go preach to the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, and it comes to pass. You say you’re going to speak at the 43rd General Assembly of the United Nations at the peace conference, and it comes to pass.”

He paused, looked me in the eye, and asked, “Do you know how you do what you do?” “No, I don’t,” I replied. “It’s found in 1 Corinthians 12. It’s the gift of faith, verse nine. All believers have been given saving faith by God as the means of salvation. That’s found in Ephesians 2:8-9. But few believers operate in the gift of faith. I don’t. The Bible says to earnestly desire the best gifts. You have obviously desired this gift, and God has given it to you.”

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:12-14, NIV). In Mark 11:23, Jesus also taught, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” 

In my view, the greatest gift Jesus operated in was a gift of faith. One of the things I realized about the gift of faith is that you don’t just receive it and it stays with you. The gift of faith can come on you in an astonishing way, and when it comes, you can know in your mind what you’re believing for has already happened. You can’t differentiate the future promise from present reality. That’s why your faith is so important when it comes to your dreams. You must believe in this vivid way—and God will help you.

I have probably experienced the power of the gift of faith 30 or 40 times in my life. I don’t believe for a second that God chose to give me the gift of faith simply because I was special. I believe that those gifts are available for all believers, but you don’t hear much teaching about the gift of faith. You also don’t see many people hungering and thirsting and earnestly desiring the gift of faith. You do see people earnestly hungering and desiring other gifts of the Holy Spirit, but for some reason, the revelation of the gift of faith has been ignored by most believers.

I pray that God will open your eyes to it and that you will be able to truly have a purpose and favor and receive this glorious gift. The gift of faith is not normal faith. It’s a supernatural faith that God gives you for a special need or opportunity. It’s extraordinary, mountain-moving faith for supernatural results and in specific situations.

If we met for coffee to talk about your dreams and hopes, I’m sure you could tell me about them, but could you show them to me? Do you have them written down right now? It’s not too late to begin writing. There’s a powerful difference between thinking about your dreams and writing them down. Yes, thinking about and meditating on them is important, but if you don’t write them down, these God-given dreams can become less real, and they can fade. That’s why God instructed the prophet Habakkuk to write down the vision.

“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.’”
—Habakkuk 2:1-3

Writing your dreams is part of stewarding your dreams. Let’s look at these verses again and make them personal to our journey. Notice the process:

Wait on God. This requires an investment of time, focus, and humility.
Listen for what He says and the visions He impresses on you.
When it is clear, write it down. Make it simple and bold. If the vision seems too big to come to pass, that’s great! We want dreams that are too big for us—nothing is too big for God.
Tell your dream to those close to you. Post it in your home.
Believe. No matter the circumstances, hold on to the vision. That’s another important reason to have it written and visible.
Take steps to walk out your dream.

If you begin this practice, you will be amazed at how God works to bring those dreams to life. My dream journal is one of the most important tools of my life, and I know it will be for you as well.