Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he

PRAYER

Lord God, open my eyes to see the vision of who you want me to be on the other side of the cravings that confine me. Help me to focus on this vision so I can fight from a posture of victory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Additional Devotions

Last week we talked about the power of a made up mind, and how to remove ourselves quickly from the situation that is tempting us to engage in habits that hinder, anxieties that alienate, or addictions that destroy.

This week, as we continue ON QUEST in finding freedom beyond our cravings, we will unpack our fourth challenge—Visualize Success. 

Commit To Pray

Replace Feelings With Faith

A-ct Fast

V-isualize Success

Engage New Behaviors

This strategy enables us to shift our focus from the past to the present. From defeat to victory. From what is to what could be. And we will do this by activating vision.

Our key verse is simple and direct. It states the importance of vision and how to attain it. Simply put, knowing God intimately will always result in vision—His vision. This is a beautiful byproduct that manifests through a relationship with Him and is the key to our next challenge.

With this in mind, take a minute to seek God’s artistic hand to paint a picture of you without your habit, anxiety, or addiction. Details are important here. What do you act like? Feel like? Look like?

Once you have a clear rendering of what you look like as an overcomer, extract a few keywords that quickly describe what this new image represents. 

Perhaps they might include—health, strength, peace, authenticity, sanity, productivity. Or honesty, openness, stability, capability, balanced.

Regardless of the words you pick to affirm the vision God has given you, they should be relatively easy to remember. Within seconds of making the choice to remove yourself from the temptation or anxiety, focus your mind on these words and let them paint the portrait you are aiming for.

Isaiah 43:19; “See, I’m doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

You see, God is making a way for us but we need to see it, believe it, and embrace it as our own. This is not a New Age practice. Having vision is Biblical. So let’s not get stuck in the words of the world when it comes to visualization and instead trust God’s will and His way.

God calls us to vision. His vision. And His vision will always be rooted in His will. Sure, we benefit from being free from the ties that bind us. But the ultimate goal of our freedom has a greater reach than just our wellness. Our freedom crosses generations and displays God’s power in living color.

Again, this stage calls for an identity shift from victim to victor. You need to see the new you to be the new you.

Over the last three weeks, we’ve done important work setting ourselves up for success by posturing surrender with prayer, activating faith that fights through feelings, and changing the direction of our momentum by pivoting fast in the moment of temptation. 

Now it’s time to redirect our focus. To set a target and aim for it. To starve the flesh and feed the spirit. 

Some of us have lived in defeat for so long our identity is skewed toward the broken image of ourselves. This week is all about repositioning our vision which requires us to assume a posture of victory (Galatians 5:1).

This is necessary because when we break patterns of well-worn behavior it causes a frenzy of uncomfortable feelings. For some, it will be almost unbearable, especially for those that are unaccustomed to this type of soul strain. At this point in the process, expect instinct to demand relief and compel you back to the futile familiar.

But don’t go. Resist by keeping the new you in sight. Let it be a beacon of hope while muscling your way through the emotional onslaught of tension.

Keeping the vision God’s given you at the forefront of your mind during this battle of conflicting emotions will enable you to fight from a place of victory, not defeat.

Although visualizing a successful outcome will not have power on its own, visualization is a tool we can use in our C-R-A-V-E Challenge because it promotes focus, confidence, and invites God’s divine hand into the process of transformation. 

As Winston Churchill wisely stated, “Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Always keep in mind, this process of transformation is not about perfection; it’s about progression. Just keep trying. Each time you make a better choice, it’s a success. String enough successes together, and you will experience what it means to be an overcomer.

And that, dear friend, is what counts.

Reflect and Respond:

This week, try and capture the vision of who God is calling you to be— what you will look like, and what you will feel on the other side of the craving that confines you. Allow Him to paint a beautiful rendition of freedom, health, and balance. Then, with every temptation or anxiety that pulls you back towards the pit, challenge yourself to focus on this vision. Let it inspire a new confidence in who you are becoming.

You gotta see it, to be it!

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and visualize success!