VISION

19 "THEREFORE . . . I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT TO THE HEAVENLY VISION,
20 "BUT DECLARED FIRST TO THOSE IN DAMASCUS AND IN JERUSALEM, and throughout all the region of Judea, AND THEN TO THE GENTILES, THAT THEY SHOULD REPENT, TURN TO GOD, AND DO WORKS BEFITTING REPENTANCE.”
Acts 26:19,20 (NKJV)

Vision is the set plan of God for an individual.
You must strive, endeavour, to know God’s plan for your life (Habakkuk 2:1).
The plan God has for you may be to pioneer a new work or to work under a corporate vision (Romans 15:20-22).
Apostle Paul believed in his heart that God wanted him to preach the gospel where Christ had not been mentioned before. In other words, he believed God wanted him to start new works, plant new churches in different places:
20 “ACCORDINGLY I SET A GOAL TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, NOT WHERE CHRIST'S NAME WAS ALREADY KNOWN, SO THAT I WOULD NOT BUILD ON ANOTHER MAN'S FOUNDATION; 21. BUT [instead I would act on this goal] AS IT IS WRITTEN [in Scripture], “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD [of Him] SHALL UNDERSTAND." [Isaiah 52:15] 22 THIS [goal—my commitment to this principle] IS THE REASON WHY I HAVE OFTEN BEEN PREVENTED FROM COMING TO YOU [in Rome]" (Romans 15:20-22 (Amp).

Corporate Vision
If you are not assigned to pioneer a new work in ministry, then you must know the corporate vision under which you will fulfil your assignment.
If you are not called by God to start a new work; then you need to wait on Him, seek His face in prayer, to know where He wants you to work, and how to fulfil your assignment.

Importance of Knowing God’s Plan—Vision
I. A God-given vision or plan gives a clear direction.
• One of the major reasons for knowing your God-given vision or plan for your life is, it would prevent you from dissipating your energy.
• It would serve as a compass on the ocean of life.
• You would be able to remain focused and concentrated, doing the right thing which you do believe you are assigned to do. And It is the concentration that produces consecration.
In other words, when you stay long enough in doing the particular assignment you are called or assigned to do, you become anointed and empowered in doing it. You become an authority in the particular field!

II. Vision is a defence.
• God will defend you, protect you, if you are on a mission sent by Him (Jeremiah 1:17-19).
• If what you are doing is a vision given by God, that is, God’s plan for your life; He will definitely back you up, use everything at His disposal to defend you and protect you.
• However, if you rebel against your God-given vision, He may permit unforgettable experiences (Jonah 1:1-4,10-15).

Knowing God’s Plan
Endeavour to locate your God-given vision because in it you will find fulfilment.
• You locate a vision by embarking on discovery, through prayer, feeding and practicing and pondering on the Word of God:
“THIS BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH, BUT YOU SHALL MEDITATE IN IT DAY AND NIGHT, THAT YOU MAY OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT. FOR THEN YOU WILL MAKE YOUR WAY PROSPEROUS, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE GOOD SUCCESS” (Joshua 1:8 NKJV).
• Fasting could also be added to your prayers for strong perceptiveness whilst seeking to know God's plan for your life.

Some characteristics of a God-given vision are:
• God-given visions are revelatory in nature and they have compulsive motivation:
9 THAT IS WHAT THE SCRIPTURES MEAN WHEN THEY SAY, "NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, AND NO MIND HAS IMAGINED WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 10 BUT IT WAS TO US THAT GOD REVEALED THESE THINGS BY HIS SPIRIT. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, AND NO ONE CAN KNOW GOD'S THOUGHTS EXCEPT GOD'S OWN SPIRIT. 12 AND WE HAVE RECEIVED GOD'S SPIRIT [not the world’s spirit], SO WE CAN KNOW THE WONDERFUL THINGS GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN US" (1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT).
• For the reason that visions have compulsive motivation, if you try to discard them, they would always come back.
• A vision comes as an inspired insight, an idea. In other words, it comes as a picture painted in your heart.
• It becomes clearer as you study God’s Word, meditate in it, and pray more in the language of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:2; Jude 20).

Take note:
If this Pauline prayer in the Book of Colossians is constantly and regularly prayed, which talks about being filled with the knowledge of God's Will; you cannot but know what the Will of God which is His plan or vision is:
9 FOR THIS REASON WE ALSO, SINCE THE DAY WE HEARD IT, DO NOT CEASE TO PRAY FOR YOU, AND TO ASK THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL IN ALL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Colossians 1:9,10 (NKJV)

Note:
• Your future is in your vision, which is the plan of God for your life; therefore endeavour to discover it, and pursue it.
• In it you have peace, joy and fulfillment!

You will not fail in Jesus’ name. Peace!