Most people are born with the ability to see, but not all possess vision. One of my many fears as a child was one day I would not be able to see. As a person who has spent the majority of my life with corrective lenses (glasses), I was happy when I could see unaided after surgery. Yet the ability to see did not provide me with vision. Having sight does not guarantee vision, and having vision was never dependent on sight.
Daniel receives the answer to his prayers in the form of a celestial being, again. We are given a very detailed description of this heavenly aid. The description of this angel is magnificent, yet Daniel is the only one who is able to see him. Those who were with him could not see the vision. The Bible says they ran off and hid. Those who were with Daniel were aware something was happened, or was happening, and because they did not understand, they were afraid. They could not see what Daniel saw. They were afraid of what they couldn’t see. They never saw the angel. Did they even know there was an angel in their midst? The vision, the angel, the experience was not for them. It was for Daniel.
Too many of us try to share with others what God meant for us. Many of us, scratch that, each of us have a vision that is just for us. I believe there is a singular thing that you are on this earth to accomplish. Some of us with accomplish more, some will accomplish less, but nothing will be accomplished without a vision. Your vision will not be embraced by everyone around you. Your vision might even scare a few people. There will be a few people who won’t understand. They might even choose to question you every step of the way. If that is so, thank God for them. With every question they ask, you are able to fine tune your vision.
Daniel was left alone to contend with this great vision (v.8). Many of us will have to spend time alone working out the vision for our lives. If you have never set a vision, today I want to help you with an assist from www.allprodad.com. To set a vision for your life, it is recommended that you:
- Work to resolve old wounds. Deal with the issues in your life. Whether those issues are you upbringing, your parents, your siblings, or bad decisions. What ever those things are, you should be actively engaging with those things to see them resolved.
- Recognize that its not about you. Your vision is not to make you great, but to activate the greatness in you.
- Explore your passion and talents. We are all made with God-given talents. Daniel was given a gift that we are still learning from today.
- Spend time with people you admire.
- Envision what you want your life to look like. If you think of your life with the end in mind, what does that end look like? This is called visualization.
- Don’t limit yourself.
- Get feedback from trusted sources. Who are the people in your circle who can help you develop?
- Find accountability. Are those people in your circle able to help you be accountable? If not, start looking for people who will.
- Be flexible. Your vision can change incrementally over time.
- Write a mission statement for yourself with action steps. Talk out those steps with those tasked to keep you accountable.
When Daniel was faced with his vision, the angel with the voice of the multitude was there to give him clarity and direction. His attendants were no where to be found. The text goes on to say that even Daniel was afraid and that no strength was left in him. If your vision doesn’t put a healthy fear in you, maybe you should recheck your vision (pun intended). There was more that God wanted to show Daniel and I believe there is more he wants to show you with dangerous vision.
Prayer Activity
- Have you spent any time working on a vision for your life? If you have, share with your family or prayer partner. If no, please revisit the steps for developing your vision.
- The Bible teaches that “without a vision, people perish” (Prov. 29:18) What does that mean to you? Discuss.
- Pray for a God sized vision, and a Spirit led drive to live it out.