Get Your Vision In November!

Friend, are you hungry to move forward with major progress for your life? If so, we are entering a kairos season of vision-casting, dreaming, and making Holy Spirit-sanctified and ordained plans and strategies. I want to talk to you about that today to help you not miss out on what God has for your life!

Although it’s true that the new Hebraic year is a big deal, the new year on the Gregorian (regular) calendar is a big deal too. God makes all things new every day, and He LOVES new beginnings. And both new years matter: the Hebraic and the Gregorian.

But here’s the thing:

The time to take a vision retreat, dream with God, and write down what God is speaking to you for the new year is NOW.

Yes, I’m writing this at the end of October. And yes, I’m talking about the new year on the Gregorian calendar. But I’m talking about this now because you want to be in lock-step with God for your new year before that new year ever arrives.

Why? Because, by the time January 1 arrives, if you’re not already on board with what God is doing in your life–which means if you don’t already have some idea of what He is doing in your life–you waste precious time getting into alignment with His plans.

The month of December is usually too busy. In December, people are tied up with family activities, school activities, shopping, cooking, gift-giving, gift-wrapping, year-end business activities, fourth quarter pressure at your job, and so on. For a lot of people, there is no such thing as free, available time in December.

That leaves November. And a lot of people might not be in “New Year’s mode” yet in November, but I truly believe November is THE most fruitful time to get in “New Year’s mode.” 🙂

Historically, I have found that God opens up the floodgates of Heaven and starts talking to me BIG-TIME in November.

He always picks the month of November to start telling me about His vision for the following new calendar (Gregorian) year. November is the ideal time to take a vision retreat (either at home or getting away somewhere for even a day; travel is usually cheap in November). It’s a time when my family and child are not too busy with holiday activities, and so it’s really the only reasonable time to expect to take a few slow days, even one day, to spend with the Lord and retreat.

I believe He will do the same thing for you.

I believe He’ll start talking to you now about this if you’re ready to listen. His Word promises us so explicitly:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you” (Psalm 32:8-9 NKJV).

And, I have seen time and time again that taking some time for a vision retreat (even in your bedroom at home), some extra prayer time, discussing potential goals and dreams with the Lord, and even writing down a few ideas can be absolutely life-changing for people who do it.

(I made a printable PDF vision retreat workbook just for my personal mentees that you can download instantly from our shop; see above. And my book/ebook entitled All Things New talks about exactly how to take a vision retreat and hear a new vision for your new season from the Lord. See above for that too.) 🙂

My personal testimony is that this ministry was birthed at a one-night vision retreat.

My husband and I didn’t have much money, so we couldn’t do anything fancy, but we went camping in a tent for one night at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains around this time of year in 2012.

We got there late and had to set up our tent, so I didn’t have any quiet time in the evening. However, the following morning, while my husband drove around Cades Cove looking at pretty autumn leaves, I laid on the floor of the tent, facedown before God, and asked Him what He wanted me to do.

I had a yellow legal pad with me, and He started just dumping ideas on me for what this ministry could look like. I wrote down everything I heard, even though I didn’t have a ministry or anything at the time. I just laid before the Lord on my face and surrendered. And, years later, He has blessed us (with your teamwork and participation) to be reaching people around the entire world for Jesus Christ.

I think we would all be a lot more effective if we simply took the time to ask the Father what HE wants, and followed His vision.

Jesus’ name is The Word; He always is willing to talk to you and give you His Word about whatever you’re going through. And when it comes to His vision for your life, He will give you the plans of the Spirit and show you what to do, where to go, and how to get there.

It all starts with taking the time to be still and know:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV).

And as you take the time to be still and gaze at His face, He will give you the vision and you can write it down:

“Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:2-4 NKJV).

Beloved, now is the time. Don’t let the new year sneak up on you.

I highly encourage you to let the Lord whisper (or shout!) His vision into your heart right now. Make plans now and take the time between now and the middle of November–before the holidays sneak up on you–and get alone with the Lord. Let Him download His vision to you, showing you the way you should take.

Doing this will make all the difference in the world for your new year, and it could even change your life, as it did mine!

What can you do to take a vision retreat alone with the Lord in the next few weeks? Leave a comment below!