Stepping Into Your God-Sized D.R.E.A.M.S

“No one can say it like you!”

—Steve Backlund

I was in a meeting with my boss, Steve Backlund, discussing the fears and insecurities I had about stepping out and publishing my first book—there were many, by the way! Steve said to me, “Melinda, no one can say it like you!” Steve is more than my boss; he is an exceptional leader who wants to build big people and see them step into their dreams. Great leaders know they have an assignment, and that assignment isn’t just for them. Great leaders know their assignment is to help others step into their dreams too.

The first step in stepping into your dreams is to realize that absolutely no one can say it like you or do it like you. You have a unique anointing and calling that no one else has. Other people need what only you carry. I had a dream one night where I was running a marathon on Highway 5 in California, holding a baton. Other women were running behind me. They would run past me, and I would pass the batons to them. The women would run ahead and pass the batons to those running beside them. Our dreams are so that we can pass our baton to others, enabling them to step into their dreams too.

The second step to stepping into your dreams is to realize the dreams in our hearts are from God. We need to push past any guilt or feelings of being unworthy, unqualified, or selfish for wanting to step into our dreams. Remember the man who buried his talents in Matthew 25? Jesus was impressed with the servants who stewarded their talents well. This means we must stop feeling guilty for wanting to dream and increase our talents.

For most of my life, I buried my gifts and talents out of fear of messing up, just like the servant who buried his one talent. Jesus did not die so we could be unproductive, unfulfilled, and miserable Christians. Jesus died so we could have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10). The word “abundant” means “excessive and overflowing.” Romans 5:17 says we will “reign in life through Jesus Christ.” People who rule and reign are those living fully alive, having fully stepped into what God has called them to do.

The third step to accessing your dreams is to allow yourself to dream God-Sized Dreams. For the longest time, I was stuck in what I call “survival mode.” I was just trying to survive—forget about dreaming! During this season, my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor and went through multiple surgeries. My husband’s affairs came to light. My dad was diagnosed with cancer and moved in with us—and the long list of trials went on. I truly thought “survival mode” was as good as it gets!

Maybe you feel like you’re in the same place. I never thought I would write a book, but I had a dream in my heart to write. However, for so long, I wouldn’t allow myself to dream about my dreams because, in addition to feeling unworthy, I was afraid of being disappointed. Survival mode keeps us from our dreams because we’re focused on getting through each day.

Dreams Require RISK

Dreams require risk. Risk means we might dream only to be disappointed. Here’s the truth I’ve learned: we will never fully come alive and step into joy until we start dreaming and actively stepping into those dreams. I’ve also learned the risk far outweighs the cost of not dreaming. We actually risk not stepping into what we were created to do if we don’t step out and try. Ephesians 2:10 says we were created in advance for good works, so we might walk in them. Walking into our dreams is part of our inheritance in Jesus. God created us in advance to bring heaven to earth through our lives. Our dreams are not selfish—they are part of our inheritance.

The final step in accessing your dreams is to stay away from “dream pessimists.” Not everyone will understand you or what you’re called to do. I like to say, “Stay away from the dream thieves.” These are people who don’t see you for your prophetic potential. The goal of the prophetic is to see people according to their future, not their past or present. One key is to surround yourself with people who speak life and encouragement into your destiny, not “destiny pessimists” who give you reasons why you shouldn’t dream. Often, “destiny pessimists” list reasons you shouldn’t pursue your dreams because they need to validate why they stopped short of stepping into their own.

My husband, Pieter, met with a physician who was a believer. The doctor told him his idea to launch a medical device company based on an invention would never work and would likely fail. We can love others and be kind to them but also realize the enemy may use certain people to discourage us and get us to quit. Stay away from these people and avoid letting them speak into your life. My husband was also turned down by multiple investors who said his idea would never work. Today, our company is successful, thriving, and growing each day.

The same week we launched our ministry, someone emailed us, saying it wasn’t biblical to offer inner healing and deliverance to the church. I wanted to write back and defend what we were called to do, but the Holy Spirit said to me, “Melinda, forgive the person, bless them, and move on.” The Lord reminded me that our battle is not with flesh and blood. The person who wrote to us was not the enemy. I could have let him stop us from starting our ministry, or I could forgive, bless, and move on. Not everyone will be excited about what you’re doing, and that’s okay.

Throughout this book, I will share several practical steps to help you start dreaming again and take action toward living in your dreams. Each step is something I’ve personally taken and walked out in my life, and I believe they will help you step into your God-Sized Dreams. I love acronyms, so I created one from the word D.R.E.A.M.S.

D.R.E.A.M.S. represents five powerful steps to launch you into your dreams:

D - Driven by Destiny

We can be driven by fear, intimidation, and unworthiness, or by purpose, vision, and destiny.

R - Reimagine Your Story

We can live according to the past, or we can reimagine the past, present, and future and write a new story with new conclusions.

E - Encouraging Self-Talk

We can talk ourselves out of our dreams or into our dreams.

A - Asking Ourselves

We can step into our dreams by asking ourselves the right questions: What do we want our future to look like?

M - Movement

We can sit and wait, or take intentional action steps forward.

S - Speak Out

We can stay silent, or believe, speak, and declare our dreams out loud.

D - Driven by Destiny

We can be driven by fear, past experiences, and rejection, or by purpose and destiny. For most of my life, I was driven by the lie that “survival mode” was as good as it gets. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people perish.” We need a clear vision of our dreams, future, and goals to keep going. Without a clear vision, we lose momentum and forget why we’re doing what we’re doing.

For example, when I set out to write my first book, I had no clear vision of why the book was being written or who it would impact. Then, as I was writing, I heard a motivational speaker say you need a vision for your dream. Having a vision is biblical. Jesus made a declaration about His dreams when He declared Isaiah 61 over Himself, before He had performed any miracles. He had a clear vision of where He was going, what He would be doing, and why He would be doing it.

The same is true for us. Without a clear vision, we can get distracted and unmotivated. Motivation happens when we keep a clear vision in front of us. For example, when I started my second book—the one you’re reading now—I sat down and asked God for a vision for the book. I wanted to see why God needed me to write it. The Holy Spirit showed me many women stepping into their dreams as a result of my book. He showed me mindsets from the past being ripped out of people and a picture of people being delivered from self-limiting mindsets. He told me dreams would be discovered and fulfilled as a result of my book.

Our dreams are not just for us; they are so other people’s lives will be impacted. Having a vision of who we will help keeps us motivated. Maybe you want to write a book, start a business, or launch a ministry. I will share several practical steps throughout this book to keep a clear vision of who your dreams will impact. Prophetic vision gives us clarity and motivation to keep going. Galatians 6:9 says we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I want to reap a harvest of helping others transform their lives, and I know you will too.

R - Reimagine Your Past, Present, and Future

My childhood was filled with wonderful moments, but also with pain, frustration, and disappointment. I was exhausted when I gave my life back to the Lord as a thirty-something year-old woman. God began to speak to me while I was in ministry school about my future. He said staying in “survival mode” was a mindset, and I could choose what to believe about my past, present, and future. God was not holding me back, but my perspective and beliefs were limiting Him. I was avoiding taking action steps forward because of the lies I believed and the conclusions I had made.

We tell ourselves stories all the time through our imaginations, and sometimes those stories lead to excuses for why we can’t do what we’re called to do. For example, I told myself that because of my history of failed public speaking, I wasn’t meant to speak. My conclusions created excuses that made me feel safe. I mentioned earlier that risk involves the possibility of disappointment, so our brains create reasons why we can’t do what we’re called to do.

For me, public speaking was painful with a capital P. The problem was my imagination was creating conclusions based on my past, which limited my destiny. The main point of reimagining is to learn how to rewrite our story—past, present, and future—so we can make new conclusions and step into our dreams. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” If a person’s thoughts shape their destiny, we must be intentional about what we think and the conclusions we make about our past, present, and future.

We can reimagine a new past, present, and future and tell our brains a new story to shape our destiny. The enemy targets our thoughts and imaginations because he knows if he can limit our thinking or get us to believe lies based on conclusions, he can significantly limit our power, effectiveness, and destiny. For a long time, I was limited in what I could do because of what I believed. The conclusions I made, or the stories I told myself, kept me bound to the narratives I created. But my biggest transformation came when I decided to reimagine what my life could look like.

For example, I used to imagine myself failing every time I spoke in front of a group. And wouldn’t you know, that’s exactly what happened when I got up to speak—it was painful! The difficulty came because I imagined failing instead of succeeding. I was allowing the narrative of my past to determine my future. It wasn’t until I started telling myself a new story and imagining myself successfully speaking that things changed.

Practically, this looked like spending time with God and meditating on the truth. I reimagined the event and created a new narrative in my mind. You know what? It worked! I shifted what I was imagining to the point that I began to enjoy public speaking, which I previously thought was impossible. I went from dreading speaking to wanting to teach.

E - Encouraging Self-Talk

“95% of our emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself.”

—Brian Tracy

I avoided public speaking my entire life because I told myself I wasn’t meant to speak. God wasn’t limiting my destiny; my self-talk was. I was terrified of speaking in public, even though deep down, I knew I was called to speak. I had a terrible experience in high school where I gave a speech. I awkwardly fumbled my words, finished a 10-minute speech in two minutes (all while sweating profusely), and sat back down. I was completely embarrassed. I remember that moment like it was yesterday, filled with shame, fear, and embarrassment. After that speech, I said to myself, “I will never speak in public again.”

I will discuss in this book how I overcame some of my biggest fears, failures, and insecurities. I now know our biggest failures in life can become our greatest breakthroughs. I speak and teach regularly now, and I actually enjoy it! In fact, I have a YouTube Live in about two hours as I write this section. But what transformed my life was realizing I was limiting what God could do through me because of how I talked to myself. I had to intentionally challenge every thought that wasn’t in line with what God was saying about me.

A - Ask Ourselves the Right Questions

I’ve studied the lives of successful leaders worldwide, and most have one thing in common: a clear vision for their future. Asking myself, “What do I want my future to look like? What do I want my life to look like?” has helped me see my dreams clearly.

A good place to start is a dream journal or vision board where you can clearly see your dreams and goals. I got this idea from Terri Savelle Foy, “The Dream Cheerleader.” I started writing down my prophetic words and the dreams God put in my heart. I added photos and things I printed from the internet. I read my dreams every day and declare them out loud. Here’s the crazy part: I’ve already seen things in my journal come to pass.

Before I knew about the concept of a “dream journal,” I would write down my daughter Kaitlyn’s salvation and thank God for it. I was using the concept without realizing it, and guess what? She just graduated from her third and final year of ministry school! Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets.” A dream journal or vision board keeps the vision you’re working toward clearly in front of you. How many times have you written something down and forgotten it days later? Maybe a New Year’s resolution? I’ve done this many times. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you what I wrote last year because I didn’t keep the vision in front of me. Keeping a dream journal has kept my “why” in front of me. God also says we have not because we ask not (Matthew 7:7). We need to ask God and be clear about what we’re asking for. What specifically are you asking God for?

M - Movement

One thing I’ve learned is we’ll never fully feel alive until we start moving forward in what we’re called to do. I sat down to write my first book—feeling completely unqualified—and the enemy whispered, “You’re not an author. This book will never sell. You should just quit.” The enemy is a liar, but the way to fight back is to move forward.

For example, when I started writing my book and felt the enemy’s lies, I would stop writing and declare, “I am an author, and my books sell thousands of copies.” It was a battle, but I’ve realized we don’t get unstuck by sitting still. We have to move to see transformation. I like to say about stepping into our dreams: “No one grows successful sitting still; we grow as we go.”

Of course, the enemy will try to lie and tell you that you have nothing significant to say or offer. He’s just worried you’ll figure out how powerful you are. I had prophetic words that I would write books, preach, and teach. I made it onto Steve Backlund’s team during my third year of ministry school. I literally said to myself, “I’ll just be the one who doesn’t speak. I’ll sit on the sidelines.” But Steve and his wife, Wendy, incredible empowering leaders, said, “Melinda, we see destiny in you! You are meant to speak.”

Steve and Wendy put their belief in me into practice by giving me opportunities to speak. I encountered many lies during this season, but God was calling me to believe in myself and my dreams. Transformation didn’t happen right away, but as I intentionally stepped out and tried, I started believing I had something significant to offer. The same is true for you. You are anointed, and the enemy knows it. What you have to offer the world is unique and powerful.

The enemy will try to lie to us, but we can use the battle strategy Nehemiah used when taunted by his enemies for following his dreams. I mentioned this in the last chapter, but it’s worth repeating. Nehemiah’s response to the enemy is inspirational: “So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?’” (Nehemiah 6:3). Despite the enormous task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah understood his role for God was so significant that he couldn’t stop to consider what the enemy was saying. He knew he needed to move forward in what God had called him to do.

Just like Nehemiah, the enemy will always be ready to taunt us when we’re doing a great work for the Lord. He’ll use people to discourage us, distract us, and get our eyes off God’s promises and the dreams He’s put in our hearts. He’ll especially get us to focus on what’s not happening. But I’ve discovered his lies are an illusion based on perceived conclusions. We grow as we go and take action steps forward.

Think of how many things are not built in the Kingdom of God because people stop taking action when faced with opposition from the enemy:

“I was going to write that book, but the enemy told me it wouldn’t be good…”

“I was going to run that marathon, but I faced opposition…”

“I was going to start that business, but I was rejected by investors…”

“I was going to … but…”

Giving God our “yes” means taking action steps forward. Momentum is created through movement, not by sitting still.

S - Say and Give Thanks

Terri Savelle Foy says, “There is a miracle in your mouth.” And I like to say, “Nothing happens until someone says something.” We have the power to declare the Word of God and see things manifest in our lives (Romans 4:17, Job 22:28). The enemy wants us to focus on what’s not happening, but as we keep our eyes on what God has said, doubt will dissipate.

When my husband’s affairs came to light and Pieter gave his life to Jesus, I had to battle doubts and lies from the enemy about our marriage’s restoration. God gave me a key: It’s not enough to say “no” to the enemy’s lies; we must replace them with the truth and speak it out. One day, while driving, I had a thought: “Did God really say He was going to restore my marriage?” As soon as it came, the Lord said, “Melinda, replace the lie with the truth!”

God was training me to think and be aware that not all thoughts were mine. I now know any thought leading to hopelessness is from the enemy. I had to choose what to believe. I laughed out loud and declared, “My marriage is restored in Jesus’ name! We have an amazing marriage!” Then I turned up worship music and started praising as I drove.

Romans 4:17 says, “As it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations,’ in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” God calls things that do not exist as though they do. What an empowering scripture for us. We can call things into existence, but nothing happens until someone says something.

Romans 4:18–22 says about Abraham, “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”

Abraham believed God and strengthened himself in faith, giving glory to God. We can strengthen ourselves in faith by declaring the Word of God over our lives. Abraham and Sarah were old, yet they had a word from the Lord that Sarah would birth a son. What we speak out, we give birth to. Abraham believed God and birthed the promise—a son.

We have the power to step into our dreams through our agreement. Nothing can stop what God has said He will do in our lives, except us. We have the power to partner with the truth and take action steps forward into our big, God-Sized Dreams. Throughout this book, we will discuss how to step into your dreams. If I can do it, you can too! I believe in you!

Prophetic Word

You have a unique inheritance—a destiny, calling, and anointing. You were created for significance. God said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). I believe as you start to dream again and step into your dreams, you’ll realize nothing is impossible for you!