9 Steps To Reach Your Goal

9 STEPS TO REACH YOUR GOAL

(I was blessed and inspired as I read the daily devotional from Rick Warren that’s why I uploaded it here after little editing. I’m sure that you will be blessed and inspired also as you read the wisdom from God given to Rick. All credit to the original writer and the glory always belong to God. Enjoy Reading!)

To get where you believe God wants you to go and be what you know God wants you to be, there are several steps you need to take that will get you focused --

Step #1 - Determine your present position

"Abraham was now old and well advance in years, and the Lord had blessed him in every way." Genesis 24:1 (NIV)

You’ve got to know where you are before you can know where you are going. To do that, ask yourself two questions:

1. Where am I now? Where are you spiritually, financially, emotionally, relationally, physically, and occupationally?

2. What would I like to change? In all of those areas you identified, what would you like to be different?

Step #2 - Be specific about what you want

In order to get to where you want to be, you need to describe exactly what you want.

For instance, Abraham told Eliezer exactly what kind of wife he wanted for Isaac. He said, "Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls. Instead, go back ... to the land of my relatives and get a wife for my son" (Genesis 24:3-4 NIV).

You will never reach a vague goal. The more general it is, the less power it has. But the more specific it is, the more power it has in your life.

Ask yourself these four questions:

1. What do I want to be?

2. What do I want to do?

3. What do I want to have?

4. Why do I want it?

You can’t just know the what, you need to know the why - that’s your motivation. If you don’t know why, you will give up when it gets tough.

When Eliezer heard Abraham’s goal, he started asking "What if...?" If you listen to the what-ifs of your goal, you will fail because of worry and fear.

You don’t need to focus on the how for now because, once you figure out the why, God will show you how. He will help you solve the problems that stand in the way of your goal.

Step #3 - Look for God’s promise

Abraham said, "The Lord brought me from the land of my relatives to this land and he has solemnly promised me that would give this land to my descendants." Genesis 24:7 (NCV)

When you set a goal, don’t focus on the problems, focus on the promises. Find a promise in God’s Word that will take you to your goal.

This is what Abraham does when Eliezer, his servant, starts to worry about accomplishing the goal he is given. In today’s verse, Abraham tells Eliezer about the promise he received from God: "He’ll [God] send an angel before you so that you can find a wife there for my son" (Genesis 24:7 NCV).

You don’t need an angel because dozens of time in Scripture God has said, "I’ll be with you no matter where you go." God is always with you whether you feel it or not. You just need to plug into the power.

The size of your God determines the size of your goal. And godly goal-setting always starts with a promise of God. Don’t look at your limitations; look at the promises of God.

Ask yourself, "What promise can I claim?" With 7,000 promises in the Bible, you might not know where to turn. To help prepare you for your decade of destiny, we’re going to cover a promise a day in our DriveTime Devotions.

Step #4 -- Ask God to help you

"O Lord, God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham." Genesis 24:12 (NLT)

Once you have found your promise in God’s Word, pray and ask God for success, just as Eliezer did in today’s verse.

Is it really okay to pray for success? Yes! If you aren’t praying for success, what’s the alternative? Are you going to pray for God to make you a failure? Eliezer clearly shows us that it is okay to ask God for success in accomplishing a goal as long as the motive is right.

When your success helps people and honors God, praying for success does not become a selfish act. It is the means to good testimony. In fact, here is what the Bible says, "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God and there we will receive mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it" (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).