The pursuit of one’s goals and aspirations is essential. However, this isn’t always a cakewalk. That feeling when you desperately desire something yet it seems out of reach is one that every human being has experienced. Our collection of Bible passages on following one’s dreams is meant to serve as a reminder that God is with us on this path, and that He will help us accomplish the things we set out to do. A wise recommendation concerning inspiring Bible passages
If you don’t know where your dreams are leading you, you can’t follow them. To keep your faith strong and your confidence up when you feel like giving up, it’s helpful to keep a current collection of Bible verses about pursuing your dreams handy. Study the Bible’s teachings on dreams and nightmares for some sound guidance.
What about a goal? No, not the sort where you plummet to your doom in a gloomy abyss and wake up to the discontented sound of lapping waves. I’m referring to your hopes and dreams for the future. Perhaps it is to experience a different culture while on vacation. Or maybe it’s for a raise or promotion in the office in the new year. In any case, we all have our own individual aspirations, hopes, wishes, and objectives.
Bible Verses About Pursuing Dreams
The Bible is filled with verses about pursuing your dreams. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, you’ll find that God wants us to go after our goals, no matter what they are.
Here are some Bible verses about pursuing your dreams:
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) — For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Psalm 37:4-5 (NIV) — Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.
Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) — Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will succeed.
God wants us to pursue our dreams. He wants us to be all that we can be, and He’s willing to help us get there.
Here are some Bible verses about pursuing dreams:
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
“Don’t be afraid of failure. Don’t be afraid of success, either. Just take a chance on God’s word and follow it through.”
-William Arthur Ward
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
-Romans 12:2
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.”
-Matthew 7:24-25
“If you have a dream, don’t let it sit in your head. Make it happen. Make the dream real.” – Kevin Costner
“Dreams are pictures of what we desire and goals are visions of our accomplishments.” – Brian Tracy
“When you dare to lose, you win.” – Muhammad Ali
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
“Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith.” – Unknown Author
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
“So then, my beloved brothers and sisters, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20
When you’re pursuing your dreams, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to proceed. Where do you start? What is the next step? Is this what God wants for me? The Bible is full of guidance and encouragement for those who are trying to pursue their dreams. If you need some encouragement, here are ten Bible verses designed to help you pursue your dreams.
Genesis 37:5-11
“Joseph’s brothers hated him, but his father kept the matter in mind.”
- Genesis 37:5 King James Version (KJV)
Proverbs 19:21
The Bible tells us that God will give you the desires of your heart. The Hebrew word for “desires” is “to yearn for.” You see, we are made by God with a desire to be like Him and do good things for others; but sometimes our sinful nature gets in the way of these very good things.
But God does not want us to have any regrets or sorrows in life—and when we ask Him, He helps us overcome those sinful tendencies and brings joy into our lives as a result!
If you want something really bad enough and are willing to work hard at it, then you can make your dreams come true through God’s help (see Proverbs 23:7)!
Psalm 78:12
The Bible is full of passages that will encourage your pursuit of dreams. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path, a guide for our way, and more. It can be used as a shield for protection and even as a sword for protection.
The following verse from Psalm 78:12 reads: “You led Your people like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” How does this apply? God led His people through Moses and Aaron because they were His leaders on earth at the time—the ones who had been chosen by Him to lead His people (which was Israel). If you want to succeed at pursuing dreams in life, you need someone else who has succeeded before you so that others may look up to them as examples of success!
Ecclesiastes 9:5
The Bible is full of encouragement if you need to pursue your dreams:
- Ecclesiastes 9:5 says, “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing.”
- Job 14:21 says, “Though evil should befall him (or her) he will never be shaken; for his hope is in God.”
- Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
- God is faithful, so take a deep breath and relax.
- Believe that God won’t let you down.
- You can be confident that God will not abandon you.
- When it feels like no one else has your back or believes in you, remember that God will not forsake or leave you alone; He will never forsake His children and He always keeps His promises to us.
Matthew 7:7-8
Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” This is a verse that I often quote with my students when they are discouraged or at a crossroads in their lives. The most important thing is to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be! Don’t give up on them, even if they seem difficult or foolish. The world needs dreamers more than it needs critics, so keep dreaming big!
Zechariah 1:17
17For I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel, whom I have rescued from exile. Once more they will live in their own land. They won’t be afraid anymore. Other nations will recognize that I am the Lord their God.
Revelation 3:11
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and eat with him, and he with me.”
These words were spoken by Jesus to John in Revelation chapter 3. They are a powerful reminder that God is in pursuit of us. If we let Him into our lives and hearts, He will not only walk alongside us through difficult times but also bring healing to our brokenness.
Isaiah 25:1
Isaiah 25:1 says, “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things.”
This verse reminds us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. He cares about the details of our lives. When we feel discouraged or like giving up on a dream or goal that seems impossible to accomplish, it can be hard to believe that God is working behind the scenes on our behalf. But Isaiah 25:1 reminds us that even when we don’t know what lies ahead—whether something good or bad—God has overcome it all!
Matthew 9:37-38
“And He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ Then he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus answered him, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth up. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect (complete), go and sell your possessions and give [the money] to the poor…and follow Me’” (Matthew 19:16-21).
The Bible is full of encouragement if you need to pursue your dreams.
The Bible is full of encouragement if you need to pursue your dreams.
For example, in Philippians 4:19, Paul writes: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” So if you want or need something, but don’t know how it’s going to happen financially, the Bible says that God will take care of it for you!
In Matthew 6:33-34 (CEV), Jesus says: “But when you pray, go into your room and close the door behind you. Then pray to your Father in Heaven from there… And don’t forget that whatever good things people do for others may be done secretly—but they will be given due reward! And when people do wrong things against others then those acts are often done publicly—but their punishment is always greater than this!” If your dream involves spending money on yourself or someone else then these verses tell us that our rewards might not necessarily come back right away but they will definitely come later on down the road someway somehow somewhere sometime someday someway somehow someway someday someway someway somehow someplace somewhere somewhen sometime sometimes somehow someplace someway somewhen someday sometime eventually maybe soon later first thing tomorrow morning next week Monday after tomorrow Tuesday night tonight Wednesday noon Thursday afternoon Friday night Saturday midnight Sunday
The Bible is full of encouragement if you need to pursue your dreams. All throughout Scripture, God tells us that He wants us to be dreamers and encourages us to pursue our dreams for His glory. So, whether we are pursuing a personal dream or an entrepreneurial dream, we can trust that God will lead us along the way.
Bible Verses About Dreams And Nightmares
The Bible has many verses that deal with dreams and nightmares. In fact, the Bible is full of dreams and visions, both good and bad.
The following passages describe God’s blessings on His people through their dreams:
1 Samuel 3:1-10
“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli was laid down in his place; and the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD. Then Samuel spoke to Eli, saying, ‘Here I am! for you called me.’ But he answered: ‘I did not call; go back, and lie down!’ So he went and lay down. The LORD came and stood there, but said nothing. Therefore Eli perceived that it was the LORD; and he said, ‘Oh! my lord! For this I have been waiting continually. For it is not a common thing that the LORD should come by word to a man.’ But the LORD said to him, ‘What do you mean by all this array?’ So Gideon told him all that had happened
The following are Bible verses about dreams and nightmares.
The verses are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Deuteronomy 23:20: Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
Genesis 6:2: The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 41:17: And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
Genesis 41:1-7: And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed again; and behold a second time, seven ears
The Bible is full of passages about dreams. In fact, the Bible has more than 700 references to dreams, over 30% of which are found in the Old Testament.
The most famous dream story in Scripture is the one that Joseph had while he was a slave in Egypt. He saw eleven stars bow down before him and then he saw them all bow down to him (Genesis 37). This prophecy came true when his brothers came to buy grain during a famine and Joseph recognized them after they had bowed down before him (Genesis 42).
God uses dreams as a way to communicate with us today too! The Bible says in Acts 2:17-18 “In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My bondslaves I will pour out My Spirit in those days . . . ”
Prophecy revealed in a dream is called a “vision” (Numbers 12:6; Daniel 2:19; Revelation 1:1). Dreams are also used by God to reveal information about our future (Daniel 2:27-28) or
The Bible is full of verses related to dreams, and they often provide guidance for how we should approach them.
The first thing to note is that God sometimes speaks through dreams. This is a well-known fact in the Bible, but it’s important to understand how this works. God does not speak to us through dreams every night, but He does speak to us through them at times when it’s necessary.
The second thing to note is that God uses our own minds (conscious and subconscious) as a medium for communicating with us. So when we have a dream, it can be from God or from our own mind; we cannot tell the difference between the two unless God tells us directly (Deuteronomy 13:1-2). In fact, if you remember your dream clearly upon waking up in the morning (and many Christians do), you will know for sure that it was from your own mind because God never gives us false information about Himself or His plans for us!
Thirdly, it is important to realize that dreams are not always literal in nature — they can be symbolic in nature as well. For example, if you dream about eating ice cream and feeling happy afterwards, this may mean something completely different than if you dream about eating dirt and feeling sick
Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Isaiah 29:19
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
Job 4:12
Indeed, a dream comes when there are many cares, and many a tale is told by a sleeper.
Psalm 19:8-10
The commandments of the Lord are right, righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let the
Bible Verses About Dreams And Aspirations
God has given you a vision and a dream. Now you must decide what to do with it.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)
“Therefore, if you want to know what God’s will is for you, ask yourself this question: “Am I willing to live a life that is pleasing to God?” Then ask yourself, “What am I doing about those things that are displeasing to him?”
-God’s Will For Your Life
“A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep.” – Cinderella
- “I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
- “If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
- “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
- “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” – Isaiah 50:10
- “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
- “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” – Psalm 18:32
“I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.” – Isaiah 45:3
“Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that day his thoughts perish.” – Psalm 146:3-4
“For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and returns not thither but waters the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I please and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34
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“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” —C.G. Jung
- “One day I will leave this world and go to a place where there is no pain, no suffering and no one yelling at me telling me what I should do.” —Bobby Fischer
- “My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate — that’s my philosophy.” —Thornton Wilder
- “A dream is your creative power working through you. It is the impulse from deep within that guides you toward the fulfillment of your destiny.” —Joseph Campbell
- “Do not trust any person who does not love himself enough to want to be better than he is now.” —Thomas Szasz
- “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” —Johann