“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 (ESV)

“So, what’s your greatest dream?” I asked my new friend, Heidi, as we lay beneath the moon with a gaggle of sleeping girls and a splattering of starlight.

We’d spent the week as camp counselors together. We’d chased squirrels from the bath house. We’d chased boys away from our chocolate stash, and we’d tried to chase a handful of little girls closer to the heart of Jesus.

But we hadn’t talked about the dreams we planned to chase when we left church camp in the morning.

Heidi intrigued me. She oozed joy, moved with confidence and offered grace with ease. She was purposeful, but not pushy. Tenacious, yet tensile. Popular, not plastic. But it was her relationship with Jesus that intrigued me most.

Heidi lived like our Savior was lingering beside her. When the canoe teetered and the girls wailed, she’d laughed and invited Jesus to calm the current — as if He were sitting right next to us in that tipsy boat. And when our homesick campers cried in the dark of night, she’d prayed as if the One who’d spun the stars stood bent over those wooden bunk beds, too.

Maybe that’s why I asked that question in the dark of night. With her vibrant personality and confidence in Jesus, I was certain Heidi could accomplish anything she aimed to do.

“I want Jesus to be my greatest dream,” she whispered wistfully. “How about you?”

Did I dare tell the truth? I wanted Jesus to bless my greatest dreams, but I wasn’t certain I wanted Him to

be my greatest dream. I wanted to do ambitious things for my Savior, but I wasn’t planning to make Him my chief ambition.

“I don’t think I love Jesus enough to make Him my greatest dream,” I finally admitted.

“That’s okay,” Heidi said as she gave my hand an understanding squeeze. “All you have to do is ask. That’s a prayer Jesus loves to answer.”

Though our paths never crossed again, Heidi’s words stuck with me long after the sweet summer we shared. And, over the years, when I grew weary of my own striving, and I slowed long enough to wonder why I felt so empty inside, I’d think of my friend from church camp and echo her simple prayer.

Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more.

At first, I wasn’t sure it would work. Or maybe, I wasn’t even sure I wanted it to work. After all, I had big dreams for my life, and Heidi’s prayer seemed so small.

But, in time, I found that even my grandest ambitions failed to satisfy me. My most significant accomplishments still left my soul sapped and wanting.

So, I followed the advice of Luke 11:9 and persisted in prayer.

Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more.

I prayed it when I got my first job offer and when I received my first byline.

I prayed it when I kissed the first child of my womb and when I signed my first mortgage.

I prayed it when my plans thrived and when my plans failed, when my expectations were met and when they weren't.

I persisted until that small plea became the greatest cry of my heart.

And not long ago, I realized that the 44-year-old woman staring back at me in the mirror has something in common with that radiant young friend I met long ago at church camp.

I really do love Jesus more.

More than my well-laid plans.

More than my fabulous family.

More than my achievements or success.

More than my fears or my failures.

More than my hopes or my wishes.

More than a 15-year-old girl ever thought she could when she lay beneath the stars with a gaggle of little girls and a friend who dreamed big.

I can't pinpoint when it happened, but somewhere along the way, my Savior answered my prayer.

And, sweet friend, He’d love to do the same for you.

We could pray it together — this big and beautiful prayer — and see where it takes us. I have a feeling that it will lead us somewhere far beyond our wildest dreams.

Dear Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

***

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Mark 12:30, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

If you want to know and love God more dearly, reading His Words will grow your faith. Liz Curtis Higgs’ latest book 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart contains some of the most beloved verses in the Bible.

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REFLECT AND RESPOND:

What’s keeping you from making Jesus your greatest dream?

Growing weary in prayer? Invite a friend to join you in your persistent plea.

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