I have been reading recently about the power of dreams and visions in bringing Muslims to Jesus.
It reminds me that God still communicates to people in this way.
So, how are we to approach this as prayer warriors?
I believe the Holy Spirit speaks to us mainly through his word. He also drops pictures and thoughts into our minds as promptings.
But, occasionally, he does give us dreams and visions to guide us. Some of us are more sensitive to this way of hearing God than others.
I approach this subject with caution. I realize that we can make huge errors by falsely interpreting dreams.
Dreams are often very symbolic and hard to understand.
In the Old Testament, Joseph and Daniel were called upon to interpret dreams by their royal masters in Egypt and Babylon. In both cases, they said it was up to God to reveal and interpret the dreams - which the Lord did.
In the New Testament in Acts 10, Peter was praying when he fell into a trance and saw a sheet being lowered containing many four-footed animals, birds and snakes. Then a voice asked Peter to kill and eat these living things and Peter said he could not because they were unclean.
However, God showed Peter the same vision three times and told Peter that he should not call something impure that God had made clean.
I really sympathize with Peter's puzzlement. Clearly, God wanted him to do something, but what?
The answer became clear when visitors arrived telling Peter that the Roman centurion Cornelius, a non-Jew, had received a vision from God telling him to send for Peter because he had something to tell him.
Up to that moment, Peter and the other apostles considered Jesus' message of salvation for Jews only. After Cornelius and his household accepted Jesus as saviour, Peter knew the gospel was for everyone. It was a critical step forward in the spread of Christianity around the world.
Not all dreams are from God. They can come from evil sources as well as from everyday concerns weighing on our minds.
But from the Bible stories I have mentioned, I believe I should pray for God's interpretation if I receive a particularly striking and unusual dream. And I should pay particular attention if I receive a dream several times.
Of course, anything that contradicts the scriptures is not from God. And I should check with other mature Christians if it seems the dream is asking me to do something life-changing. I should never take major steps without the confirmation of the scriptures and other strong believers.
Still, sometimes God needs to get a message through to us - especially when we are blind to what he wants.
Clearly, the dreams I mentioned - and others in the Bible - were vital steps in God's story on earth.
It seems to me that God is speaking today to Muslims through dreams of Jesus because they are hard to reach through traditional means of spreading the gospel. This is another step in God's plan for our world.
I will pray that God will speak to many more Muslims through dreams and visions.
It reminds me that God still communicates to people in this way.
So, how are we to approach this as prayer warriors?
I believe the Holy Spirit speaks to us mainly through his word. He also drops pictures and thoughts into our minds as promptings.
But, occasionally, he does give us dreams and visions to guide us. Some of us are more sensitive to this way of hearing God than others.
I approach this subject with caution. I realize that we can make huge errors by falsely interpreting dreams.
Dreams are often very symbolic and hard to understand.
In the Old Testament, Joseph and Daniel were called upon to interpret dreams by their royal masters in Egypt and Babylon. In both cases, they said it was up to God to reveal and interpret the dreams - which the Lord did.
In the New Testament in Acts 10, Peter was praying when he fell into a trance and saw a sheet being lowered containing many four-footed animals, birds and snakes. Then a voice asked Peter to kill and eat these living things and Peter said he could not because they were unclean.
However, God showed Peter the same vision three times and told Peter that he should not call something impure that God had made clean.
I really sympathize with Peter's puzzlement. Clearly, God wanted him to do something, but what?
The answer became clear when visitors arrived telling Peter that the Roman centurion Cornelius, a non-Jew, had received a vision from God telling him to send for Peter because he had something to tell him.
Up to that moment, Peter and the other apostles considered Jesus' message of salvation for Jews only. After Cornelius and his household accepted Jesus as saviour, Peter knew the gospel was for everyone. It was a critical step forward in the spread of Christianity around the world.
Not all dreams are from God. They can come from evil sources as well as from everyday concerns weighing on our minds.
But from the Bible stories I have mentioned, I believe I should pray for God's interpretation if I receive a particularly striking and unusual dream. And I should pay particular attention if I receive a dream several times.
Of course, anything that contradicts the scriptures is not from God. And I should check with other mature Christians if it seems the dream is asking me to do something life-changing. I should never take major steps without the confirmation of the scriptures and other strong believers.
Still, sometimes God needs to get a message through to us - especially when we are blind to what he wants.
Clearly, the dreams I mentioned - and others in the Bible - were vital steps in God's story on earth.
It seems to me that God is speaking today to Muslims through dreams of Jesus because they are hard to reach through traditional means of spreading the gospel. This is another step in God's plan for our world.
I will pray that God will speak to many more Muslims through dreams and visions.
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