Silas
Beloved of All
Your longing to hear from God as a little child trusting Him is precious to the Lord, and it is right to thank Him that Jesus lives to intercede for all who come to God through Him and is able to save completely.
Scripture does show that God has spoken in dreams and visions. In Job it is written that God speaks in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people, to warn and to turn them from wrong and to keep them from pride. You see this in the lives of Abraham and others, and in the New Testament when Joseph and the wise men were warned in dreams, and when Paul saw a vision in the night. The prophet Joel foretold that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all people, and sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams. That promise was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, and Peter explained that what Joel had spoken was happening.
That outpouring was a once for all gift to the church. The Spirit had been at work from the beginning, moving over the waters, convicting and drawing people to Christ, and speaking through the prophets so that Scripture is inspired and without error and must be fulfilled. But when Jesus ascended, the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit to dwell within His people. Every person who truly receives Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living inside, sealed as Gods mark of ownership and given as a down payment of the full redemption to come. No one can genuinely confess Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
There is a difference between the Spirit living within you to conform you to the image of Jesus and to give you power to live like Him, and the overflowing work of the Spirit that empowers you to serve and to bear witness. That overflowing is what happened at Pentecost when they were all filled and began to speak as the Spirit gave them ability. After the Spirit was given, the church was guided more directly by Him. He spoke and directed, sending out workers and leading step by step. Because He now dwells in believers, we are called to be filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit, and those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.
God has often communicated through dreams and visions and He is still able to do so, for nothing is impossible with Him and His arm is not too short to save. Yet dreams are not to be sought as the primary way of knowing His will. The Holy Spirit within you will always bear witness to Jesus and will produce His fruit, especially love, and He will never lead contrary to the written Word which He Himself inspired. Any dream or impression should be tested by Scripture, and should be weighed with prayer and with the counsel of the Word.
So continue to ask the Father for wisdom and understanding, as Paul prayed that eyes would be enlightened to know Him. Ask to be filled anew and to be led clearly, trusting that the Spirit who lives in you will guide you into what is true and will keep you from deception, fear and evil. Seek Him first in the Scriptures, in prayer in Jesus name, and in obedience, and hold any dream up to that light.
I join you in prayer for you both as husband and wife. Father, thank You for Your promise to give wisdom and to make Your will known. Pour out Your Spirit upon this husband and wife and upon all who seek You. Fill them and lead them, conform them to the image of Jesus, and guard them from temptation, falsehood, fear and the work of the evil one. If it serves Your purpose and builds them up in Christ, speak to them even in the night as You have done before, but above all make Your way plain through Your Word and by Your Spirit within them, that they may walk in humility and obedience and be kept from the pit. Give them peace as they trust that You are able to do all that You have promised, and that You hear those who come through Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.
Scripture does show that God has spoken in dreams and visions. In Job it is written that God speaks in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people, to warn and to turn them from wrong and to keep them from pride. You see this in the lives of Abraham and others, and in the New Testament when Joseph and the wise men were warned in dreams, and when Paul saw a vision in the night. The prophet Joel foretold that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all people, and sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams. That promise was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, and Peter explained that what Joel had spoken was happening.
That outpouring was a once for all gift to the church. The Spirit had been at work from the beginning, moving over the waters, convicting and drawing people to Christ, and speaking through the prophets so that Scripture is inspired and without error and must be fulfilled. But when Jesus ascended, the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit to dwell within His people. Every person who truly receives Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living inside, sealed as Gods mark of ownership and given as a down payment of the full redemption to come. No one can genuinely confess Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
There is a difference between the Spirit living within you to conform you to the image of Jesus and to give you power to live like Him, and the overflowing work of the Spirit that empowers you to serve and to bear witness. That overflowing is what happened at Pentecost when they were all filled and began to speak as the Spirit gave them ability. After the Spirit was given, the church was guided more directly by Him. He spoke and directed, sending out workers and leading step by step. Because He now dwells in believers, we are called to be filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit, and those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.
God has often communicated through dreams and visions and He is still able to do so, for nothing is impossible with Him and His arm is not too short to save. Yet dreams are not to be sought as the primary way of knowing His will. The Holy Spirit within you will always bear witness to Jesus and will produce His fruit, especially love, and He will never lead contrary to the written Word which He Himself inspired. Any dream or impression should be tested by Scripture, and should be weighed with prayer and with the counsel of the Word.
So continue to ask the Father for wisdom and understanding, as Paul prayed that eyes would be enlightened to know Him. Ask to be filled anew and to be led clearly, trusting that the Spirit who lives in you will guide you into what is true and will keep you from deception, fear and evil. Seek Him first in the Scriptures, in prayer in Jesus name, and in obedience, and hold any dream up to that light.
I join you in prayer for you both as husband and wife. Father, thank You for Your promise to give wisdom and to make Your will known. Pour out Your Spirit upon this husband and wife and upon all who seek You. Fill them and lead them, conform them to the image of Jesus, and guard them from temptation, falsehood, fear and the work of the evil one. If it serves Your purpose and builds them up in Christ, speak to them even in the night as You have done before, but above all make Your way plain through Your Word and by Your Spirit within them, that they may walk in humility and obedience and be kept from the pit. Give them peace as they trust that You are able to do all that You have promised, and that You hear those who come through Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.
