Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer coming as little children in faith is precious to the Lord, and your confidence that He is able to save completely those who come to God through Jesus, because Jesus lives to intercede for them, is exactly what Scripture teaches in Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:34.
You asked about dreams and visions in the night and whether the Holy Spirit still speaks in that way. The Bible shows that God has often communicated to people by these methods. Job 33:14-18 says God does speak, now one way, now another, though people may not perceive it, in a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears with warnings to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit. We see this with those who belonged to Him, like Joseph in Matthew 1:20 and the wise men in Matthew 2:12, and also at times with those outside the covenant, like in Genesis 20:3 and Genesis 31:24, and with kings in Daniel 2 and Daniel 4, and with Paul in Acts 16:9. Numbers 12:6 and Joel 2:28-29 also speak of this pattern.
Joel's promise that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, so that sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams, was quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost. On that day the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church as a gift. The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit gave them ability and prompted their speech. After that giving, the church was more directly guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke to them and directed them, saying to separate Paul and Barnabas for the work to which He had called them, and the Spirit sent them forth. The earlier practice of casting lots to know God's will was set aside because the Spirit Himself was now present to lead.
That pouring out at Pentecost was a once for all event. Once the Spirit had been given, there was never again a command to wait or to tarry for the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Spirit's power is for all who are called by God through faith in Jesus Christ and it continues to be at work until the return of Christ.
It helps to distinguish what the Spirit does. Before conversion the Spirit is with a person, convicting of sin and drawing to Jesus, for no one can genuinely say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. When a person receives Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. Your body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, given as a seal of ownership and as a down payment and earnest of the full redemption God intends. That indwelling Spirit works within you to conform you to the image of Jesus and to give you power to live like Christ. There is also the overflowing work of the Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is the outpouring from within for power and witness. Paul urges believers to be filled with the Spirit, and Jesus Himself, being full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit, and as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Our greatest need is to be filled and led in that way.
We also know the Scriptures spoken by the Holy Spirit through men like David are inspired and without error and must be fulfilled. In these last days God has spoken most fully through His Son, who is the foundational rock in 1 Corinthians 3:11 and Hebrews 1:2-3, and through the Holy Spirit working through the apostles as Jesus promised in John 16:12-14. The Lord also gives the ability to understand His Word, as He opened understanding in Luke 24:45 and as Paul prays in Ephesians 1:17. For that reason, any dream or vision or impression should be weighed by the Word of God and by the witness the Spirit gives to Jesus, whose fruit in us is love perfected as we yield to Him.
God is certainly able to do all you have asked. As Job 42:2 says, He can do all things, and as the angel said, nothing shall be impossible with God in Luke 1:37, and Jesus said the things impossible with men are possible with God in Mark 10:27. His arm is not too short to save, as Numbers 11:23 and Isaiah 50:2 and Isaiah 59:1 declare, and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever in Hebrews 13:8.
So I join you in praying for you, your husband and your whole family, with that childlike trust that God hears and answers according to Mark 11:24 and Hebrews 11:6. Father, thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit made available to us today. Fill this family with Your Spirit and lead them by Your Spirit. Give them clear understanding of Your Word. If it pleases You, use dreams or visions or any way You choose to warn, to turn from wrongdoing, to keep from pride, and to preserve from evil, but above all keep them grounded in Your Son and in the truth of Scripture. Keep them from temptation and from evil and from deception and from the evil one, as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 and John 17:15, and guard them as promised in 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Cause the work of Your Spirit within them to perfect Your love and to make them more like Jesus. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Amen and faithful witness of Revelation 3:14, in whom all the promises of God are Yes in 2 Corinthians 1:20. Amen.
You asked about dreams and visions in the night and whether the Holy Spirit still speaks in that way. The Bible shows that God has often communicated to people by these methods. Job 33:14-18 says God does speak, now one way, now another, though people may not perceive it, in a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears with warnings to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit. We see this with those who belonged to Him, like Joseph in Matthew 1:20 and the wise men in Matthew 2:12, and also at times with those outside the covenant, like in Genesis 20:3 and Genesis 31:24, and with kings in Daniel 2 and Daniel 4, and with Paul in Acts 16:9. Numbers 12:6 and Joel 2:28-29 also speak of this pattern.
Joel's promise that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, so that sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams, was quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost. On that day the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church as a gift. The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit gave them ability and prompted their speech. After that giving, the church was more directly guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke to them and directed them, saying to separate Paul and Barnabas for the work to which He had called them, and the Spirit sent them forth. The earlier practice of casting lots to know God's will was set aside because the Spirit Himself was now present to lead.
That pouring out at Pentecost was a once for all event. Once the Spirit had been given, there was never again a command to wait or to tarry for the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Spirit's power is for all who are called by God through faith in Jesus Christ and it continues to be at work until the return of Christ.
It helps to distinguish what the Spirit does. Before conversion the Spirit is with a person, convicting of sin and drawing to Jesus, for no one can genuinely say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. When a person receives Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. Your body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, given as a seal of ownership and as a down payment and earnest of the full redemption God intends. That indwelling Spirit works within you to conform you to the image of Jesus and to give you power to live like Christ. There is also the overflowing work of the Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is the outpouring from within for power and witness. Paul urges believers to be filled with the Spirit, and Jesus Himself, being full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit, and as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Our greatest need is to be filled and led in that way.
We also know the Scriptures spoken by the Holy Spirit through men like David are inspired and without error and must be fulfilled. In these last days God has spoken most fully through His Son, who is the foundational rock in 1 Corinthians 3:11 and Hebrews 1:2-3, and through the Holy Spirit working through the apostles as Jesus promised in John 16:12-14. The Lord also gives the ability to understand His Word, as He opened understanding in Luke 24:45 and as Paul prays in Ephesians 1:17. For that reason, any dream or vision or impression should be weighed by the Word of God and by the witness the Spirit gives to Jesus, whose fruit in us is love perfected as we yield to Him.
God is certainly able to do all you have asked. As Job 42:2 says, He can do all things, and as the angel said, nothing shall be impossible with God in Luke 1:37, and Jesus said the things impossible with men are possible with God in Mark 10:27. His arm is not too short to save, as Numbers 11:23 and Isaiah 50:2 and Isaiah 59:1 declare, and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever in Hebrews 13:8.
So I join you in praying for you, your husband and your whole family, with that childlike trust that God hears and answers according to Mark 11:24 and Hebrews 11:6. Father, thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit made available to us today. Fill this family with Your Spirit and lead them by Your Spirit. Give them clear understanding of Your Word. If it pleases You, use dreams or visions or any way You choose to warn, to turn from wrongdoing, to keep from pride, and to preserve from evil, but above all keep them grounded in Your Son and in the truth of Scripture. Keep them from temptation and from evil and from deception and from the evil one, as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 and John 17:15, and guard them as promised in 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Cause the work of Your Spirit within them to perfect Your love and to make them more like Jesus. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Amen and faithful witness of Revelation 3:14, in whom all the promises of God are Yes in 2 Corinthians 1:20. Amen.
