#116of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney #Dreams

Today’s lesson is about the power of dreams. We all have them either dreams that happen when we sleep or dreams we have about what our lives will be like. Dreams can influence us, provide information about ourselves, and give us motivation for the future. They can also disturb us, scare us, and make us more aware of our surroundings.

Last night, I had a powerful dream that bordered on a nightmare. It involved adultery, the church (not faith mind you but church doctrine), penitence, personal space, and solitude. It made me think about my life, about religion, and about my relationships. Most mornings, after dropping my daughter off at school, I listen to podcasts on the way to work. Lately, I have been listening to Lore. (It’s amazing if you like folklore and superstition and history). The podcast I listened too was all about the power of dreams, how it has influenced society, and a crazy story about a woman giving birth to bunnies, but I digress.

We have always given power to our dreams as a society. We use them to help us, to guide us, and in some cases to ward against future mistakes. The bible is also full of dreams.

From https://overviewbible.com/infographic-dreams-bible/

“While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” – Matthew 27:19

“At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – 1 Kings 3:5-9

“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.” – Daniel 4:4

I found a great infographic about dreams in the bible. The image posted here is part of it. If you are interested please visit. Something interesting, dreams happen when the person is asleep while visions happen when they are away. Why is this interesting? The dreams and visions serve the same purpose: to warn (Pilates Wife in Matthew), to communicate with the Lord (Solomon to the Lord in 1 Kings), and to see the error of your ways (Nebuchadnezzar in 1 Kings).

Why do you I bring this up? All of these examples of dreams from the Bible serve the same purpose as our own dreams. They help us understand what is inside and what God wants. My crazy dream/nightmare was for me to more appreciate my family and relationships along with making sure I have my own time to reflect, regenerate and recuperate. It is the hand of God acting in yet another mysterious way to help us move forward. God is always talking to us, are we always listening?

Are you able to think of your dreams as a message from God? Can you dig into them to see if there is a warning, a proposition, or guidance from him?

I am willing and able (with the help of God)