Whispers of Peace: Ep 4: Embrace Eternal Love: Discover the Everlasting Father in Your Dreams

0:00 Well, welcome to Diary of a Black Woman podcast with our Faith on the Go series, where we explore faith, growth, and transformation from a deeply personal perspective. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we're continuing our series on how God speaks to us through dreams. In this episode, we'll be diving into the profound, unchanging love of the Everlasting Father and how we can encounter that love in our dreams. The title of today's episode is Unchanging Love, Embracing the Everlasting Father in Your Dreams.

0:42 As we talk about the Everlasting Father, we'll explore how God's love for us is eternal, constant, and unshakable. For everyone who has ever felt unloved, unsupported, or alone, today's episode is an invitation to embrace the Father's love in a new and personal way, even in the quiet moments of your sleep. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your love that never changes. Today, we explore how you reveal yourself to us as the everlasting Father.

1:23 We ask for open hearts, open our hearts and our minds, and help us to recognize your love in our lives, primarily through dreams that you give us. May this time be one of healing, renewal, and a deeper understanding of your unchanging care for us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. We see again in Isaiah 9, 6, that we are given one of the most comforting titles of Jesus, Everlasting Father. This title speaks of his eternal nature and his deep abiding love for us. Unlike human love, which can sometimes be inconsistent and conditional.

2:05 God's love is perfect, constant, and everlasting. He is a father who never leaves, never fails, and never stops caring for his children. In a world where relationships can often be fragile and fleeting, the idea of an everlasting father can be incredibly comforting. It tells us that no matter what happens, we are loved with a love that transcends time and circumstances. And one of the beautiful ways God reminds us of this love is through our dreams. I want to share a personal story that can help, that really helped me understand the power of the Father's love in my own life.

2:48 And this happened like many, many, many years ago where I went through a season where I felt, you know, I was in the church, I was doing my church things and, But I hear people say, Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father. But in my life, my father, even though he stayed at the house, our relationship wasn't really a good relationship. I was an adult, and it was just a lot of things that happened that it made my relationship. My father just kind of like, I don't know if you feel that way. Like, why did you even have me, right? So relationship was really not a good relationship. As a young child, it was okay.

3:29 But as a teenager and as a young adult and as an older adult, it wasn't. And so as I became in relationship with God, that part about God as my father was a hard thing to swallow. And so I can hang out with Jesus and the Holy Spirit all day, but to understand God as my heavenly father and that for a father, it just choked me sometimes because I couldn't really say it. And so I remember that particular season, I wanted to grow closer to God as my father, Jesus as my father, the everlasting father. I wanted to get to know that part, that person of the Trinity, right?

4:11 And so I remember this for time, I was struggling to feel his presence and I wanted to know him in a different way. So I'm fighting for this new relationship. So sometimes I would sit and say, Father, show me you. I want to get to know you in this new one. I want to know you. I have trouble with my real father, but I know you. I want to get to know you as the everlasting father, as my heavenly father, right? So during this time, I had a dream that brought me so much comfort. So in that dream, I was sitting in a room feeling overwhelmed by all the things that are happening to me. And all the names, because you can get to the point where you got the names of God and God has many, many names.

4:57 But I think we get over want to be the, I know all God's names, but we don't really know him. And so I was like, I just want to know you. So I put the books of the names down and wanted to get to know him. And so I remember just, I don't know if it was a dream or was it just me just seeking him in prayer? And I remember feeling his presence. And even though I couldn't see his face, I just knew that he had entered the room. And I remember at that moment, I didn't say anything, but I felt like he came. And I sensed a love and peace and security. And I felt him like, just give me a hug. Like, Connie, it's going to be okay.

5:40 And that's when our relationship shifted. that I don't always have to see to know that he's my father. But to know that his presence is there and to hear that kind of I've always been here, you know. And so that dream or that, I can't remember if it was a dream or it was a moment, but it was that time when that was a turning point for me. And it reminded me of his love. And you might hear me a little teary-eyed because it was a moment of a turning point for me that when your real father doesn't do what he's supposed to do, but your heavenly father kind of sticks in for him, right?

6:25 So reminding me that God loves doesn't waver. Even when I doubted it, he just showed up in his presence and just kind of gave me that hug that I needed. and that shifted my whole life. It shifted my feelings towards my real father, shifted my feeling towards the people who were father-like in my life. It just changed my whole life. And so I want to just share the scripture with you about God's love. And when we understand the power of God's love, it's found in Romans 8. And I'm going to go to, I think it's 830, Romans 8.30. When we understand how powerful this love is, I'm looking for it now. Here it goes right here.

7:12 I don't want to go too long, but 8.35 through 39, Romans 8. It's in the King James. It says, who should separate us from the love of God? Should tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or swore? It says, what should separate us? Should it be tribulation? Should it be distress? Should it be persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or swore? As it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

7:54 For I am, one scripture, I think, I always say I am fully persuaded. So you got to be fully persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels. Look how God said, I got your back. Neither death can separate you. Neither life can separate you nor angels. If angels don't do their job, they got to get out the way or principalities or nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other creature. Should be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

8:38 The Bible is full of stories where God reveals his love as a father through dreams. One example of the story of Joseph in Genesis. As a young man, Joseph had dreams that showed him his future. Dreams were filled with promise and purpose and promise, promise and purpose. But what's even more powerful is that throughout Joseph's journey through betrayal and imprisonment and hardship, God was with him as a loving father, guiding and sustaining him. Even when Joseph didn't fully understand why things were happening the way they were, God's love was constant.

9:21 The book of Joseph, Stories of Joseph, is in Genesis, pretty much the latter part of Genesis. That love carried Joseph through the lowest moments of his life, eventually bringing him to a place of great purpose. This story shows us that even when our circumstances are difficult, God's love is unwavering. He is our everlasting father, and he uses dreams to remind us of his presence and his care for us. And the story of Joseph, his brother sold him into slavery. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was in prison. And that was the whole process. He became second in command.

10:03 His brothers, there was a big famine in the land. His brothers came to buy food from him. So his whole story, his dreams were true that he had. they had to mature and they had to mature him, but God was with him all the way through them. He showed him that he was his everlasting father. And Joseph remained humble throughout that whole process. And I just always wonder, you know, because there was many times that he could have become better. And so we have to understand that God is always with us.

10:46 Our everlasting Father, everlasting me, he's going to be around a long time, right? And so even in heaven, right? And so that we have to learn to trust him long-term. Everything is not going to always be perfect on earth, but if we can trust him, it's always going to work out for our good. Amen. We're going to dive deep into, it says, When we encounter everlasting father in our dreams, we are reminded of his eternal love for us. His love is not bound by time, space, or circumstances. Even in the moment when we feel alone or unsupported, God's love is there, steady, constant, and unchanging.

11:27 Dreams can often be a place where God speaks to the deepest part of our hearts, where we are most vulnerable. In these moments, when our defenses are down, God can remind us of who we indeed are, his beloved children. He whispers his love into our hearts, reassuring us that no matter what we face, his love will never leave us. We have to understand as children of God that we do have Jesus, our everlasting father, and we do have our heavenly father, that we are surrounded with so much love and care, that we have to just trust that.

12:13 And it's not just this temporary care, but it's this care that, like. Think about it, it's forever and ever, right? So what are some practical steps that we can do to embrace the Father's love in our dreams, even in our waking reality? So if you're longing for experience of God's love of the everlasting Father, more profoundly, here are some practical steps that we can take to open our hearts to His love, even in your dreams. First, you got to get in the Bible, but I didn't write that down, but you know that that's automatic. But let's do number one.

12:56 Invite the Father's love before you sleep. Before going to bed, take a moment to pray and ask God to reveal his love to you as you sleep. Let him know that you want to experience his love in a new and personal way. And invite him to speak to your heart through your dreams. There's different ways that you can know that God loves you, right? So we know that this is a dream series. So we know that speaking to us through our dreams is that point. But how many times have you experienced God's love in a way that only he can touch that particular spot in your heart?

13:36 Only he knows that that's your true intimate desire. and then he gets it to you and you just know beyond a reasonable doubt that that was God. Only God can do that. That shows how deep and intimate his love is too, right? So we invite him in our sleep and then we just let God be God. Number two, reflect on his love. Spend time meditating on scripture that speak of God's love for you. Verses like Jeremiah 29, I like 29, 11, but here I wrote down Jeremiah 31, 3. Which says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with an unfailing kindness.

14:23 It says, can help center your mind and heart on the truth of God's love. Even the scripture I just shared with you of Romans 8.35. About nothing can separate us from the love of God. If you know that, then there should be no fear here, right? knowing that God's love is, nothing can get to you. I'm the oldest, so I don't have that example of being a big, big brother, but being a big sister, not letting anyone bother my younger siblings, especially my little sister who always getting into stuff and then running to me after she done started a lot of mess, right?

15:09 And she can feel trustworthy that I will protect her. That's how we can feel. I'm the oldest, so I don't have an example of running to my older brother or sister for protection. But I can run to God for protection. He is my shield and a buckler. So I can run to him and I can hide and be safe with him, knowing that he will protect me. If he can show up and think about it. If he wanted me to know him as father and he shows up personally and continue to pursue me as the father. The everlasting father, what else wouldn't he do for me?

15:52 So we have to think about that. We forget that when God shows up in our dreams, when he shows up in our personal lives, when we get that special trinket or something that only God knows that we like, that's showing his love for us. And we just need to remember that when we're feeling down, that God has his eyes on us, that he loves us that much. But remember that this world is fleeting, right? We got another home we're going to. So can't wait till he spoils us in our new place. Number three, keep a journal. Keep a dream journal. As with other episodes in this series, I encourage you to keep a journal by your bed.

16:36 When you wake up, write down any dreams where you feel God's love, presence, or care. Even in the dream, even if the dream is simple or subtle, pay attention to how you feel. Often God speaks to us through emotions we experience in a dream. So when you keep in a journal, some things will stand out like a flashing red light. And most of the time, the emotions you feel in your dreams, they really come through a lot. Just pay attention and make sure you write, keep a prayer journal, how God speaks to you through each phase. And you're like, wow, I didn't know you knew that. He's keeping an eye on everything. So he might give you insight to something that people will be like, how did you know that?

17:23 Sometimes it's hard to explain a supernatural experience to people who are not aware of a supernatural God. And so sometimes I just kind of, it's hard. It's just hard. So I can't stop explaining that. I was just like, you know, I don't know. I was just playing around and, you know, knowing that God gave it to you. But you can't say, well, I prayed and the Lord gave it to me. That's still supernatural stuff that people still don't understand, you know. And they go, she always so superficial. She always prayed. But sometimes I just said, I just prayed and asked God how to do it. And he gave me the answer. And they can look at you like you kind of cuckoo for Cocoa Pops. But it's true anyway.

18:04 Pray for healing. If there's any areas in your life where you feel unloved or where past hurts have made it hard for you to embrace God's love, pray for healing. Ask God to use your dreams as a way to heal those wounds and show you perfect love in ways that bring restoration and wholeness. Healing, it's like surgery in your sleep, right? Say, Lord, just help me get over this. And many times I remember going through some rough times in my earlier days and you're hurting so bad during your waking hours and you wake up, the problem has not resolved itself, right? But you are slowly healing from that problem.

18:46 And then you just kind of like, wow, you wake up. I remember it was so bad that I woke up and I gasped. I remember gasping for air like, oh, I made it another day because it was that bad. And each day, it just seemed like even though the issue didn't change, I was changing. And then that issue resolved itself. But wow, I think that was a two-year issue. And who wants to go through something like that for two years? But at the end, I came out whole, and then God never stops taking you to another level. Boom, another level happened.

19:27 And it's because how I handle that level. So learning how to use that rest time as a chance for restoration, right? So when you're going through, a lot of times people use it as a, it looks like people will have a bad day and want to stay in bed all day. That's not how I say that. I say like a lot of times your rest and your dream is your restoration time. Learn how to use that time to get restored, spiritually restored, physically restored, right? And so using that time, even in the middle of chaos and drama, allowing God to restore you. And the last one, number five, is rest in his love before you go to sleep each night.

20:12 Remind yourself of God's unchanging love. No matter what's happening during the day, no matter what tomorrow holds, his love is constant. Rest in the knowledge that you are deeply and eternal love by the everlasting Father. So if you have to get scriptures to remind you of how much you are loved by God, but you can rest in his love. And a lot of times people say, how can you sleep through that? Well, me staying awake is not helping it. God says he doesn't slumber or sleep. I'll let him handle that while I get some sleep. Amen. And so learning how to invite God, invite the Father's love before you sleep.

20:53 Reflect on his love, keep a prayer journal, a dream journal, pray for healing and rest in this love. So you can also think about areas of your life where you're struggling to feel God's love. Maybe you've been through a complicated relationship or maybe you felt distant from God for a long time. Tonight, make tonight. I encourage you to bring those areas before him and ask for his love to fill those places. You know, I would say like if it's really that bad, just find a quiet place while you're awake. Like I always say in my prayer, you know, as you hear me do the podcast, that prayer is a continual conversation with God.

21:36 And so a dream is also a continual conversation with God. So you can start out your conversation with God in a prayer and then you can finish it up in your dreams. Right. So take time out before you go to bed and just kind of sit before him and read the Bible. Find some scriptures on love or something that you need to ask them, what should I be reading to fill those places? Maybe a love story. We love Boaz and Esther, some good stories or just some victory stories. Just go ahead and fill yourself up on God's love.

22:16 Then ask them to reveal Himself to His everlasting Father in your dreams. And trust He is working to show you His love in a way that's personal and powerful. And when you wake up, just remember and ask for remember. Can He help me remember my dreams? And then get up and write down what happened. And that would be just kind of your journey. If you didn't get nothing the first night, you just keep pursuing after God. Then one day God is going to switch and He will be pursuing after you. Like I said, I get dreams almost every night. Some I understand, some I don't, but God is talking to me, which is so awesome.

22:58 Before we end this episode today, I want to leave you with this thought. God's love is not something we earn or have to work for. It's a gift given freely to each of us. As the everlasting Father, God's love is unshakable. No matter what you've been through, no matter how distant you may feel, his love remains. So I pray that you encounter that love in a deep and meaningful way, both in your waking hour and in your dreams. Let's pray. Father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your eternal love. Thank you for being the everlasting father who never leaves us, never forsakes us, and never stops loving us.

23:46 As we sleep, we ask that you reveal your love to us in new ways. Speaking to places in our hearts that need to feel your presence. Heal us, restore us, and remind us. That nothing can separate us from your love and from your unchanging care. We rest in your love tonight and always. In Jesus' name, amen. So thank you again for joining me on the Diary of Black Women podcast on our Faith on the Go series. Yes, this is the last episode for December 2024. we'll be diving into 2025 with some new episodes.

24:33 And so I'll say goodbye on December 24, but I want to just encourage you to continue to pray that you encounter the Father's love in your dreams tonight, you know, and that you walk confidently in his everlasting care. Stay tuned for 2025. We've got some more fun and exciting episodes coming your way. And even more about dreams, like I would explain that God has given me lots and lots of dreams, warning dreams, good dreams, just some dreams and helping you learn how to walk through your dream. So until then, may you rest in unshakable love of the everlasting Father.

25:13 And I pray that for you in Jesus' name. Amen.