Whispers of Peace: Ep1: Divine Encounters: Jesus Speaks in Dreams

0:00 Well, welcome to the Diary of Black Women podcast with our Faith on the Go series, where we explore the intersection of faith, culture, and personal growth. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we're embarking on a journey through a fascinating and profound topic, dreams. We'll be discussing divine encounters through dreams, where Jesus himself speaks to us in the stillness of the night. This episode is titled Divine Encounters, Experiencing Jesus in Your Dreams. Many have long wondered about dreams. Still, for those who have faith, they are often more than just random images.

0:48 They are powerful spiritual moments where the divine touches the human soul. In today's episode, I want to explore this understanding of dreams. Especially how Jesus can reveal himself and guide us while we sleep. So let's open up in prayer. Heavenly Father, we come before you today with open hearts and minds, ready to receive your word. We invite your Holy Spirit to guide our time together as we explore the divine encounters you bring to us in our dreams. Let us hear your voice clearly and may your presence fill our hearts with peace, wisdom and love.

1:29 In Jesus name we pray. Amen. So dreams have always held a significant place in the history of God's communication with his people. Throughout scripture, we see that dreams are not just fleeting images. They are moments when the veil between heaven and earth become thin, allowing God to speak to us in ways that bypass our conscious mind. We see here in Genesis 28 that Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. This dream wasn't just symbolic. It was a direct encounter with a divine where God reaffirmed his covenant with Jacob.

2:15 Similar to the New Testament, Joseph, the husband of Mary, received divine instruction through dreams. First to marry Mary and later to flee with her and Jesus to Egypt for protection. Dreams are significant forms of communication from God, offering guidance, warnings, and even comfort. They serve as a reminder that God is intimately involved in our lives, even in our most vulnerable state, sleep. And it's in this space where we often encounter Jesus in ways that can transform our hearts and minds.

3:02 So I just want to pause here. So when we're in our resting state, that God is able to bypass all the junk that gets in the way that hinders his communication with us during the day. And just speak directly to our hearts. And so if you are a person that dreams or if you had dreams and you didn't quite understand them, take a chance that you would just take a moment, keep a pad and pencil or ink pen next to your bed. And if you roll over, no matter what type of dream it is, just begin to write the dream down. Just write down the details.

3:44 And a lot of times in those dreams, certain things kind of stick out the most. And also, I learned how to write down how I'm feeling. Sometimes I'm excited, a little anxiety. And just be very specific in those dreams. And just call your book or your journal like a dream journal. And just begin to document how God is speaking to you during those times. This is like the first phase of this dream talk. And there's many more coming because I'm learning. I'm not an expert and not a dream interpreter either, but I'm learning just through how God is training me on these dreams, right?

4:25 That I'm just beginning to have more and more of them. And so I wanted to add those to my devotional. So let's keep continuing. So now we're going to just go a little bit deeper. When we talk about divine encounters, we are referring to the moment when God makes his presence known in a tangible and personable way. These encounters can happen in many forms through prayer, worship, or even a conversation with a friend. But dreams are one of those most intimate ways God connects with us. So I want you to think about this. In dreams, our defenses are down.

5:08 We're not trying to control the narrative or structure our thoughts. This is why in dreams, we can experience a more profound and personal connection with Jesus. In my own experience, I had a dream where Jesus whispered to me, I am the Prince of Peace. This was not just a random phrase. It was a direct reminder of his nature and his promise to me. At that moment, I felt a sense of peace that I could only describe as supernatural. It was as though Jesus was reassuring me that no matter the circumstances, his peace was available to me.

5:49 This wasn't just about a peaceful feeling. It was about his presence with me in every aspect of life, awake or asleep. So the dream, it was like, I don't know what was going on. I don't remember. I think I remember the details of the dream, but for the sake of this devotional faith on the go, I want to keep it short. But I remember it was pretty much chaotic. But then in the middle of that chaos, then Jesus leaned over and he whispered in my ear, I am the Prince of Peace. And then suddenly things just started to pretty much clear up, And that was just amazing to me that our life in the natural can be chaotic.

6:37 And many times we can bring that chaotic into our dreamland too. And you guys know what I mean by that. But for God to interrupt the dream, right, and then speak peace over me in the dream. There have been times where he sings to me in the dream. So, like I said, this time of dreaming has become such an intimate time with me and Jesus that I'm going to be sharing a lot of this in the future devotionals. But let's talk more about dreams. It says, throughout the Bible, dreams have played a crucial role in revealing God's plans and purposes. For instances, in the book of Daniel, we see how King Nebuchadnezzar's dream was a prophetic message about the future of kingdoms on earth.

7:26 And God gave Daniel the ability to interpret it. In these stories, we see how God uses dreams to communicate messages that are vital for our spiritual journey. And when I think about the dreams that I've been having, and even this dream that I'm sharing with you is that when you wake up and you say, where did he say that I am the Prince of Peace? And then you begin to relate it to scripture. And then you go on a, you go on a Bible journey with the Lord. I think it was a time where, you know, we, we just came from almost three and a half years of a government that was pretty much, If you think about it, trying to take over things and then you wonder like, Lord, where are you in the government?

8:19 I think that was one of my prayers. And then, I think as I was dreaming about that, wondering when will God step in, then you have the dream. And you figure in the scripture, it says the government will be on his shoulder. So Jesus is still holding the government accountable. And that's a good, relaxing sense that you can have when you know that even though everything may look chaotic, that there is still Jesus is still in control. And understanding even as I just discussed, Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's dreams, those were about government, you know, and how those turn out.

9:07 You probably go to the book of Daniel and read about how God spoke to Daniel about government. And he even, Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, remember he wanted the three Hebrew boys to bow to him as he built this large statue. And how did that turn out? You know, God showed up in the fire. And then we remember Daniel standing up against government. And they threw him into the lion's den and God closed the mounds of the lion. So this is a powerful reference when you think about God still has his eye on how things are ran in the government.

9:48 But what about now? Does God speak through dreams today? Absolutely. Hebrews 13, 8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Just as God spoke to his people in the Bible, he continues to communicate with us now. We only need to be open into recognizing his voice, even when it comes in the stillness of the night. And how do you prepare for those dreams? I don't think you can. I think you just make sure you don't go watching something crazy on the media. Just, you know, you would like to go to bed with our iPhones on or something.

10:31 And just sit and just relax. Lord, I just pray for sweet sleep and I open up my heart that you would speak to me tonight regarding ABC, whatever that is. And then just trust that God will come in and not interrupt your sleep, but just speak to you through your sleep. So practical stuff for understanding and embracing dreams. I'm gonna walk you through a couple of steps before I close this out. Now let's get practical. To me, I think for a supernatural God to enter into a natural body and speak the supernatural to you. That, to me, is awesome that he is watching over us in a way that when things look awry, that he speaks to us.

11:18 With a supernatural voice. I know I'm getting a little emotional here because he's a supernatural God, but he cares about his creation, that he will interrupt your sleep to whisper in your ear to say, I am the Prince of Peace. Like, I got this, Connie. Don't you worry about a thing. So let's talk about how we can understand and embrace dreams. So if you believe that God is speaking to you in your dreams, what can you do to better understand them and embrace the message that he is giving you? There's four things that I have written down here. Number one, prayerfully prepare for dreams.

12:01 Before going to bed, ask God to speak to you. Pray that he will use your dreams to give you guidance, peace, or revelation. Keep your heart open to whatever he might want to show you. A lot of times for me, you can get into a routine of, like I have a prayer routine in the morning and then kind of have a prayer routine in the evening where I don't want to have anything on my mind before I go to bed. And a lot of times you dream of, if you're listening to some, I'd say some crazy news, usually that crazy news is in your dream. And some people sleep with the TV on, that interrupts your dreams too.

12:45 So trying to pray before you go to bed, but also make sure you can have on maybe some, just some kind of piano music, just some worship music to set the tone for God to come in and just to set a nice tone of a peaceful, welcoming tone. I never ask God for guidance, peace, and revelation. He always seems to know what I need so I don't get specific and I don't really ask for dreams. Usually I know when I'm going to dream because I'll feel like I need to go to bed because I know God wants to talk. That's the feeling I would get. But sometimes I would just go to sleep and then I'll have a dream.

13:30 And then I'll, whoa, I didn't know I was having a dream tonight. And then sometimes I'll have a dream every night. You know, and I was like, how did I, I don't deserve a dream every night, but God decides he wants to talk to me every night. And that's just kind of preparation of your heart. So keep your heart open to whatever he might want to show up. So like I said, asking specifically, yeah, but I just kind of like, I'll do my prayer, not a routine. Sometimes I'm quoting decrees. I might be reading the Bible. I might be listening to a sermon. And I keep that night free from the drama of the latest news.

14:11 You know, if I'm going to do the latest news, I listen to it during the day, but not before my bedtime. Number two, I mentioned this one, keep a dream journal. This is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. When you wake up, write down your dreams. Sometimes when you get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you may be a dream. Write it down before you forget. even if it seemed insignificant. Yeah, I had the dream today. This seemed like it didn't go with none of my other dreams, but I wrote it down. Anyway, as you review your dreams over time, patterns may emerge and God may reveal more profound insights.

14:51 What I found out with those little dreams, sometimes they don't seem like they make sense. They do make sense in the bigger realm of things. They just don't seem to make sense after that. What was that about? Boom. What was that about? And that doesn't go with the rest of the story, but they do go with the rest of the story. God is able to talk about multiple things, handle multiple things at once. So just be aware of that. So don't throw it out because you don't understand it. I remember just recently. That I had a dream. It didn't really make sense to me. It was just a dream.

15:33 I didn't quite understand what it meant, but I wrote it down. About a week later, part two of that dream happened, and then it made sense. It made sense, and part one didn't seem like it really went with anything, but part two of that dream, the same characters of that dream showed up, and it became a rewarding dream. And so when I put those two dreams together, there was something I had to do. And so just be careful of you being of your own understanding. God knows what he's doing and he knows the end from the beginning. And so he knows what's coming your way.

16:14 And so sometimes he doesn't want to give it to you all at once because it's not all happening at once. He's giving it to you part by part. So just be aware of that. Don't throw out anything. Just write it all down because it all goes together. Pray for discernment. Not every dream is from God. It is essential to ask for discernment. If you feel the dream is significant, pray and ask God for wisdom and clarity on this meeting, especially the weird dream. You're like, Lord, is this from you? What is this about? And all the time you write it down and never come to nothing, maybe that wasn't from God. But always write them all down. And usually while it's still fresh in your heart, when you roll over, you can just feel his presence still.

16:59 And I'll stay in that feeling of his presence until he's done talking with me. And so I will, he'll have scripture for me. He'll have more clarification of what that dream meant. And it just gets really, and then I'll get up and I'll go pray. And that presence of God will stay on me all day. And so understanding like the dream, because you dream it doesn't mean his presence doesn't go away. You know, it'll stay with you all day or something will come up or he will say something, speak to you. And that same feeling that you have when you when you woke up will come back.

17:40 So there's something's going on in the spiritual realm that he wants you to be aware of. Maybe he just want to hang out with you. Right. You know, so just be aware of his presence and, you know, God is a teacher trainer. And so maybe he's training you for something to to be aware of his presence. So just start to just notice those things. And so and just just pay attention to when things are a little bit different. Pray for discernment. Lord, is this you? Is this you? What's going on? You know, remember, God supports his word with scripture. You know, and so don't become, like, strange people.

18:22 And count on dreams because God confirmed his dreams with his word. Like I said, sometimes they're like a deja vu moment where you start to, it's like you're living out your dream because some things in reality are starting to come to pass. Some things, people you saw in your dream, you're starting to see in your day-to-day, warning, good, bad, ugly. You just have that presence on you. You're not sharing that with anyone, just you and the Lord, just walking through reality. And remember, he's supernatural God. He's on your natural and he's just kind of partnering with you. Remember he said he'll never leave you or forsake you.

19:02 And so he's giving you his perspective. And so isn't it just a cool thing that he comes and invade our time of sleep, that he comes and gives us information. That's awesome. And then look for the powerful point. Look for the Bible for confirmation. God will speak, will never speak something in a dream that contradicts his word. If your dream aligns with scripture, it may be a divine message. Reflect on the Bible. That's so true. I always say, one of the things I always say, Lord, where's that in the Bible?

19:43 Where's that in the Bible? And sometimes I don't have to say that. He'll just give it to me. That's according to this. That's according to that. Like the titles of Jesus found in Isaiah 9, 6, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and prince of peace. These are the ways as Jesus revealed himself, and he may be using your dream to show you an aspect of his character. Another thing I found out too, is that when we try to share our dreams, remember our dreams are coming from a supernatural source. And we try to share that dream after having a supernatural experience.

20:25 And people look at you like, that sounds so like, if it doesn't, it does, it sounds Sounds kind of, can I say the word, crazy to them? But in reality, you just had a supernatural experience and they don't have the supernatural insight that you may have. Nothing wrong with that. It wasn't for them. It was for you. Then you'll find out that you don't discredit your dream because no one understands it but you. That's your dream. God's speaking to you. Write it down like Mary did and ponder on it and see where it takes you. So I'm learning that my dreams are just so vivid these days that I want to share it. But when I share it, it's just too much.

21:08 I have to stop mid-sentence when I start to share it because they're not ready. They're just not ready. It's supernatural. It's a supernatural dream. And I'm just a natural person trying to explain what has happened to me supernaturally. And so that's why I'm able to take these devotionals, take time out, meditate on it, and just begin to explain it. And then it takes that much time to explain it and try to put a picture to it and create a devotional for it. And still it does not give it justice. It still doesn't give it justice, but it gets it out there and helps you to grow in your faith.

21:50 And so I want to just share this quick testimony. I just think I shared most of it, but after my dream where Jesus whispered, I am the Prince of Peace, I felt compelled to reflect on this in scripture. So I turned to John 14, 27, where Jesus says, peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. This verse came alive for me in a new way. I realized that Jesus was offering me more than just a temporary escape from anxiety. He's offering me his presence, his peace that transcends understanding.

22:33 So it transcends understanding. So like when we don't understand something, when God said he gives you peace, remember that's supernatural, right? So I'm trying to, you said, how do you, how could you be so relaxed in a situation that's so stressful? Because God says, I'm your peace. And so I'm seeking God as my peace. And so remember that dreams where you felt Jesus speaking directly to you. Remember those times? That's that peace. Maybe you're longing for a divine encounter. So I encourage you to seek him and be open to what he reveals to you. So go seek in Jesus for peace.

23:16 Many people find peace in other things, alcohol, maybe in other things, sexual sin, talking too much, gossiping too much. But take that time and just sit quietly in his presence. Maybe just re-listen to this podcast again and allowing just the Spirit of God just to settle on you, especially when you wake up after a dream. And sometimes we wake up and there was no dream, but there's a sense of peace in the room. And you don't even talk to anybody. You just walk and you're just like, I just sense your presence, Lord.

23:58 And I just want you to be with me all day, this sense of peace and confidence that I have with you. Amen. And so as we wrap up today, I want to encourage you to lean into the dreams you experience. Don't dismiss them as random or unimportant. Instead, approach them with the expectation that God may be speaking to you. He wants to reveal this peace, guidance, and love through these moments of divine connection. but I want to add these divine supernatural connections. Remember, encountering Jesus in dreams is not just for biblical figures we read about. It's for you. It's for me today, now.

24:42 Jesus is always near, and he desires to communicate with you in deeply and in personal ways. Close this out in prayer. Lord Jesus, thank you for the ways you speak to us, even while we sleep. Help us to recognize your voice in our dreams and understand the messages you are sending us. May we encounter your love, your peace, and your guidance in every dream. We place our trust in you and look forward to the ways you reveal yourself to us. In your precious name we pray. Amen. Thank you for joining me today on the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with our Faith on the Go series.

25:27 I hope this episode has encouraged you to seek divine encounters in your dreams. Even while you're awake, just constantly seeking the Lord. Stay tuned for our next episode, which will delve deeper into encountering Jesus as the Prince of Peace in your dreams. Until next time, be blessed and keep on dreaming.