I posted a blog a year ago called “Hearing God”. It was about when the Lord came to me in a dream and gave me a word that saved my wife’s life. He did this just a few days before our wedding anniversary.
I don’t know why the Lord chooses to act when He does, but I trust that He always can. Friends, never doubt that the Lord is with you and that He loves you more than you can ever imagine.
Here is the blog I posted with a few changes:
Never doubt that the Lord can give you a word. He has spoken to men and women throughout history, and He has not stopped yet to this very day. Oh the great benefits to that blessed saint that would heed the word of the Lord. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).
It is never a question of if the Lord would speak to you, but would you hear Him? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Do you know His voice?
The goal of drawing near to God is not so He will hear you better, but that you will hear Him better. He already knows what you will say, but you need a word from Him.
Never limit the way in which the Lord would speak to you. Seek to live a holy life such that His holy words would be in the path in which you are walking. Always be deep in the word that you can be sure that the voice you are hearing is His. “…and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:4).
Sometimes the Lord will give you a strong word or a gentle whisper. Sometimes He will give you a word for yourself and other times a word for another. Sometimes He will come in your thoughts and other times in a dream or a vision. “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).
If you want Him to come to you, then you yourself must draw near to Him. Live in His presence and His presence will be ever near to you. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (James 4:8).
On March 13, 2017 my wife Mary was not feeling well. She had the symptoms of a prior condition, and so had called her doctor to get the same medicine that had resolved it before. I was just about to lay down to rest for a little while and told her to wake me if she needed me.
Right before I laid down, I read something I wrote a few days prior, “You can be inspired by the words of men, but a word from the Lord changes the course of your life”.
Friends, do you believe the Word? Jesus said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13).
As soon as I laid down I fell asleep. I had a dream and heard this from the Lord in my dream: “her appendix needs to come out”. I do not often hear from the Lord in my dreams, but I know His voice. I woke up and had those words still in my thoughts. Friends, the Lord still speaks to this very day.
Right then my wife texted me and I went to see her. She was not feeling well at all. I held her close and prayed over her. I told her we needed to take her to the hospital. But she said the doctors would call back soon, and they would prescribe the medicine that she needed.
I did not want to alarm her with the word the Lord had given me. I told her that perhaps she had another problem from the one she had before, even though the symptoms were the same. But she insisted it was the same problem as before. Still, I won over and we took her to the hospital.
They proceeded to do some tests to see what was going on. When she came back to her ER room, the nurse came in and told us my wife would have to be admitted and get surgery right away. I already knew what the surgery would be for. The ER doctor came in to speak with us and confirmed what the Lord had already revealed to me earlier, that she was having a problem with her appendix.
Before her surgery I told my wife about how the Lord had given me the word of what was wrong with her. I anointed her with oil and prayed that the Lord would be with her. “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick…” (James 5:14-15). Friends, we need more faith.
After her surgery, the surgeon came out to speak with me. He said that her appendix had burst and had become infectious. But somehow, the infection had not spread at all, but was contained into an area where he was able to remove it all. Somehow indeed.
I am convinced that the many saints who were praying for my wife held back the infection by the power of their prayers. “…pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
Never doubt that the Lord can speak to you. Even in a dream. “For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction” (Job 33:14-16).
Nothing is impossible in your dreams, and that is why God will sometimes meet you there.
Blessings to you,
Paul
All Scripture is in red and uses the NKJV (New King James Version) translation unless otherwise noted.
God can do anything. I believe that it takes a person of faith to hear his voice. God is great in all things. Especially when it comes to our health. Or our family. He watches over us, because he loves us so much. God is awesome and I love him so much. I hope that you do too. Robyn Rice
Hi Robyn, you have many good words here. I think you are right, we need to develop our faith, and draw near to God, before we would hear Him. And yes, our Father in heaven is so good to us, in every aspect of our lives, even when we cannot see it. Like you i love God so very much, hope that would apparent on all that I write and post on my blog and Facebook page.
Yes, God definitely speaks in dreams. He has spoken to me several times. A few months ago, I was awakened by a loud voice saying, “Receive your new assignment with joy!” I literally sat up in the bed, as it seemed the voice was coming from someone next to me. Over the next couple of months, I sought the Lord to reveal my new assignment, but the Holy Spirit told me that I needed to be released from my current assignment first (close my gift shop that I owned). I came up with every excuse not to, but the Lord kept confirming to me that was what I needed to do. I finally closed it 3 weeks ago and now I am patiently waiting for Him to reveal my new assignment. 🙌
I am always blessed to hear of a fellow believer that is following the leading of the Lord. It often takes many confirmations before we do, and that is good so that we can be sure it is His voice we are following. I have been led to do things that others did not see the logic behind doing them. But when we are following the leading of the Lord, it will often make no sense to man. Praying for your assignment to be made clear in your life.
I’ve never had prophetic dreams, but a good pal of mine has prophetic and revelatory visions about people, and my wife has prophetic dreams.
I’m convinced that every person called by the Lord, who obeys and trusts and walks with Him, will be given some kind of gift. It doesn’t always have to be supernatural, but whatever it is can be nurtured by prayer, and by simply asking God!
I think you are most right, we are all given unique gifts from God and these gifts vary greatly. I took this blog and expanded on it as a chapter in my book, The Promise of the Holy Spirit. I included some chapters in that book about activating and then walking in your spiritual gifts. We have such a gift-giving heavenly Father and we are so blessed in whatever it is he chooses for us to have.