Dreaming with Awakened Hearts

You made it. You finally lie down to sleep after a long day. At last, there is silence, stillness and serenity. Isn’t it a great feeling?

We are told how important rest is for our bodies. We are even instructed on how many hours of sleep we need each night. But how essential actually is rest for our spiritual health?

Take a moment to think how often the word “rest” is mentioned in the Bible. It’s used more than 250 times! The Scriptures reiterate over and over that God will give us rest—in fact, He encourages it. After all, God even rested Himself on the seventh day. We need rest to reflect, renew and refresh. We must stop running in circles and rest in His presence. Oftentimes, our restless hearts can only rest in Him.

Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

So what about dreams? It is said that we experience three to six dreams per night, though we forget 90 percent of them. There are many types of dreams and many scientific explanations for them, why they occur, and what their purpose is. However, have you remembered a dream and thought to interpret it? What might it mean?

In the Old Testament, Joseph was known as a master dreamer and was mocked for sharing his dreams. But dreams fascinated the people of that time, and they constantly wanted them to be interpreted for a deeper meaning. Joseph even reminds them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8)

It is also clear that the prophets believed that God spoke through the interpretation of their dreams. Throughout Scripture, God uses dreams as a way to enlighten, teach and share His wisdom with us. I agree that God can absolutely use our dreams as an avenue to speak to us. If that is the case, are you listening?

Through our dreams, God can inspire us, instruct us, warn us, humble us, heal us and encourage us. Dreams also tend to reveal our innermost fears and desires, such as the need to be wanted, to be valued, and to be loved as we are.

“We have lost the wonder of walking together, we have lost the delight of dreaming together, so that this wealth, moved by hope, can take us forward; we need to walk together, we need to meet, and we need to dream. Do not lose the fascinating power of dreaming!” – Pope Francis

God wants us to dream. He has placed on our hearts the vision and purpose for our life. He wants us to dream beyond what we could ever imagine! But we miss the mark when we dream too small—when we limit ourselves from seeing the beautiful, great possibilities before us. Many times, our realistic expectations are far less than what He has prepared for us. So why do we hold ourselves back from dreaming big? Maybe our own experiences of fear, hurt and insecurity cripple us from seeing beyond our view. Maybe the dreams you had for your life were shattered. But maybe you just weren’t dreaming big enough. Why do we limit God’s all-powerful ability?

A Deeper Sleep

The world has trained us to think with a rational mindset. We must be realistic and sensible. We must be logical and practical. We must analyze and evaluate. We can’t ask for the stars. We can’t believe in miracles. We can’t dream dreams. Even Joseph experienced this in the Old Testament, as he was brought back down to reality with ridicule and disgust by those around him. Are our biggest desires only pipe dreams and unrealistic, impractical hopes?

When we live in a world of logic and rationale, we rob ourselves of the sweetness of simplicity. The dreams in our hearts become foolish childhood fantasies. Our awe and wonder becomes stifled by grown-up explanations and reasoning. What happens then, when our logic fails? What do we do when our absolutes become absolute uncertainties? What happens when there is no scientific proof—when we are asked to live by faith, not by sight?

We must believe with childlike hearts— a heart that is truly open to His will, trusting without complication and without condition. We must hand over our desire to control. We must stop looking too hard and in all the wrong places.

Maybe we would see much clearer by closing our eyes. Maybe the darkness can help us recognize the Light. There is a world of wonderful mysteries that we have yet to understand, but let His light lead you to His heart. Rest in His mystery. You just might feel the warmth of a halo or the tender touch of His Spirit. After all, we don’t want to miss any miracles.

God wants to speak to us today in a personal way—just as he spoke to Joseph, Samuel, Daniel or Solomon. Hold on to your dreams because God put them on your heart for a reason. He is calling us to a deeper sleep, to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him.

"Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)

A Spiritual Awakening

How do we dream bigger? Use your imagination. We must dream by day, not just by night. God calls us to be full of hope, for He is faithful. He wants us to be master dreamers—to expand our hearts to what He has to offer us. Encourage others to dream along with you because there is so much beyond what’s in our sight. The key is to remember that He can do all things. My God is a God of miracles. And sometimes, the greatest miracle is the conversion in our hearts from the inside out and our willingness to take a leap of faith. Ask for His help to have a humble, teachable, trusting spirit untouched by the world—a heart that is free to dream. Then our faith can flourish. Our mundane tasks can be transformed into heavenly works. We can see extraordinary miracles in our ordinary lives. We can live with purpose and fulfillment.

So, dare to dream. The next time you lie down, lay your deepest dreams in His hands. Lay your heart in the One who can heal it. Take courage and believe that you are worthy of what He calls you to. Let go of the complicated rationale that you are holding on to, and let Him hold you. He ultimately is our peace….and His mercies are new every morning.

Lord, help us to believe. Sing us a lullaby of Your vision for our lives. Cleanse us of the bitterness in our hearts that causes us to discourage hope. Remove the rationale that we rely on, and teach us to rely on You. Help us to see You, to hear You, and to follow You through our dreams. Amen.