25 May I Had a Dream

Disclaimer: If you do not believe God speaks to us in our dreams, this blog post isn’t for you.

In a recent dream, I was in the front passenger seat of a speeding runaway car with no one in the driver’s seat (Incidentally, the car was the first car I ever owned, a 1966 Chevy Impala). I’m terrified. As the car seems to dodge obstacles by itself, other cars, fire hydrants, etc. I am paralyzed. I cannot move from my seat to take control of the car. Then, I pray.

This is only the second time I can recall praying in a dream. I prayed that God would give me the ability to stop the car. Suddenly, my left foot can reach the brake and the car stops. I woke up. I believe this was a wake-up call from God, literally and figuratively.

Prior to this dream, I had gone through a very difficult week emotionally. I felt lost and alone; as though God had abandoned me. Ramona alerted our PIT (pastoral intercessory team) and asked them to pray. Like never before in my life, I felt the power of the Spirit manifesting itself in the prayers of others, sweeping over me. You see, I had forgotten that I was not alone. My church family was there and, more importantly, God was there. I may have felt alone, but I wasn’t.

I believe God used the prayer to remind me that I wasn’t alone during that difficult time. Jesus was in the driver’s seat then and in my dream, even if I couldn’t see Him. I remember so vividly the car evading obstacles, seemingly on its own. And when I prayed for the car to stop, it did, and I awoke.

I was reminded of Moses’ words to Joshua, as a changing of the guard between the two men occurs at the end of the book of Deuteronomy:

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NIV)

He will never leave or forsake us. I humbly confess that while I may be a pastor, I briefly forgot that God always keeps His promises. What about you? What are you going through that’s making you feel as though you’re going through it alone? Set your feelings aside, if you’ve accepted Christ into your life, the driver’s seat isn’t empty, even if it looks that way from where you’re sitting. Pray for Him to stop the runaway car and He will. Every time. Asleep or awake.

Pastor Jerry Bader