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Sometimes God speaks through dreams. It is a kind of vision which usually happens at night. Normal people dream every night. Statistics show that every person dreams at least 4 dreams on average per night without remembering most of them. Most of the dreams are simple meaningless dream due to our activities in day time. In Ecclesiastes 5:3 “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.” Some dreams are induced by external stimulations like sound and light.

God says in Deuteronomy chapter 13 verse 1 to 3 that if there is a dreamer of dreams, gave you a sign, the sign came to pass and said let us worship other gods, you should put him to death. These dreams came from the evil spirits. They are lies from the devil which aims at misleading people away from God. We must test every dreams with the truth of God, Words in the bible, to prevent falling into traps of the devil.

The bible clearly documented many instants which God speaks to men with dreams. These examples are throughout the whole Bible including the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jacob saw a ladder to heaven with angels going up and down in Bethel. Joseph said the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing to him in dreams and later it came to pass that his father, mother and brothers all bowed to him in Egypt.

Like all other things that God does, He gives divine dreams with a purpose. In some special occasions in the Bible, God gave significant dreams that affected the whole generation and the age to come. These kind of big dreams seem to be no more after the writing of the scripture is completed. But God still speaks through dreams today, with more personal purposes. We have heard witnesses in which God gave genuine divine dreams helping someone to become more mature, to be saved and to preach the gospel. A very important biblical truth about dreams which the reader should learn is that no one in the bible has ever asked for a dream. We believe that no one should do that, either.

God is kind and His love endures forever. Some dreams reveal his plan for the move of the Spirit. In the age we live in, God is going to do big things. He would never do anything without revealing to His servants. And one of the ways He would use is dreams. They stop people from sinning and make them turn back to Him and avoid judgment.

It must be clear that any kind of special revelation that are received by anyone today must be override the authority of the canonized Bible. People must not despise prophetic messages but test them with truth. Therefore, rather than chasing after prophetic experiences, believers are reminded to spend time praying and studying the Bible in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Learn more about dreams, visit meaning of dreams

You’ve heard the saying, “Talking is sharing. Listening is caring,” haven’t you? I saw it on a sign in front of a church a couple of years ago, and it caught my eye. In the last few weeks, I’ve seen it again several times. I’m not sure who first said it, but it really is true.

In one of the devotionals that I sent out to my subscriber list I wrote about a rough time in my life that I was going through and how God’s Word had been a great comfort to me. When I wrote that devotional I had no idea that I would get such a warm response from readers. I had calls from friends and emails from readers that I don’t even know personally. Many of them told me that they were there for me if I wanted to talk to someone.

The fact that these people were willing to take the time to write an encouraging note, or even to call, meant so much to me. It should me that they were listening and that they cared about me. Those facts were obvious and it had a big impact on how I was feeling.

In this busy, fast-paced world, it’s all too easy to fail to listen when someone else is talking. Either we are thinking ahead to what we want to say next, or we mentally move on to the next thing on our to-do list. It’s especially easy to do that when you are on the phone.

When you listen to someone else it shows that you care and that you value them. You show that you care enough to give them your time and attention, and that can mean a lot. Listening helps to build stronger, deeper relationships, and it brings two people closer together. By listening to others we can show them God’s love.

Throughout the Gospels, we see the Lord Jesus listening to people and their needs. In John 3, Jesus listened to Nicodemus, a prominent and righteous, Jewish leader who questioned Him about His teachings and His miracles.

Not too long after speaking with Nicodemus, we read of a well known story where Jesus talked and listened to a sinful woman while she was getting water from a well. This woman would not have been considered worthy for most of the leaders of that day to pay her any attention, but Jesus did. He wasn’t concerned with things like wealth, status, gender, He was there for people that needed Him. This gives us a terrific model that we should be following.

To all of you how reached out to me, thank you. The fact that you were willing to listen really meant a lot to me. I want to let you know that the situation has been resolved.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful people that You place in my life. Thank You for using them as Your representatives of love and compassion toward me. Please help me to be as thoughtful of others as they have been to me.

Ann Shorb is a counselor and the founder of CCES in Hanover, PA. They provide a variety of services including premarital counseling, Christian marital counseling, family counseling and much more.

Keeping a consistent daily quiet time with God is one of the hardest things we face in our Christian life. Why? Because our adversary the devil, knows that therein lays the secret of our strength and victory as believers. If he can get us off track, our power and wisdom are diminished, therefore, it’s essential to develop the habit of regularly meeting with God.

To start with, choose a time that you will use each day for prayer and reading the Bible. Make this part of your schedule a priority each day and don’t blow it off because of other things that need to be done. We’re used to scheduling our important activities and appointments, but we usually only give God the extra time that isn’t needed for other things.

Designate a place where you can be uninterrupted. (I can hear young mothers saying now, “And where would that be?”) For some it’s a favorite chair or room in the house. Others find tranquility in the early hours at the office or shop. Whatever spot you choose, keep your Bible, devotional and study books, prayer journal, pen and any other materials you need close by.

The third and final step is to come up with a plan for what you will be doing with your quiet time. You may choose to study a specific book of the Bible (or group of books), read through the entire Bible, or follow along through a devotional book or workbook.

Looking ahead to the next year, make an effort to find quality materials that will help you in your studies of Scripture. Pray that God would help you to determine what you should study and what resources you should be using.

A daily time of meditation, study and prayer are as essential to your spiritual health as nutritious food is to your physical well-being. Make an appointment with God and make it a priority to be there!

Father, I know how important it is that I have time alone with you each day. Help me to put aside the distractions and to prioritize this time. Show me what you would have me to study and how I can apply it to my daily life.

Ann Shorb is the founder of Christian Counseling & Educational Services in Hanover, PA. Through CCES she provides clients with premarital counseling, marriage counseling, help with depression, AD/HD, grief, anxiety, and many other issues.