Holy Spirit woke me up this morning with a dream about Trey Flowers, a player for the National Football League's New England Patriots. I have no attachment to him nor am I a Patriots fan. I had no idea why he would have been brought to mind at all. The Patriots did not play a game yesterday (they did the day before -- and won). I am, however, a big fan of the big guys in the trenches. I love to see unsung guys rise to the top -- especially guys who come from rough backgrounds. Clues help the detective solve the case.
How many times have you been awakened by a dream and did not properly understand it so you simply dismissed it as an anomaly or a machination of the mind or what some people think is 'a result of some type of food substance that did not agree with your body'? Some dreams will blow your mind just by its visual content. Others will blow you away by its message. Some really don't have much of a message, but there is a message. We may just need to do a little research or prayer or both. I suggest both. Gold has to be mined. Junk lays on the ground.
If you have not already, I want to challenge you to journal. Keep track of your thoughts and dreams and prophetic words. Pray through them all. Get some type of binder, folder, journal, diary, composition book, whatever, to write down and keep track of your thoughts and dreams and prophetic words. Many people do not steward prophetic words and they wonder why God does not bring these things to fruition. If you do not pray through these words and act on what God reveals to you, how will you fulfill the great purpose God has for you -- how will you truly show yourself a faithful steward? If you do not keep track of your dreams, how will you know what God is really saying? Keep track of these things and the accompanying confirmations and revelations and fulfillment of each. Your faithfulness* to God will flourish and you will experience great blessings. Isn't that what it's all about?
I have eight journals that cover approximately six years of personal anguish, discoveries, revelations, dreams, and words from God. One of those journals covers three months-- a regular-sized Composition Book. That is a lot of writing. I had a lot to get out. So do you. You will see in the photo above, that I was dealing with some stuff, but I was writing out some of God's promises on the same page. The Bible is a book of general revelation and prophecy. It is a family tree for all true believers who are in Jesus -- people I like to call "True Christians". You will never be a true Christian until you surrender your whole life to Jesus. We must submit our agenda into His nail-scarred hands and allow Him to guide our lives. How many times have we heard that preached and we have not done it? And we wonder why we have not been blessed with our breakthrough of healing or a career position or the right relationships? If we can't get our relationship right with the omniscient God of Perfect Love, who can we get right with?
Take that as encouragement, not condemnation. God is not condemning you. He loves you! Never forget that depression is a weapon formed against you by the devil (Satan). Never forget that the thief (Satan) hates you with a "perfect" hatred. The only way to escape the demonic weapon or "fowler's snare" of depression is to trust in Jesus and repent of doing those things the devil has convinced you to do. You might be surprised at what those things are. But, if you don't pray and journal, you might just never arrive at the point of discovery! Think of all the wasted time of suffering and you miss what God has wanted to do in and through you. Far be it from you to let that happen! :D
“We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.”
So get your journal, a good pen that writes well (you deserve to use a good pen), and your heart wide open to God and get started right now.
Okay, well, after saying this prayer ...
Prayer
Dear loving, gracious, wonderful, generous, Healer of mind, soul, and body, and Deliverer of my spirit from the pit of Hell, I thank you for remaining completely in my corner. I know You have my back and I thank You for guiding me to this point of my life. I know I am really just dust, but You formed me and made me to be great like You. I confess I have not properly stewarded my blessings and I ask that You would reveal better ways for me to manage and give to others what You have given me. All I am, all I possess is actually Yours, Lord. You have entrusted me with Your things. Help me to properly steward all You give me; even dreams I do not easily understand. I ask that You would refine me and set me free from the fowler's snare of depression. I know there may be many reasons why I deal with depression, and if I have to gain freedom day by day, I commit today to do it. I realize Your plan is not for me to remain depressed, but to allow the life You created me to live to still be accomplished while I am in the process of healing. I may have endured more trauma than other people, so my journey to my healing may take longer and I choose right now not to become offended or bitter toward You for having to endure the process. (Give God right now what He is revealing to you in this moment). Thank You, Lord God, for Your great FAITHFULNESS toward me! Hallelujah! In Jesus' mighty name, amen!
* "Faithfulness" is the best word to use when we read the word 'faith' in the Bible. Try using the word that way and it should help you better understand what faith really is.
God bless you!