P r o p h e t i c E v a n g e l i s m

B Y J OHN PAUL J ACKSON

GOD SPEAKS IN OUR

DREAMS WITH SO MANY PEOPLE WANTING TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL-

ITY OF THE SUPERNATURAL, DREAM INTERPRETATION CAN BE
A POWERFUL TOOL OF EVANGELISM.

W hen three Orlando, Florida, women Elsewhere in the mall that day another
recently set out for their favorite mall, group of Christians was walking and pray-
they figured it would be just another shop- ing when they sensed the Holy Spirit point-
ping trip. And it was—until God invaded ing out a certain man. A thought arose in
and changed their lives forever. their spirits: He’s struggling with loneliness.
While the trio enjoyed lunch in the food They approached him and struck up a
court, two of them listened as their friend conversation. Within minutes the man
shared a dream she had the night before. invited Jesus Christ into his heart.
They were perplexed. Did the Elated, the group moved on
dream mean something? If it had and found a woman they felt the
Prophetic
a deeper meaning, what was it? Holy Spirit directing them
Nearby sat two Christians, evangelism— toward. They interpreted a dream
who were also talking about listening to for her and then led her to the
dreams. They turned to the three Lord.
God while
women. “Do any of you have a A third group walking around
dream you want interpreted?” sharing the the Orlando mall felt the sensation
they asked. gospel—is one of electricity in their hands and
The women looked at each interpreted it as a sign to pray for
key to the next
other. One of them stammered, someone’s healing. Upon seeing a
“Yes. In fact, we were just talking move of God woman with a withered hand and
about it.” in the world. a limp, they approached her and
As the woman described her were soon praying for her.
dream, the Christians silently Suddenly, the woman’s with-
prayed for God’s wisdom and direction. ered hand opened and her feet straight-
When she finished they offered her a spiri- ened! She was so excited that she accepted
tual interpretation of her dream as well as Jesus on the spot.
God’s encouragement. The woman was so During that weekend in Orlando, 14
touched that she gave her heart to Jesus, people came to know Jesus Christ, and sev-
right there in the food court and in front of eral were healed. The Christians were
her friends. members of our “Dream Teams,” individu-
als who have been trained by Streams Min- to the next great move of God in the
istries International in dream interpretation world. Prophetic evangelism is a great
and prophetic evangelism. way to grow the church and to introduce
Last year we sent a Dream Team to Salt Jesus to your unsaved friends.
Lake City for the Winter Olympics. In a
Starbucks coffeehouse one night, two TRUE DREAMS ARE FROM GOD In the
team members were chatting about 1980s, my friend and pastor John Wim-
dreams when they looked over at a group ber, then leader of the Association of
of about 30 people standing in line. “Does Vineyard Churches, coined the phrase
anyone have a dream they’d like to know “power evangelism.” He focused on the
more about?” one of them asked. usefulness of signs and wonders, espe-

A news agency journalist joined them cially miraculous healings, as a way to

and recounted her dream. When the team lead people to Jesus.
gave her the interpretation, she fell back in Prophetic evangelism is the next step
her chair, looked at her boyfriend and in my understanding of Wimber’s vision.
said, “Wow! Did you hear that?” During the last 20 years tens of thou-
Others had gathered and for the next sands have been saved through what he
several hours, the team interpreted called power evangelism. I believe that
dreams. In fact, during their stay in Salt trend will continue.
Lake City, our team members interpreted But I also know that dream interpreta-
more than 150 dreams. tion, words of knowledge and prophetic
Real-life experiences like these have words—prophetic evangelism, as I call it—
led me to the conclusion that prophetic will help even more people come to Jesus.
evangelism—a reliance on listening to the There is much scriptural foundation
Lord while sharing the gospel—is one key for this idea. God promised in Joel 2:28
that “Your sons and your daughters shall Tertullian of Carthage, who lived in
prophesy, your old men shall dream the second century after Christ, said,
dreams, your young men shall see “Almost the greater part of mankind
visions” (NKJV). When we read the con- derive their knowledge of God from
clusion of that passage we find that the dreams.” Jerome, the fourth-century the-
result of prophesying, dreams, visions, ologian who translated the first Latin
signs and wonders is to bring a harvest Bible, the Vulgate, was converted to Chris-
into the kingdom. tianity by a dream from God.
Though many churches have embraced God has never stopped speaking to men
the idea of Christians prophesying, they and women who want to hear His voice. In
have not been as accepting of biblical fact, dreams are such a powerful means of
dream interpretation. That’s unfortunate. communication that the enemy has tried
The Bible teaches us that God speaks to us everything in his power to discredit and
in the night. counterfeit it them.
Elihu confirms this in Job 33:14-16: “For Why do New Age practitioners have
God may speak in one way, or in so little trouble with the idea of
another, yet man does not perceive Dreams are dreams, and why do Christians—
it. In a dream, in a vision of the such a the ones who long to hear God’s
night, when deep sleep falls upon voice—devalue it? God created
powerful
men, while slumbering on their this connection between His
beds, then He opens the ears of means of Spirit and our spirit for a reason.
men, and seals their instruction.” communica-
Jeremiah and Zechariah criti- S P I R I T C O M M U N I C AT I O N Biblical
tion that the
cized “false” dreams, because they dream interpretation comes as the
knew the importance of “true” enemy has result of a growing relationship
dreams from God (see Jer. 23:25, tried with God. A hunger for Him trans-
27:9; Zech. 10:2). lates into a hunger to hear and
everything
Daniel 1:17 tells us that, understand His voice.
“Daniel had understanding in all to True dreams from God gener-
visions and dreams.” The young discredit ate a curiosity in us, a question that
prophet ends up prophesying to we’re desperate to answer. We long
and counter-
King Nebuchadnezzar concerning to hear His voice.
a dream he had. feit them. Every night, God whispers into
The impact of the revelation the dreams of unsaved men and
was so powerful that the king exclaimed, women. He seals the truth within their
“Truly your God is the God of gods, the hearts.
Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, Some will search the world looking for
since you could reveal this secret” (Dan. the key to unlock that truth. Many today are
2:47). drawn to the New Age movement, thinking
Early church fathers and mothers the answer might be there.
readily accepted the validity of dreams as Others may go to dream interpreters
a way in which God speaks. First-century who operate in the perversions of Freudian
Jewish historian Philo said that dreams and Jungian dream analysis, and they will
are a way God gave to mankind to learn find no peace. Christians who hear and
about the spiritual world. understand the voice of God hold the key
for these wanderers. Prophetic evangelism are truly dependent on Him to lead us
is about giving a human voice to the spiritual into all truth. And to truly hear the Lord,
mysteries God has implanted in the lost. we need His peace in our lives.
During my years of study, I have discov- All revelation comes from the Holy
ered that God will give the interpretation to Spirit, who searches the deep things of
a dream in any of four different ways: God. He chooses how He will give the
● God will speak the interpreta- revelation to us. The Holy Spirit is the
tion to our spirit in the dream. We will Spirit of peace, and when He comes, a
awaken with the understanding of what residue of peace is left with us.
the dream meant. God uses metaphors and symbols in our
● God instantly gives a dream’s dreams. He is a visual, creative entity, and
meaning. As with Daniel, the interpreta- He loves to wrap His wisdom in the mys-
tion comes through an angelic messenger. teries of our language and culture.
● God gives the interpretation When we interpret a dream, we need
during the process of record- to approach the metaphors in a
ing the dream. First Chronicles dream from different points of
Prophetic
28:19 says: “‘All this,’ said David, view. Why did God choose to use
‘the Lord made me understand in evangelism this symbol? Why not another?
writing, by His hand upon me, all God is purposeful in every-
is about
the works of these plans.’” thing He does. As you interpret
● God gives us interpreta- giving a more dreams, you will begin to see
tions of dreams as we grow and patterns in how God uses certain
human voice
mature in our understanding of symbols in your dreams.
His ways. Proverbs 25:2 says that, to the
“It is the glory of God to conceal a P E O P L E A R E WA N T I N G T R U T H
spiritual
matter, but the glory of kings is to When I am in a situation with non-
search out a matter.” mysteries Christians, I ask God to show me
God wants us to meditate on if they are open to His Spirit or
God has
His mysteries. He places great not. If they tell me a dream, that’s
value on our searching for the spir- implanted in a good sign they are indeed open
itual truths and insights that He to spiritual things.
the lost.
conceals like buried treasure. The moment you open your
Often, we learn as much, if heart to the possibility that God
not more, in the discovery process of speaks through dreams, you will discover
interpreting a dream as we do in simply that many people near and dear to you have
obtaining the dream’s answer itself. The dreams and want an interpretation. As you
more we learn, the hungrier we become. begin to embrace the ways God speaks to
you, He will speak to you even more.
I T ’ S H I M W E N E E D God will not remove I have interpreted more than 40,000
our need for the Holy Spirit. It is through dreams in my life—from Christians and
His wisdom that dreams are interpreted non-Christians. Not all were from God.
and that we commune with God. Many were soul dreams and some I’ve
Even though there are biblical guide- encountered were impossible to interpret.
lines for interpreting dreams, we need I’m still learning every day about how
Him, not pat answers or fixed rules. We God communicates this way and how
dreams can be used prophetically to JOHN PAUL JACKSON is the founder and
evangelize the lost. Compared to where chairman of Streams Ministries Interna-
God wants to take us in His Spirit, we’re tional (www.streamsministries.com), a
all little children. We have much to learn. New Hampshire-based nonprofit organi-
This is the hour for prophetic evangelism— zation that offers courses on hearing God
for the light of God to shine on people who and biblical dream interpretation. His
have waited for years for a resolution in their newest book is I AM: 365 Names of God
lives. This is a moment in history in which Chris- (Streams Publications).
tians can make a massive difference—one per-
son and one dream at a time.
As Paul wrote, “Eye has not seen, nor GOING DEEPER
ear heard, nor have entered into the heart For further study on this topic:
of man, the things which God has pre- Dream
pared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. by Mark Rutland (Charisma House)
2:9). We are standing on the threshold of Dreams and Visions
a new spiritual awakening. by Jane Hamon (Regal)
I believe God is getting ready to unleash A Dream Come True
a powerful wave of prophetic evangelism, by James Ryle (W Publishing Group)
larger than any of us have ever dreamed. To get connected with us and to purchase these and
And with it will come a harvest that is other resources, visit SpiritLed Woman online at
unprecedented in church history. ❧ www.spiritledwoman.com\goingdeeper.

WHEN IT’S TOUGH TO SURRENDER

W hen you come to the end of any season that’s been hard, tough or heart-
breaking, it’s usually as difficult to conclude as it has been to live. The end
of such a time often becomes the start of a soul’s long night of restlessness, reliv-
ing the struggle and re-experiencing its pain.
But into such days, moments or seasons of the soul, Jesus’ closing words from
the cross speak a principle of discipleship laden with wisdom: “Father, into Your
hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46, NKJV).
There is something sublime about Jesus’ final words from the cross. Though
sometimes overlooked, their message points the way to wisely conclude any bad
day, any trying experience: Place it into the hands of God and leave it there.
There are dozens of life issues that call us to follow Jesus’ pathway in living through
tough times, issues that are seldom as quick to pass as we would wish and that always
call us to the cross to hear the Savior’s words again, “Into Your hands I commit.”
Committing ourselves into His hands may be the key for some of us to enter a new
day—or new year—with newfound expectancy, notwithstanding the “bad” behind us.
For Jesus, the end of it all finally was revealed in a resurrection. For you and me—
where “surrender” is truly made—there’s full reason to expect precisely the same.
—Jack Hayford