I woke up from a dream and I could not shake it off. The image was very vivid. I saw a high school friend. He looked terrible, he looked as if he was in his 60s, he was very tired, worn out and his face looked very tormented. The image stayed with me and would not go away. It was more than an image, it was like an experience of his pain in my own body.
I had a strong impression that I was supposed to reach out to him. But, I did not know how to start the conversation. I pretty much lost contact with him for years.
Even if I spoke to him, what was I supposed to say? God showed me in a dream your tormented face… It would feel so awkward, I did not know how to go about it.
We were on holiday visiting family in the Maldives, I tried to forget it, but the image and the intensity of the experience would not go away, I could not shake it off.
A few days later, I had an idea, since it was just before Easter so I decided to send him Easter wishes. When I did, he got back to me within a day or two.
We got on a phone, chatted for about an hour, I was listening for any opening, but there was none. We said bye to each other and hanged up the phones.
I thought to myself, maybe I was wrong, maybe I did hear it correctly.
However, I still had the experience in my body. The image would not go away.
I told him that in about a month I was supposed to go to Poland, he offered to meet up, so I decided to wait.
Meeting in Poland
When we met in Poland, he came to the hotel where we stayed with my wife. It was nice to see him, we chatted about everything, I was listening in my spirit, I wanted to share what I had in my heart, but again completely nothing, no opening, no indication.
The next day, he came to visit again and exactly the same happened. The thoughts started coming in, was I wrong about the impression? Did I make a mistake?
My flight back to the UK was the next day in the afternoon. Since I had only morning available so my plan was to have the final breakfast with my father before going to the airport.
My friend called again and said, that he wanted to meet up for the last time, I said, I could not do it as I had already planned to see my dad. He persisted and promised to give me a lift, remembering the dream I finally agreed.
When he came over the next morning, we only had very little time for any chat, so I decided not to care any longer if he would judge me or not, I did not want to wait and listen for any clues.
I simply said something along the line: “I believe in the power of prayers and I feel I should pray for you”, he looked at me a bit surprised but he said ok, so we stepped outside, I prayed over him and then I asked him if he would like to receive Jesus to his heart he said yes. He prayed with me and we parted. No demonstration, no supernatural manifestations, nothing unusual. I went to have breakfast with my dad and we took the flight back to the UK.
A few hours later he called me and shared what happened. He said that when he had stepped into his car after the prayer, he felt as if he had just had a shower and he was washed, it was a new fresh feeling that he did not feel for a very long time. He finally felt clean. I explained what happened, that he made a choice and had been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. He did not reveal any details but I felt there was something untold.
The Smuggling World
A few months later he finally opened up and shared his background. He said that he had stepped into to a smuggling world where someone took advantage of him and cheated him on quite a lot of money.
He could not take it any longer and he decided to take the matter into his own hands so he brought home a gun, when we checked the time, it was around the time when I had the dream.
After we prayed together, he had a change of heart, he decided to take the gun away. When he tried to take it away from his home, he felt as if a blanket of darkness came over him and tried to stop him. He described it as it was a very real experience, a cold, dark, gripping, paralysing fear, sitting on him and strongly resisting, but he did it, he disposed of the gun.
My son, do not walk in the way with them
It was not the end of the story, another few more months passed on and one day, when I was cooking at home, suddenly a very strong thought came to me, “call my friend”.
First I delayed and tried to ignore it, but the impression was very strong, it would not go away, it grew stronger and stronger. So I picked up my phone and gave him a call. We chatted for a while, but again, no opening, no indication. Seeing it led nowhere, we hanged up said goodbye and I returned to cooking thinking I must have heard it wrongly.
But, then, the impression intensified, “call him again”, it was very strong this time.
So I called him again and said straight “I feel there is something going on and I am to call you now”.
He paused and said, “how did you know it?” and then he opened up. He said he had been visited by a few people. Each of them had been cheated on money by the same guy who took advantage of my friend. One of the guys was just released from prison. They visited my friend as they wanted to pay the guy a visit and get their money back. My friend was invited to join in.
I prayed with him and then this proverb popped into my head while praying so I shared it with my friend. It exactly described his situation.
“My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol, And the whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions, We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”— 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread In the sight of any [g]bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners”
Proverbs 1:8-19
After the call and the few verses from the book of proverbs, my friend again had a change of hearts and he turned down the invitation of joining the other guys.
The big learning for me was to step out, I should learn not to dance around and wait for the right moment, but learn to share what I had on my heart, even If I risk making a mistake or being judged.
What would have happened if I ignored the impression? What if he was not persistent to meet me for the third time?
I risked being completely embarrassed and looking like a fool but that is nothing compared to consequences he could have faced. These small impressions can be the difference between life and death.
“We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!” 1 Corinthians 4:10
All the glory goes to God.
Be First to Comment