I often ask the Lord before going to sleep to speak to me through a spiritual dream. I have had many but they are not a regular occurrence. This week I woke up thrilled that He had spoken to me again.

My dream was short. I was buried in an extremely shallow grave, and as soon as the dirt was on top of me ( I was not frightened at all) this huge hand came down from heaven and went under me and scooped me up and placed me on my feet on the other side of the grave. There were many standing in front of me and I was so excited as I shouted out, see how easy this is, it’s a “do over”. God gives us a do over!

I am not a dream interpreter but God is. So when I asked what this meant the Lord said two things. Arise and then gave me the scripture Ephesians 5:14.

Ephesians 5:14-20 Amplified Bible

14 For this reason He says,

“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.”

I knew that my dream was not about actual death but of spiritual sleep and the importance of waking up.

I found this partial devotional by Tozer that addresses this need to awake in Ephesians.

“ This verse is often spoken to sinners, but it was not written to sinners. Ephesians was never written to sinners. It is not a message to sinners at all, but a message to one of the best churches in the New Testament. Yet the writer says, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Some of the Ephesians were in a somnolent condition; that is, they were morally good but unenlightened. They were religious but un-anointed.It is perfectly possible for a good, faithful, loyal church member to be spiritually asleep- being in a spiritual state that parallels natural sleep.”

I sensed from the Holy Spirit that it is imperative for all of us to take care that we do not just wait for things to return as they were 18 months ago, but that we are careful to be in a wakeful state spiritually now. If we have been sleeping then we should pray that God wake us up, as He did in my dream, set us on our feet and be ready to share that He is on the move, able to give us all light and discernment and truth which is vital at this time. We must pray for both enlightenment and for an anointing to hear His voice and land on our feet ready to share whatever message He has for us to deliver.

It is all too easy during this time of waiting for things to return to normal to move into a state of sleep-walking, where we look awake but are really not. The next verses in this passage give us direction:

15 Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], 16 [a]making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.19 [b]Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

We must measure our time carefully, not wasting it. We are being called to live with purpose and that requires daily seeking God’s direction. He promises to order the steps of the righteous but we need to ask what those are so that we are able to make the most of each one. There are opportunities available to us that have never been there before. People actually answer their phones and have time to talk with us. Many are venturing out hungry for new relationships that have meaning. This is a time to request a daily filling of the Holy spirit so that we will have something to share! Ask that our hearts be filled with His joy, love and peace so that we are able to this share encouragement with others.

Friends, everyday we are given another day to “ do it over”. God rescues us from sleep, He stands us on our feet and gives us a message of hope to those standing in front of us. Reach out to Him and ask for dreams, visions, discernment and direction. He promises that His sheep will hear His voice.

Who is right in front of you today?