I once read a story about Joni Eareckson Tada’s frustration over people prophesying that she would be healed. While Joni would dearly love to be able to walk again, it is her belief that God has placed her exactly where he wants her, paralysis and all.
Many well meaning Christians have not believed that her disability is God’s will for Joni, and have claimed that they received visions from God showing her healing. Of course, it is entirely possible that these are true visions and that she will be restored at some point in the future. However, it is more likely that these are simply dreams of hope and are not prophesies from God. Unfortunately, there will be no way to know until after Joni’s death.
This example points out a dangerous trend that has swept through our churches. People see a problem, have a dream that shows a resolution, and then claim that it is a prophesy from God. While I do believe that God does give visions of truth and prophesy, I’m not sure that it is as frequent as people claim.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29 (ESV) (Also quoted in Acts 2:17-18)
For me, this issue has come up quite frequently in the last few months. In our church, there are fractured relationships among leadership and people have had strong feelings, dreams, and visions that contradict each other. When talking with a very wise friend, she advised to look at the fruit. If the fruit is good, it may be okay to trust the dream or vision, but if the fruit is bad, maybe the vision should be questioned.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
This seems to be very good advice, particularly when Christians are claiming opposite directives from God. When relationships are broken to the point that they feel called from God to part ways, and then another Christian claims that they see a vision of complete reconciliation and restoration, is this a dream of hope or a prophesy from God? The fruit in my particular situation is telling me that these particular visions are simply dreams of hope. I would love to be proven wrong, but I am not going to force even more conflict in a small hope that the vision is true.
When bad things happen in life, it is okay to be angry and frustrated. Joni does not like that she is disabled, but the fruit of her ministry is so powerful that I can only imagine that the “prophesies of healing” are really just dreams of hope.
Read: Why Joni Eareckson Tada Praises God for Not Healing Her
Similarly, in my case, I believe that while God is sad over the fractured relationships, the parting of ways may be what he intends, despite all of the hopes that people have for complete restoration. Sure, a miracle from God would be lovely, but demanding a miracle that never comes causes so much more strife than the original fracture. Applied wisdom is key to having harmonious Christian relationships!
I pray that if you ever have a dream or a vision, that you will seriously consider whether it is simply a dream of hope before telling people that it is a prophesy from God. If you aren’t sure, consider taking the route of humility and telling people that you aren’t sure. What kind of suffering has Joni endured from well-meaning, but most likely false hope? Let’s try to find joy in Christ, not false promises, even in the midst of suffering. If Joni can can find joy in her situation, so can we!
Reflection Questions
Consider the following reflection questions:
- How does Joni Eareckson Tada’s perspective on her paralysis challenge or resonate with your own beliefs about God’s will in difficult circumstances?
- Consider the tension between the desire for healing and the belief that one is exactly where God intends them to be. How do you navigate such tensions in your own faith journey?
- Reflect on the prevalence of people claiming visions and prophecies within the church, as highlighted in the text. How has this trend manifested in your own spiritual community, if at all?
- The text suggests that discerning the authenticity of visions can be challenging. How do you approach the balance between acknowledging genuine prophetic experiences and being cautious about wishful thinking?
- The biblical verses from Joel 2:28-29 and Galatians 5:22-23 are referenced to guide discernment. How do these verses inform your understanding of evaluating the “fruit” of dreams or visions within your faith community?
- Consider the advice to examine the “fruit” of a vision, particularly in the context of conflicting visions within a church community. How might this practical advice be applied in your own experiences or observations?
- Reflect on the emotional responses to challenging situations, such as anger and frustration. How does Joni Eareckson Tada’s example of powerful ministry despite personal challenges influence your perspective on facing adversity in your own life?
- In your own encounters with dreams or visions, how do you differentiate between a dream of hope and a genuine prophecy? What criteria or practices do you use for discernment?
- Contemplate the balance between hoping for miracles and accepting the potential reality that certain situations may not experience complete restoration. How do you grapple with the tension between faith and acknowledging life’s complexities?
- Lastly, consider the call for humility in sharing dreams or visions. How might embracing humility impact the way spiritual experiences are communicated and received within your community?
Respond
Consider sharing your insights and experiences in the comments below!
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English Standard Version (ESV): Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
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