Most Beautiful Dream

“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land.” Isaiah 33:17, NAS.

Jennifer* is living amidst two worlds, and is struggling with the costs of following Jesus. She is a single woman living in a city known for its powerful black-magic cult. It is not at all unusual for Jennifer’s people group to mix occult beliefs with Islam. Before meeting Christians from America Jennifer was following the flow of her culture. As a Muslim, she was involved in the black magic of her city. Her particular occult involvement included amulets and charms that attracted men to her and helped her find work easily.

Yet after she started hearing about Jesus and praying with her new American friends the internal conflict started. After she was given several powerful and pointed verses about salvation, Jennifer prayed in the name of Jesus that God would reveal Himself to her. That same week Jennifer had two dreams. In her first dream she saw Jesus. The details were so intense that the only thing Jennifer could say is, “It was the most beautiful dream I’ve ever had.”

In her second dream she saw Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary told Jennifer that Jesus had washed away all of her sins. After the second dream she traveled four hours to the neighboring city where her American friends lived. A local Christian was also at the house as she described her dreams and asked to be delivered from her spiritual bondage. This local believer asked Jennifer if she wanted to put her faith in Jesus.

As Jennifer was led in a simple prayer of faith it was apparent by her facial expressions that she was fighting a spiritual battle. Jennifer knows that her new faith will not be accepted by her community, or by her family. She is also struggling with her occult attachments. These steps towards Jesus are worth celebrating, but the way of the cross will be difficult for this young woman.

God has taught Jennifer as she shares her testimony with her friends that her story alone is not enough.  Even prayer is not enough, she says. Rather, her friends must experience the touch of God that will change their hearts forever, just as she did.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

Jennifer will break free of her occult involvement, and will not become discouraged in her new faith.

God will use Jennifer to touch and free the hearts of many young women in her city.

The Holy Spirit will destroy the spiritual strongholds of occultism in Jennifer’s city.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.