Diving Into Dreams: The Attic Space of Our Minds

"‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams."

Joel 2:28-29

Dreaming About Certain Places In A House

One element that the Lord has given me revelation into is when we're dreaming about certain parts of a house, and how that correlates to our waking life.

Because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, often the Lord will show us things about our lives by having us dream about certain rooms in the house. He hides messages for us in symbols, in parable form, to give us instruction about certain parts of our life that He's highlighting for us to work through with Him.

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own.

-1 Corinthians 6:19

Each room in a house represents a different part of our life, relationships, family, and areas God is highlighting to bring us into greater freedom with Him. Sometimes He shows us specific details if we're seeking greater clarity or asking Him for help in some area. If we get stuck, He often gives us dreams to show us where we're stuck, and how to become unstuck and move forward in our faith.

So, here we go, let's start with the first part of our spiritual houses - the attic. I'm going to share what God showed me, give you some Bible verses for further study, and then I'll outline specific dreams I've received from the Lord and the interpretation the Holy Spirit gave to me. I pray this helps you!

When You Dream About An Attic

The attic is the top room of your home, and it correlates to the very top room of your spiritual body that houses the Holy Spirit: your mind.

When you dream you are in an attic, or going up to an attic (via stairs), or looking through the contents of items in an attic, or with someone else in an attic, all of those refer to what God is showing you in your mind. And most often, He's showing you what needs to be renewed within your thought-life, or with relationships, or what may need to be cleaned up or examined with Him in order to move on in your faith.

Let's walk through a few scenarios of what God could be drawing your attention to:

• Walking up the stairs to go into the attic: generally speaking going upstairs means to climb up higher with the Lord. It's the Lord making you 'mindful' of His ways, and He's leading you up in your faith walk to a place in your mind that He's drawing your attention to.

• Could suggest something that will be a process or a journey, stepping up or going higher in your faith. There might be some level of discipleship with the Lord, and a certain level of effort that will be required from you. Climbing steps could require an exercise of your faith on your way up.

• Standing in the attic: what did you notice when you were there? Was it dusty? Was it clean? Did it look nicely finished or were all the wood beams showing? The state of the attic, shows your current mental state or thought-life about something. If things look old, the Lord is likely drawing your attention to your old ways of thinking, and wanting you to renew your mind and thoughts to conform to His ways and His thoughts. Meditate with the Lord on the condition of the attic He showed you, and write down what He reveals you to work on with Him.

• Is it under construction? I'm going to outline an "attic construction" dream below that I received from the Lord.

• Construction signals that the Holy Spirit has been invited into your mind and He's overhauling your thoughts and mindsets. There is an acknowledgement on your part that you need to renew your mind, renew your thoughts, and your head is currently "under construction." A dream like this is a really good sign! Keep doing the hard work with the Lord to renew your thoughts, for you will be rewarded for your hard work with Him.

• Are you looking through boxes or bags inside of an attic space? This is usually a sign that the Lord is bringing to the forefront some memories that have been stored away or "boxed up" from your past. He's shedding light on past memories that need to be dealt with...there's likely some unforgiveness, bitterness, sadness, or other emotions attached to those memories that are keeping you from moving into greater freedom with Him.

• If God shows you this, my best advice is to take some time (could be at night when you're by yourself, in the morning during your Bible study, a weekend afternoon...) and either journal or talk them out with the Lord, the memories that are bubbling to the surface and all of your feelings associated with them. Get honest. What did you feel when it happened? How did you feel afterward? How are you feeling now? Explain your thoughts and feelings about the whole situation, the after effects, about the people associated, and even what you think of the Lord in all of this. This is important! Often we have bitterness toward God for not doing something different, or not changing certain circumstances in our life. Get honest about it. That's how you work through the entire contents of a "boxed" up memory and deal with it for good so that it doesn't live in the attic space of your mind!

• Is there someone else with you in the attic? That can be a pretty good indicator into what the Lord is drawing your attention to that needs to be renewed.

• Let's say that there's a person in your dream, maybe not in the attic, but in your dream, and then you end up in an attic space. The Lord could be showing you how the relationship has affected your thoughts or your mind. He could be showing you how that person has affected you, and that a renewal of your mind is required to let go of something that was in that relationship.

• He might show you a person in the attic, or in the kitchen (which has to do with the heart- we'll get to that later), and how they have affected your heart and what that's done to your thoughts. The Lord is showing you how to renew your thoughts by dealing with the feelings in your heart! (see dream #2 below)

• Are there other rooms in the attic space of your dream? Bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms...those are all indicators of something specific happening in your thought life. Bedrooms=alignment with someone or something. Bathrooms=cleanup required, or a cleaning process that is happening. Living room or spaces=that which is more public...each of these shows what is in the mind that God is drawing our attention to and what He's asking us to do. (see dream #1 below!)

These are just a few likely scenarios the Lord might show you in a dream, and what each one means. In each and every case, the attic is representative of the mind and our thoughts. God often shows us the state of our mind, so we can work more effectively in our relationship with Him. As we deal with past memories, relationships, current situations or trains of thinking, our faith will expand and we'll learn to hear Him in greater measure.

Dealing with our thoughts, changes our lives!

...Regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

-Ephesians 4:22-24 AMP

Now, we're going to move onto dreams of attic spaces. Every single dream below the Lord gave me, outlining very specific things He was showing me about either myself or my relationships.

Dream #1 - A Friend's Attic Space

I had a dream not that long ago in which the Lord showed me the attic space of a friend. We'll call them Friend.

This Friend and I were pretty close once. But as the Lord pressed into me to go deeper with Him, Friend and I grew distant. As the months turned into years, more distance and space grew between us as I kept leaning into the Lord and being obedient to the plans He had for me.

Over time, there were subtle shifts in Friends' behavior that I couldn't quite put my finger on. My discernment was kicking up, but I couldn't hone in on exactly what was going on. So I prayed, and I asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding about the situation, and then He gave me this dream.

In the dream, I was standing in an attic. New sheet rock had been put up on the walls, but the walls hadn't been finished yet. The floors had all been sanded down, and not yet redone. New windows had been installed, and everything was in a state of "under construction." To my left, I saw a set of blueprints on the table. I went to look at the blueprints. I saw that there were plans for 2 bedrooms, spaced apart, and 2 bathrooms attached to those bedrooms, also space apart. It was clear from the blueprints that these bedrooms/bathrooms were meant to be separate.

As soon as I picked up the blueprints I heard the word, "abandoned." Suddenly I knew in my spirit that the instructions had been given, and the plans abandoned by Friend.

I put the blueprints down and moved away from the table. As I did, I saw Friend sitting on some steps. The steps were also sanded down, but hadn't been refinished. Friend looked despondent, it's the word that immediately came to me. Friend didn't see me.

I turned to my right and I noticed a door, it was the only part of the attic that hadn't been stripped bare. The door was made of old, solid wood. I opened the door and to my surprise, an entire bedroom opened up to me. It was completely furnished. It looked like a bedroom that you might see in a Victorian bed and breakfast. There was a beautiful bed, wall sconces, a reading nook, dark wallpaper and carpeting, a dresser with clothing in it, and a bathroom was attached off to one side. The bathroom also was fully furnished and functional.

Immediately when I stepped into this bedroom I knew who it belonged to, it was Friend's friend from her past. The word of Friend's friend was imprinted into my mind. There wasn't anything obvious from the room that gave it away, but the Holy Spirit downloaded that knowledge to me.

As I stood looking around the room, moving about to take it all in, suddenly I woke up.

Let's break it down.

In the dream, I was standing in an attic. New sheet rock had been put up on the walls, but the walls hadn't been finished yet. The floors had all been sanded down, and not yet redone. New windows had been installed, and everything was in a state of "under construction."

Standing in the attic is seeing inside the current state of the mind. The truth of God's Word has been revealed to this person, and they have begun the work to renew thoughts, renew opinions and ideas, to turn away from old ways of thinking and be established in grace and truth. The process has begun, but it hasn't been finished (construction). That's why the walls and floors weren't completed yet.

To my left, I saw a set of blueprints on the table. I went to look at the blueprints. I saw that there were plans for 2 bedrooms, spaced apart, and 2 bathrooms attached to those bedrooms, also space apart. It was clear from the blueprints that these bedrooms/bathrooms were meant to be separate.

As soon as I picked up the blueprints I heard the word, "abandoned." Suddenly I knew in my spirit that the instructions had been given, and the plans abandoned by Friend.

The table was on my left because there is a real weakness present in Friend's thought life that needed God's strength. The left is often a sign of God's strength demonstrated through our weaknesses. It can also mean rejection, as in the blueprints were rejected, not wanting to depend on God's strength to fulfill His plans for Friends' life. The blueprints are God's plans for Friends' life. At some point, the Holy Spirit clearly laid out the plans God had for Friend, and in order to move forward in greater relationship and communion with God (the table), a decision needed to be made to follow Him. The table speaks of communion or fellowship, and also the planning place, the place where decisions are made. Friend didn't like God's plans, and had made a decision to abandon them.

On the blueprints, I noticed 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms which were separated. Two means to divide and separate, bedroom is our intimate connections with people or God, including those who are in our inner circle, and bathrooms are the place in which we are cleansed and washed by God's Word. It's a place of conviction and repentance, turning from old ways and being renewed into God's ways. The plans had been abandoned because God showed Friend there needed to be a complete division from someone or something, that both parties would be cleansed by the Lord, but separately. This relationship had run its course.

I put the blueprints down and moved away from the table. As I did, I saw Friend sitting on some steps. The steps were also sanded down, but hadn't been refinished. Friend looked despondent, it's the word that immediately came to me. Friend didn't see me.

It was at this point in my dream that I suddenly understood whose mind I was in, and God was showing me why He had separated us many years earlier. While I had been willing to do the hard work of renewing my mind, Friend lost the courage and hope to keep going on in faith. Friend didn't like the Lord's plans, and became despondent to the work of the Holy Spirit.

I turned to my right and I noticed a door, it was the only part of the attic that hadn't been stripped bare. The door was made of old, solid wood. I opened the door and to my surprise, an entire bedroom opened up to me. It was completely furnished. It looked like a bedroom that you might see in a Victorian bed and breakfast. There was a beautiful bed, wall sconces, a reading nook, dark wallpaper and carpeting, a dresser with clothing in it, and a bathroom was attached off to one side. The bathroom also was fully furnished and functional.

Immediately when I stepped into this bedroom I knew who it belonged to, it was Friend's friend from her past. The word of Friend's friend was imprinted into my mind. There wasn't anything obvious from the room that gave it away, but the Holy Spirit downloaded that knowledge to me.

As I stood looking around the room, moving about to take it all in, suddenly I woke up.

The bedroom is located to my right, because the Lord is showing me that Friend has given this person authority and power (RIGHT), and an entire room has been set up in Friend's mind. It was immediately downloaded into my mind while I slept, that this is the relationship the Lord desired to separate Friend from. Friend's friend was keeping Friend from moving into holier realms with the Lord, becoming a distraction and a stronghold for Friend. Whatever ideas or thoughts this person has, it is preventing Friend from moving deeper with Christ, and caused Friend to abandon God's blueprints for their life. This bedroom and bathroom was the only place in Friends mind that the Holy Spirit wasn't allowed to touch or makeover - that means this person has a stronghold on Friends' thoughts. Friends' friendship has run its course because the friend hasn't put off the old self and been renewed in the ways of Christ, and it's preventing Friend from fully allowing the Holy Spirit to do a new work in Friends' mind. The bedroom must be torn down for the Lord to complete His plans for Friend. The Lord wants Friend to let friend go, and when this happens, the division of the friendship will cause both people to be united in deeper communion with Christ, being cleansed in their hearts and minds and sanctified into greater glory with Him.

And that's it!

Now why did God give me this dream? The number 1 reason He shares things with me is so that I can start praying. Now I know who to pray for, what to pray for, how to pray, and what God is desiring to do in Friends life. Prayer changes things! The blueprints might be abandoned right now, but maybe not forever.

Friend is still hanging out in the attic, the Holy Spirit says, "Pray for revival! Revival of hope, pray for courage to flood in!" Dreams give us clear instructions for prayer or action.

The second reason He showed me is because I asked! I was wondering! I knew God had separated Friend and I for a reason, but I didn't know whyyyyy.

I trusted the Lord and I was obedient to the call when He asked me to put distance between us, but I still wanted to know why. That part wasn't clear. I do also want to say this- I have been asking why for over 2 years. It might be almost 4 years. I would have to go back into my journals to see exact dates. In the right time, the Lord revealed the reason to me. Had He given it sooner, I wouldn't have been ready for it.

The only reason I mention that is to say, if you're asking why and you don't get an answer, don't assume one will never come! Just because God doesn't answer your prayer today, doesn't mean He won't tomorrow. In my case, it was many tomorrows later - but He replied, and He gave me the why.

Verses for further study:

• 2 Corinthians 5:1
• Genesis 40:17, 19 (birds can represent the "spirits of the air-the devil", being despondent is allowing depressive and hopeless spirits to take over, and not letting the Lord continue His work)
• 2 Corinthians 10:5
• Romans 12:2
• 1 Corinthians 2:11
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• James 1:8
  

Dream #2 - What's In My Mind

This is a dream God gave me several years ago about the state my mind was in regarding a family member. We'll call them Family. Some dreams I have them in the first person, some in the third person. This was a third person dream- meaning I watched myself during the whole dream.

In the dream, I saw myself walk into the kitchen. I noticed Family was standing near the stove, cooking something. I watched as Me walked past Family, and went up a set of stairs. I then saw Me in the attic. The attic was run down and dusty, wood beams on the ceiling. The old wood floors had a thick layer of dust on them. It was evident no one had been in here for awhile. I watched Me go over to a box and open it, rifling through the contents. Another box was near by, Me looked through the contents of that one too. The boxes contained things from my childhood. Most of the attic had been cleaned up of boxes, but it was evident that there were still a few remaining. In the center of the room several had been opened, and Me was looking through the contents. Then I woke up.

Let's break it down.

In the dream, I saw myself walk into the kitchen. I noticed Family was standing near the stove, cooking something. I watched as Me walked past Family, and went up a set of stairs.

The beginning of the dream sets up the rest of it - the Lord was calling my attention to the Family Member who had affected my heart (the kitchen represents the heart, we'll go into it later). Family Member was cooking, it was poison - Family had poisoned my heart. I then walked up the stairs to the attic, the Lord is calling my attention to go higher with Him, and needing to walk up the stairs to get to the attic means there will be some effort required in removing the poison from Family Member.

The attic was run down and dusty, wood beams on the ceiling. The old wood floors had a thick layer of dust on them. It was evident no one had been in here for awhile. I watched Me go over to a box and open it, rifling through the contents. Another box was near by, Me looked through the contents of that one too. The boxes contained things from my childhood.

This area of my mind was still stuck in old ways of thinking and not renewed by the Spirit. The Lord was calling my attention to specific memories that involved Family. While the poison from Family had affected my heart, it had also affected my mind and how I thought. The things Family had said or done in the past (boxes=memories) hadn't just hurt my heart, but impacted my mind as well. The Lord was bringing me into a season of opening these memories so that He and I could go through the contents of them together. They were all memories from my childhood.

Most of the attic had been cleaned up of boxes, but it was evident that there were still a few remaining, and in the center of the room several had been opened and Me was looking through the contents. Then I woke up.

Most of my mind had been cleaned up of the memories (boxes) because I knew that I had done a lot of hard work involving Family many years prior. The dust suggests that it had been awhile since I had worked out some issues I still had with Family, and while much of my mind had been cleaned up, there was still some memories and residual traumas that were preventing me from being renewed into a new creation in this area of my life. I still had parts of my old self to fully put off, in order to be completely renewed in my mind.

Now what you wouldn't know but I will tell you, I had done a hard several years of work regarding Family in my mid-20's, that's why much of my 'mind' space had been cleared. But the Holy Spirit couldn't do a complete reconstruction until the rest of the memories were dealt with and tossed out.

Something God showed me through this dream...

We can be matured and moving into greater areas of sanctification and glory in some areas of our life, and be spiritually destitute in other areas. In this case, in regards to Family Member, I was destitute. I had yet to let go of past traumas and poison that kept me stuck! I still had boxes of emotions left untouched.

I want to share with you a neat nugget God gave me while I was unpacking these memories and emotions. Something God said to me is, "Memories can't hurt you. The memories that you have from these traumas, this person who hurt you, they can't physically jump out of the memory and hurt you again. The residual emotion lingers, but the physical trauma is past!"

I'm sharing that with you because often we don't want to walk down memory lane, the hurt was real. Real physical pain was experienced! But what the Lord was showing me is that the person from the memory, can't physically jump out of that memory and hurt me again. It's the emotions we felt at the time that is continuing to plague us when we examine the memory. And Jesus wants us to be free from it!

So why did God give me this dream?

The Lord wanted me to unpack all of my emotions tied to certain memories. I'm going to walk you through each step we took, because it might resonate with something He has you do.

1. The first step was me saying, out loud to the Lord, what happened to me. Just speaking about what happened, took a lot of the power away from the event. Our words carry power, and when we release them into His hands, the power and pain from the trauma tends to go with our words! Putting the events into words, naming it in His presence, meant I was no longer trying to hide from reality or downplay it in my memories. That's important!
2. The second thing the Lord had me do, was feel through the pain of it. I called out what I was feeling. I cried, sometimes sobbed. I told Him how I felt about it, what I felt like should have happened but didn't. I put all of my emotions into words, and then I casted those emotions onto Him, because He cares for me.
3. Next He had me deal with all the emotions I had toward other people in these events. Were there other people involved? Was there someone who could have done something but didn't? Release those people, those hurts, those emotions, into His loving arms.
4. This part surprised me, but it's as if the Holy Spirit bubbled this out of me and taught me the importance of it. You might have emotions or anger toward the Lord. Maybe there is some bitterness in your heart because God didn't stop this from happening. Maybe some burning hatred at God. This is a real step in the process of releasing negative memories. If there's a part of you that feels like God should have stepped in or intervened on your behalf, stopping the person from harming you, then there will be bitterness, anger, frustration, and even hatred that you're feeling toward Him. Telling Him what you're feeling about Him, will be a big step in the healing process!
5. Then, it's forgiveness time! God's going to ask you to forgive them, forgive all people involved, and to forgive Him if you're angry with Him. And then to receive His healing love into the memory.
6. Lastly, the invitation to the Holy Trinity to be in this memory, healing every part of it. Invite the Lord to heal the pain, to restore every broken piece, to give you unspeakable peace. Ask the Holy Spirit to counsel you - He's the most powerful Counselor I know. And He's perfect in His counsel. Give Jesus the memory, put it at the foot of the cross, and receive His healing love. Ask the Lord to give you incredible joy, and may it cover every inch of the pain.

What happens if it's still bothering you...repeat all the steps.

If the memories that are plaguing you or haunt you are deeply painful, then it might take a few months, or even a few years to really express every bit of poison from certain events. If traumas were repeatedly happening to you, then this could take awhile. It's easy to be discouraged when it feels like you're still dealing with it...but just keep in mind, some of these things happened again and again over the span of years.

I once was talking to someone about why they quit going to counseling. They had tried counseling a few times and said, "It didn't work. I could tell I was going to be there forever." My response was, "Did you think years of trauma was going to be resolved in a day?"

Sometimes we quit early because it's hard, because we become discouraged about the length of time something is taking...don't diminish how awful some of these things were that happened to you. Eighteen years of hurt isn't done in a day. Be honest with yourself. Take real stock of the damage, of the situation, of the depth and length of what happened. And then be ready to walk it out till it's fully done!

You might be wondering, can some of these memories ever be fully healed? I'm here to say yes, absolutely 100% yes they can be. But you can't quit on it.

You can't quit on yourself, or on God. It's ok to take breaks. Sometimes we need to. But when the Holy Spirit prompts you to come back and keep working, don't ignore Him! He really does know what He's doing with you, and you can trust that He has your best interest at heart.

Verses for further study:

• Acts 10:4 - the mind is a place where memories are stored/in this case God heard and remembered Cornelius' alms
• Matthew 6:20 - this work is a treasure! There is a reward in heaven for it
• Acts 1:13-14 - the upper room is likened to the attic
• Philippians 3:13
• Isaiah 43:18
• Romans 8:5-6

Dream #3 - What's In A Family Member's Mind

This is a dream God gave me to show me what was happening in the mind of a family member, and why boundaries with this person was important.

We can forgive someone and think that means they can still have full access to our lives - but if they haven't done the work, or are unwilling to do the work, then our lack of boundaries with certain people will only end up keeping us in painful cycles of trauma and abuse. In this dream, God showed me why boundaries with Family Member (FM for short!) was vital for my spiritual growth.

In the dream, I was standing in a garage. The garage didn't belong to me, I had never seen it before. There was a lot of junk all over, I didn't see any cars. It didn't feel like I could move very much within this space, because of how many boxes and items lined the walls and were stacked up all around me. In front of me was FM, we were talking about something. FM walked away from me, and headed toward a rickety wood staircase that led up to the attic. I watched as FM started walking up the stairs- I remember feeling hopeful. FM got near the top, and stumbled on the last step and didn't make it into the attic. Then the dream changed.

Let's break it down.

In the dream, I was standing in a garage. The garage didn't belong to me, I had never seen it before. There was a lot of junk all over, I didn't see any cars. It didn't feel like I could move very much within this space, because of how many boxes and items lined the walls and were stacked up all around me.

The garage represents someone's ministry (or faith journey) that's been stalled, retired, parked, in storage, or going through a spiritual tune-up. It can also mean restoration of a person's ministry. Because a car wasn't present, that means FM has let go of the ministry purpose God put in FM's heart. We all have a specific purpose or role to play in God's kingdom, we can reject that purpose, thereby kicking the car out of the garage (letting go of the ministry God would have us walk out on earth). The reason FM has let go of any ideas about following God's plan for their life, is because of how many memories (boxes) and issues of life (junk), FM has and would need to deal with in order to move forward in FM's faith journey. The garage space would need to be cleaned up before a car (ministry purpose) could even be parked in it, and then be worked on before being released into the world.

In front of me was FM, we were talking about something. FM walked away from me, and headed toward a rickety wood staircase that led up to the attic.

The conversation wasn't revealed to me, but whatever was said, it caused FM to begin the journey with the Lord, going higher with Him in faith to deal with the thoughts and ideas in FM's mind. These thoughts are preventing FM from being able to clean up the garage space that would allow the Lord to use FM for ministry. God has a wonderful purpose and plan for each of us, to move His kingdom forward and change lives here on earth. If something is preventing Him from using us, He wants to clean that up! He wants to uproot fear, lies, tormenting emotions, trauma, evil thoughts and imaginations - anything that gets in the way of faith growing in our hearts.

I watched as FM started walking up the stairs- I remember feeling hopeful. FM got near the top, and stumbled on the last step and didn't make it into the attic. Then the dream changed.

There is evidently some effort that will be required by FM to even get into the attic space and clean up their thought-life. There might be a war against the flesh to choose to go higher with Christ, acknowledging that the selfish desires are even there. Stumbling on the last step suggests that FM will take their eyes off God and slip back into a place of ungodliness. The fear of what might be found in FM's mind when God opens the boxes, the fear of the work required, causes FM to look away from God and back at the flesh, choosing that instead.

Why did God show me this?

First, because He had made it evident that boundaries were necessary for my heart. Without a deeper understanding of what's going on in FM's head/heart, I wasn't sure why boundaries were required for the long term. God revealed to me to keep long-term boundaries and do not deviate from it.

Knowing this information allowed me to submit and surrender to God's plan without feeling guilty about it. It also allowed me to strengthen my resolve against being manipulated by FM, and that was important in my own spiritual growth.

Whatever God is revealing to us, He isn't giving us understanding to harm us or because He hates us- but rather because He loves us so much that He wants us to be free from anything that hinders us from being close to Him. If the fear of man, or being able to be manipulated by man keeps us from surrendering to His perfect will and plan, then He's going to show us what we need to know to let go of or walk away from, to follow Him fully. Isn't that the desire and cry of your heart and soul? To follow Him with abandon?

Verses for further study:

• Genesis 28:12
• Acts 20:9 - don't fall asleep on what God wants to do in your mind!
• Isaiah 26:3
• Proverbs 3:5
• Romans 7:21-25
• Colossians 3:2

The 3-Step Process In Ephesians 4

There is a 3-step process in Ephesians 4:22-24 that causes us to be able to clean up our thought-life. The first step in verse 22 is " that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." In order to even get into the attic space of our minds and look through the boxes, we have to be willing to put off our former conduct, our fleshly, corrupted self.

If you notice how the verse reads, it says that the old man grows corrupt- that means that if we don't choose to put it off, that our flesh will grow more and more corrupt. Deciding to go up the stairs to the attic and deal with the memories, is this part of the verse: putting off our former way of thinking or living. Being willing to even open a box of memories, is choosing to put off our old ways of thinking and being.

It might be a battle to even choose to do that. It might take some time to see all the ways in which we have been deceived by the lusts of our desires, or what caused us to think that way in the first place. Choosing to go God's way, might be a battle. Don't be afraid of the battle - it won't kill you. Instead, it creates a resilience and strength within you, and a fusing of your life to the ways of the Holy Spirit. It changes you!

The second part is mentioned in verse 23 - "and be renewed in the spirit of your mind." This is in part where we see boxes being dealt with and moved out in a dream, making room for the construction to take place. In the dream about myself, I opened boxes and dealt with the memories. That's the first step in renewing your mind.

If the memories aren't opened and examined, then they remain stuck within you. But as soon as they are opened up? Now they're not longer stuck in your heart and mind. And as they're being dealt with, the Holy Spirit goes to work reconstructing your thoughts and emotions. We are renewed in the spirit of our mind! Our mind is a vessel for the Holy Spirit! (Or other spirits...) And allowing the Holy Spirit complete access to it, gives us a brand new mind conformed to the thoughts and plans of the Lord God Almighty.

The third part is- "and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Construction is complete and we walk in a new way of thinking and being. If you stumble, don't fret. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off (repentance), and remind yourself that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are brand new. Walk like it!

Why Is Dealing With The Past Important?

The first time I talked about this is in the article The God Who Heals. You can read the whole story there (under the surgery section).

Many years ago, when I was about 12, I incurred a wound on the bottom of my foot that got infected. When we went to the doctor to get to remove the infection, he had me sit on the exam table. The doctor didn't tell me what he was going to do, but he put his thumbs on either side of the wound, and then he split the wound open. I passed out from the pain.

After it was opened they numbed it up and cleaned it out. Now all I have left from that memory is the faintest of scars on the bottom on my foot. You wouldn't have any idea I have this scar unless I told you, that's how faint and faded it is.

A few years ago the Lord showed me the reason this all happened- because He is that Doctor. He's the Surgeon who gently places His thumbs on each side of the festered and infected wound, splits it open and reveals the original cut, in order that it can be cleaned out completely and stitched up to heal well.

If there are traumas in your life that never healed the first time, God's going to split those wounds open. It often happens when we "unbox" those memories in our mind. That's the Lord splitting open the wounds from our past, revealing the infection (bitterness, betrayal, anger, frustration, anxiety, depression), so that He can clean it out completely. Confronting the emotions we have, crying in His presence, is the infection leaving your body. Telling Him how you feel, what happened to you, is the infection seeping away from your heart and mind. Inviting the Holy Spirit in, letting the Perfect Surgeon have free reign in your life, is the cleansing process that heals you.

Isn't that beautiful? I know it doesn't always feel like it, but that's how much the Father cares about every detail in your life. He orchestrates certain events to happen to split wide those wounds so that they can be healed up the right way. Some of those events take our breath away and cause us to pass out from the pain, I know. But that's how intimately concerned the Lord is with your healing process. Sometimes ripping the band aid off is the best way - even if it doesn't always feel like it.

Once you have done this process a few times you'll realize how deeply God cares for you. And in this process you'll experience an intimacy with the Lord that your soul longs for. Ever wondered how to get closer to God? This is how. Ever craved the depth of His presence? This will get you there.

No longer will there be a veil of your traumas and emotions, thoughts and feelings that separate you from your Father. That closeness you desire will heal and replace every wrong thought, and bring you into complete restoration and fullness.

Embrace the Lord if He leads you into the attic space of your mind! Healing, health and wholeness stand before you. Say yes to this process with Jesus, I promise you won't regret it.

Writing to you with joy,

Jessica

Prayer To Hear From God In Your Dreams

Lord God, I pray that You would activate within me the ability to hear You speak when I sleep.

Bypass my senses, my reasoning, my logic, and give me Your senses, Your reasoning, Your wisdom and understanding.

Your Word says that Your ways are not my ways, Your thoughts are not my thoughts.

So, give me Your ways, and give me Your thoughts.

While I sleep, open up my ability to hear You clearly.

Speak to me while I rest.

I pray for deep, restful sleep.

I pray for sleep that refreshes, for sleep that heals.

Anything that You want to reveal to me about my past, my present, or my future, do so when I close my eyes.

I pray for Your divine protection over me when I sleep, that it wouldn't be a time of terror but a time of revelation from You.

And I pray that when I wake and approach You to understand what You have said,

That You would answer me when I call, and give me clarity when I ask for it.

I pray for ears that hear, a heart that understands Your will, ways, leading and voice.

I give myself to You.

I give my dreams to You.

Be my God in this area of my life.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen