February 2025 From the Desk of Dave McLean

Power, Authority, Truth and Faith

I was asked by one of our guests if it was possible to overcome bad dreams. This person was having dreams of falling back into using drugs, and this was not their desire whatsoever. I shared with her that dreams like this tend to come from the fears we carry during the day, and then are played out in our sleep. I, too, have had fearful dreams.

Thankfully, our Lord gives us the weapons to fight this warfare. We have the power and authority to say no to fear and satan and yes to faith in God and His authority. Eph 6:16 “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.” While we have the power and authority to use our shield of faith, we must still take it up and exercise it. So, how does this verse translate to shoe leather?

Some years ago, I so desired a stronger faith. I studied and prayed for greater faith for 3 to 4 years. I wanted it, but fell continually and faithfully! I read God’s Word, biographies of Godly heroes and Bible stud ies on the subject, but I just continued to fail. One day, in my desperation, I cried out to God and begged Him for help. The Holy Spirit spoke to me, and said, “When you pray for faith, I will provide testing, trials and opportunities for you to exercise faith, but you still have to choose to exercise your faith. As you do, your faith will grow.”

I thought, of course! I can choose to shrink; I can choose to believe! But, for faith to be real, I must choose to exercise it. I must man up and choose His way over mine. I can’t expect God to just make and walk my hard decisions, I must step out of the boat, onto the water, and then walk. And if I begin to sink, I can cry out to Jesus and He will take hold of me. I must believe that, in Christ and with His Spirit and Truth, I can slay giants. I must know and believe that my choices and fears are not going to serve me. I must believe my Father enough to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. He will meet my needs and beyond- He knows best what I need and don’t need. But, I must believe enough to choose and exercise beyond fear, sight, com fort and cost. This is our proof of faith.

This faith extinguishes the flaming missiles of the evil one. This faith grows as we dwell in His Word and walk in His Truth. Exercised faith becomes stronger than the attacks that come against it. Exercised faith becomes familiar with our God and more comfortable walking beyond sight and human reason. As we exercise faith, we gain wisdom in the discerning of what is from our own logic and what is from the Truth and will of God. We will stumble and fall, sure, but God is not looking for perfection, rather, He’s looking for His children to try and try again. He picks us up, brushes us off, and sends us down the road of life with a closer walk. We don’t hold on to faith in God just because things go our way, we hold our faith because God is beautifully believable and worthy of our faithfulness. He’s the only one Who is fully believable!

So, how did I counsel this guest to overcome her bad dreams? I told her, “Pick a topic that will attack your fear- I would start with Faith or Faithfulness. Get to bed early and read the Scriptures for 30-45 minutes; taking notes will help strengthen your faith to overcome. When you turn out the light, meditate on what you learned and picture yourself applying it. Fall asleep meditating on God’s Word, and your dreams will change to Godly dreams. Stick with it, even- and especially- through doubts; satan will not roll over, but neither can you! Make this a routine and your weaknesses will become your strengths. 1 John 4:4 says, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”.”

There will be a fight, but your victory comes through fighting it. Your faith will conquer your fear, but as the Holy Spirit told me, “When you pray for faith, I will provide testing, trials and opportunities for you to exercise faith, but you still have to choose and exercise your faith, and as you do, your faith will grow.” What ever your struggle or weakness, ask God for the Power, Authority, Truth and Faith to turn your struggle and weakness into your strength and victory. He has given us the power and authority to overcome, but we must seek the Truth that applies, and apply it! Fight your warfare and fight your fears. In Christ, we have His Pow er and Authority, let’s use it! Amen? Amen! Dave