Enduring Nightmares: The Pathway to God-Given Dreams

God is a God who gives each of us a dream—a vision, a calling, a sense of destiny for our lives. This dream is not just for those in ministry, but for every person, no matter their background or circumstance. Yet, with every God-given dream comes the reality of nightmares—seasons of adversity, pain, and discouragement that threaten to steal what God has planted in our hearts. These nightmares are not random; they are the enemy’s attempt to derail us, but they are also the very path God uses to purify our motives, deepen our faith, and prepare us for the fulfillment of His promises.

The journey to our destiny is never a straight line. The nightmare is not a sign that the dream is dead, but rather the necessary process that refines us. In the darkness, we discover who we truly are, stripped of the opinions and expectations of others. We also discover more about God—His faithfulness, His presence in our loneliness, and His ability to work in the silence. The nightmare is also the place where the enemy’s accusations are silenced, and God’s voice becomes clearer.

Biblical examples like Joseph and Jesus show us that the nightmare is always the pathway to the dream. Joseph’s prison and false accusations were not the end, but the preparation for his destiny. Jesus’ suffering and the cross were the necessary steps to the resurrection and the birth of the Church. The closer we get to the fulfillment of our dream, the more intense the opposition may become, but this is a sign that breakthrough is near.

Sometimes, like Hagar in the wilderness, we may feel so discouraged that we drop our dream, convinced it is dying. Yet, even when we have given up, God hears the cry of the dream itself. He calls us to go back, to pick up what we have dropped, and to trust Him to resurrect and fulfill what He has promised. Our responsibility is not to never fall, but to never quit. If we will endure, if we will trust God with our dreams, He will perform what He has promised. It is time to pick up those dreams again and believe that God is faithful.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Enduring the Nightmare Is Essential for the Dream Every God-given dream will be challenged by seasons of adversity and discouragement. These nightmares are not meant to destroy us, but to refine our motives and prepare us for the fulfillment of our destiny. The path to triumph always leads through trouble, and our willingness to endure is a vote of heaven’s confidence in us. [10:50]
• 2. Self-Discovery and God-Discovery Happen in Darkness The times of darkness and difficulty are where we truly discover who we are, apart from the opinions of others. It is also in these lonely, confusing moments that we come to know God more deeply, experiencing His presence and faithfulness in ways that sunshine days cannot teach us. God often chooses to reveal Himself in the cloud of darkness, shaping us for what is ahead. [16:00]
• 3. The Enemy’s Accusations Are Silenced Through Endurance When we persist through the nightmare, the enemy’s voice—telling us we are failures or that we will never make it—is silenced. The victory is not in never falling, but in refusing to quit. Our persistence in holding onto the dream shuts the mouth of the accuser and brings glory to God. [18:56]
• 4. God’s Faithfulness Is Greater Than Our Weakness Even when we have dropped our dreams in discouragement, God hears the cry of what He has planted in us. Like Hagar, we may feel hopeless, but God calls us to return, pick up the dream, and trust Him to resurrect and fulfill it. His faithfulness is not dependent on our strength, but on His promise and power. [24:19]
• 5. Breakthrough Is Often Closest When the Nightmare Is Loudest The intensity of the nightmare often increases as we approach the fulfillment of our dream. This is not a sign to give up, but a call to press in, to trust God afresh, and to refuse to let go of what He has promised. The dream is worth falling over, and Christlikeness is worth striving for, even if the journey is marked by struggle.
  
  ** [23:30]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [09:08] - God’s Dream for Every Life
• [10:50] - Nightmares: The Pathway to Destiny
• [13:19] - Jesus and the Church: Triumph Through Suffering
• [16:00] - Discovering God and Self in Darkness
• [18:56] - Joseph: From Nightmare to Fulfillment
• [21:49] - Laying Hold of the Dream
• [23:30] - Refusing to Quit Amidst Opposition
• [24:19] - Hagar: When the Dream Seems Dead
• [26:00] - God Hears the Cry of the Dream
• [27:30] - Picking Up Dropped Dreams
• [28:56] - Trusting Jesus with Your Dreams
• [29:30] - Closing Prayer and Commitment

Bible Reading

Genesis 21:17-19 (ESV) — > And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

2. Genesis 37:23-28 (ESV)
> So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

3. 1 Kings 8:12 (ESV)
> Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.”

Observation Questions

1. In Genesis 21:17-19, what did God do when Hagar had given up hope for her son? What specific actions did God take to restore her and the boy?
2. According to the sermon, what is the relationship between having a God-given dream and experiencing adversity or “nightmares”? [[10:50]]
3. In the story of Joseph (Genesis 37), what events happened to him after he received his dream from God? How did these events seem to threaten the dream?
4. What does 1 Kings 8:12 say about where God chooses to dwell, and how does this connect to the idea of discovering God in dark or difficult times? [[16:00]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God allows “nightmares” or seasons of adversity to come after He gives someone a dream or calling? What might God be accomplishing in these times? [[10:50]]
2. The sermon says that in the darkness, we discover who we truly are and who God is. How might loneliness or confusion actually help someone grow in faith? [[16:00]]
3. When Hagar gave up on her dream, God still heard the cry of the boy. What does this suggest about God’s faithfulness even when we feel hopeless? [[24:19]]
4. The closer Joseph and Jesus got to the fulfillment of their dreams, the more intense the opposition became. Why might breakthrough often be preceded by the most difficult challenges? [[23:30]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “If you do not learn to endure the nightmares, you will never experience the dream.” Can you think of a time when you faced a “nightmare” season after sensing God’s calling or dream for your life? How did you respond? Did you feel like giving up? [[10:50]]
2. Are there any dreams or callings from God that you have “dropped” because of discouragement, fear, or failure? What would it look like for you to “pick up” those dreams again? [[24:19]]
3. The sermon mentions that in the darkness, God often reveals Himself in new ways. Is there a difficult or lonely season in your life where you discovered something new about God or yourself? How did that shape your faith? [[16:00]]
4. The enemy’s voice often gets louder as we get closer to breakthrough. What are some of the lies or accusations you have heard in your own journey? How can you silence those voices and hold on to God’s promises? [[18:56]]
5. Hagar was told by God to “go back” and pick up what she had dropped. Is there an area in your life where you sense God calling you to return and trust Him again? What practical step could you take this week to respond? [[24:19]]
6. The sermon says, “You are not a failure because you fell. You are a failure because you quit.” How does this perspective challenge the way you view setbacks or mistakes in your walk with God? [[18:56]]
7. What is one specific way you can encourage someone else in your life who may be going through a “nightmare” season and is tempted to give up on their God-given dream? [[23:30]]