Monday, August 13, 2012

Your Old Men Will Dream Dreams

My parents, John & Bonnie Wilkerson

My father is 82 and suffers from severe dementia. Once an eloquent speaker and charismatic pastor for over fifty years, he rarely puts a sentence together anymore.

But when he dreams at night, I believe he’s in his right mind.

A few nights ago, dad was talking in his sleep. My mother woke up and began to listen closely to understand what he was saying.

He got up out of bed and stood in the center of the room. Dad pointed and said, “You pray.” Then, as if looking at another person in the room he said, “You pray.” Once again, he turned and said, “If you pray too, it’s like we have a prayer chain . . . the prayer of agreement. God will answer our prayers.”

Mom immediately said, “John, what would you like to pray about?”

Right then, mom said it’s as if Dad woke up. He didn’t know what she was talking about, and he was confused. Mom gently put him back to bed.

Acts. 2:17 says, “Your young men will see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Perhaps my father is still on this earth to dream dreams. What if, in the spirit realm, my father is seeing future events? What if he is praying and interceding with the angels?

Another time my father sat up in bed and said, “We have to be united.”

What if he is prophesying as he sleeps?

My grandfather always prayed this scripture over his children, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13) Sometimes I question why God doesn’t go ahead and take my father home to be with Jesus. But I have to trust that it’s God’s good will and pleasure to allow my dad to live with dementia. How comforting and encouraging to realize that my Dad is still able to minister during the night! What a powerful nighttime warrior against the enemy!

5 comments:

  1. How awesome and I'm so not surprised at this... Even when mom was at the end, she would hum to a Gather video - in harmony - and would pray at times in tongues!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so cool Carol. Yes, I've heard my dad praying in tongues too while my mom leads in prayer.

      Delete
  2. In our years at Trinity(2004-2006) Pastor John was the first to confirm the calling of God on my husband's life. Many told him what he should be, could be, or what they wanted him to be, but Pastor John's words over my husband have come to fruition. We respect Pastor John and the Wilkerson family highly...God Bless those dreams; so powerful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow Tracy, that is so awesome! Thanks for sharing!!

      Delete
  3. Hi Lori . . . As a family we spent 4 months on a sabbatical (from a New Zealand Bible college) with your father and mother @ Bethel Temple (Fort Worth, TX) in 1985 . . . the effect on our lives and family still bears fruit from their input and continuing fellowship in the years following . . . "your dad and calling people to prayer will always be inseparable!!!" . . . John & Dorothy Douglas (Tauranga, New Zealand)

    ReplyDelete