Prayer in heaven?? Some may find this really weird, I'm just wondering if you guys believe that God still sends messages to us.. Possibly through dreams???? In biblical times he did, so why would that change? I had a VERY vivid dream a little over a year ago. In my dream, I was frantic about something.. Actually running through what I thought to be an airport looking for somebody... Then my mom (who passed away 9 years ago) was there when I turned a corner.. I knew she was passed on in my dream, She grabbed my hands, didn't say a thing, just started praying.. I knew she was praying even though she never said a word. I felt a sense of peace right then. I felt like it was God's way of saying, it's okay.. Things are going to get really rough but I've got this.. Your mom is here near me and she is praying for you.. I usually don't remember dreams like that but this one has stuck with me.. It's made me stop and think about a lot of things.. One is that God knows what's up ahead and he IS IN CONTROL. The other is that I never really thought about prayer happening in heaven.. Surely our loved ones still pray for us there.. They are praying for God to give us strength to hold on because something so much better is waiting for us and in the end everything we are going through will be worth it and THEY know it, because they are now there.. I'm sure someone here is going to disagree, but I can't help but believe that God sends us what we need when we need it the most. And it comes in all forms because God is God and he can do ANYTHING! I know there will be a lot of differing opinions on this subject, but i just can't help but believe that 1,God does still use dreams and 2, There is still prayer in heaven for those of us on earth.. I don't believe that God wipes our memories out once we get there.. I believe the prayers change.. No more of the heavy burden type prayers because all our tears, fear, and hardships are gone. But the prayers turn to a Joyous type.. Prayers of hope and of God's grace being seen by us.. I'm horrible at describing what I'm feeling, so not even sure if this makes any sense.. I know that Jesus is the only one to intercede on our behalf.. I don't believe that I can pray to a loved one who has passed on. But I do believe they still pray for us..
Personally, I think it's one of those gray areas that requires discretion: Why would God speak through dreams instead of through prayer, study, life situations? I can think of one very good example: There are an increasing number of reports of individuals experiencing vivid dreams and visions in strict Islamic countries. Given the situation there, I accept these stories as authentic. Does it also happen here? It must really depend on personal circumstances. Dreams are simply fascinating. I still remember as a young child having a dream related to cowboys (must have been because of Westerns I'd watched). At the end of a seemingly long dream, someone tried to kidnap my younger brother and take him away in a wagon. He was crying out: "mum, mum." As a awoke from the dream, my brother really was crying out. How could this be? I could see three possibilities: (i) dreams are virtually instantaneous and the brain weaves external stimuli into the storyline; (ii) the brain is capable of seeing into the future and adapted the dream storyline accordingly; (iii) the people we dream about experience the same dream at the same time but from their perspective. Assuming the correct answer is either (i) or (ii), it makes perfect sense that God, an external stimulus if you will, can influence the content of our dreams to impress on us a necessary message. Incidentally, did you ever watch the movie Inception? It touches on this very subject.
A popular misconception: God CANNOT do anything. Put aside the silly logic examples about God creating a rock that is too heavy for him to lift. What if God is lying to us and salvation doesn't really exist ("fooled ya - let me introduce you to hell")? What if he reneges on his promises ("did I really promise eternal life? Sorreee")? What if he inspired deliberate errors in biblical texts? What if he planted a story so we'd be fooled into thinking that Jesus was resurrected? If God can do anything, he could do all these things, right? He could even wave a magic wand to grant us salvation instead of going through the pain of death and resurrection. But I don't believe God can do anything. Instead, he can do only those things consistent with his personality - and that personality is revealed in OT law ("thou shalt not bear false witness", for example, means that we can believe God's promises to us) and in the person of Jesus Christ. So, with this test in mind, would God speak to us in dreams? Only if consistent with his personality revealed through the bible and the person of Christ. A dream to kill someone would fail that test. A dream to deceive someone would fail that test. On the other hand, a dream that reveals a path we'd never before considered and that is clearly the Christian way would pass the test. In that light, does your dream pass the test?
Okay, I am one of the believers. I say this because if it were not for God sending me messages in my dreams I would not know Him today. I was looking everywhere but not finding the answer to where we went when we died, I was wondering if God was real and everything. I was 18. I had a dream that Jesus was in my back yard... long story short this lead me to believing and knowing that I believed in Christ Jesus. I had a dream about baptism, about a year after I had accepted Christ in my room with my moms memory verse award bible from primary sunday school age--my mom did not share much about Jesus btw, so I had the "nothing" title when people asked what religion we were prior to this. The Lord knew dreams were where He could get my attention. Sorry I dropped a few more thoughts in there my testimony is really a book. Anyway-- I dreamed about Jesus and John the baptist, saw myself walk through the river ( I believe it to have been the Jordan) to be beside them. This lead to my being baptized... not by Jesus and John but my soon to be youth pastor and head pastor who was like a Dad to me back in those days of my new beginning... as I said a book. After the dreams both times I could not get them out of my thoughts, I had to act on what I saw. the Word of God tells us that in the last days your young men will dream dreams.. so why not me?
I think God meets us where we are.. In other words, if a dream involving a loved one that passed on,gets my attention, then I say he's going to use it.. He can use ANYTHING.. Imagine telling someone that your donkey talked to you and it was God.. Catch what I'm saying? I went back in and changed the title of my post, but it didn't change.. My REAL question was if you believe that our loved ones in heaven pray for us.. If you have a biblical passage that backs up your belief please post.. I'm just trying to figure out some things..
I think there are a lot of things that we will not necessarily know or understand while we are here on earth. I can't think of any passage off the top of my head that would support my theory, but I believe that God does use dreams to speak to us. I have had some very personal dreams where God has shown me things that I would not have otherwise understood. I don't think he speaks to everyone through dreams, but I know that He did it long ago. He is unchanging so I believe he would speak to us today in a similar manner. In Hebrews 13:8 it says " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." I believe this to be literal. Why would he only speak to those of long ago? Don't we need wisdom and guidance from him today?
Well, I'll say this, it's always kinda bothered me when people say "Grandma's in heaven looking down on us" Is she really? Cause no offense to my husband and children who I love dearly with all my heart and would do anything for them, but if I'm in heaven with my Jesus and the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth....I'm not going to look down to this Earth! Rev 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” So if there is no sorrow or pain, how could they be looking down on loved ones, watching them suffer? Because if I see my sons are suffering, that's going to cause me great pain and great sorrow. But, I also don't think we go to heaven until we all go. I used to think we went immediately upon death, because that's what most people believe and it's what I was "taught" (told) but after studying the Bible for myself, I don't think so. 1 Thessalonians - Chapter 4
Maybe I can view this from an unusual perspective. Our memories are stored in our brains, right? When our brain, along with the rest of our body, rots in a grave, what happens to those memories? Without outside intervention, do they rot away too? Maybe the phrase "in him", found in several bible verses, is more important that we imagine. But, if our memories are retained "in him", will they include the good, the bad, and the ugly? I don't know. Paul used the image of us being actors on a stage, before an audience of unseen observers. Plus, all of our deeds will be brought to light when we are judged, so our actions won't be forgotten at that point. But does that imply that our memories remain intact as well? I don't think so. And without memories, how could we pray for those on earth?
My only question to this would be, if we leave all our memories on earth then when we die do we forget our families and friends and is it like we are a child learning everything over again? I believe that when we die we take our memories, habits, and knowledge with us. I believe that our spirit remembers everything. I think it would so sad to die and leave all our memories behind. ETA: If our memories stay here on earth with our brain then how would it be fair for God to judge us if we couldn't remember anything we did while on earth? What if "in Him" has nothing to do with memories and you are right that our memories stay here? How would we be judged? How would we know it was fair?
No one really knows, but we can certainly use our intellect to think about it. Remember Jesus' answer to the Sadducees when they asked about a woman who married several husbands and then died. In the next life, earthly relationships will be over. We will have a completely different perspective. Also, many (maybe most) of our memories are in some way sinful - and they cannot be retained. Jesus died to pay the price for sin and to cleanse us. That implies that the scope of our memories will be limited. On the other hand, other dimensions of existence - there today but of which we must be kept unaware - will be opened up. We'll see things we never realized before, so maybe the memories we retain will be bolstered by that new information. I have no doubt that we will recognize loved ones. I also have no doubt that the very first person we meet will be Jesus - and the meeting will be very personal. You can't wipe tears from eyes without looking into those eyes, for example. I'm also sure that we'll suddenly see the big picture, possibly including our origins from before our existence on earth (because Jesus knew us before the foundations of the world). We won't feel any sense of loss over the memories that cannot be retained. What we do remember will be "in him" and therefore cleansed through him. Another factor, of course, is that we may be free from the constraints of time. What do memories mean when the arrow of time, to which we are currently bound, no longer dominates our existence? To my way of thinking, we will remember loved ones. It's even possible we'll be aware of our loved ones' situation on earth. What does praying mean when we're in the presence of our Lord? It's conversation, right? Since our eternal destiny is secure and was decided before the world was created, there's no need to pray for the souls of our loved ones. We'll understand the events of this physical world in ways we never before appreciated.
I was trying to remember a message that my former pastor taught. I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was, well today Our sermon was about the after life.. How death is not the end and how hell is a real place.. The sermon was based on Luke 16:19-31.. It was the SAME message that I was trying to remember.. I'm not sure if I agree with the whole thing, I'm going to go back over it and see, but here's what I have in my notes from today: 1.After death we are aware of our surroundings Vs23-24 2.After death, we are aware of what we missed vs 25 3. After death we are aware of what we should have done vs 27-28 Doesn't exactly answer the question as to prayers in heaven, But I really feel like if we are aware of things there, then there will be prayers. I think there's just so much that we as mortal beings will not understand until we get to heaven.. This is probably one of them..
But the rich man who was aware of what he missed and should have done was in hell, not heaven. Hell is torment, and more than the fire, I think the true torment of hell is finding out God is real and KNOWING you will FOREVER be separated from him. Heaven, isn't torment. So would we really be dwelling on what we missed and should have done in a heaven with no pain or tears?
I certainly hope I don't take my bad memories and bad habits to heaven with me! :lol: As far as the judging, I believe there will be a "judgement day" (mind you, that day might not be a 24 hour day, or it might be, I don't know) but I believe we will retain our memories for that. But, once addressed, I believe they will be wiped clean. Once in heaven we will be the family we were adopted into when we were saved. Though I like to think I'd know my husband and children, I may not. And I'm okay with that, because I'd give up EVERYTHING to be at the feet of Jesus! I believe in heaven, we will all be brothers and sisters. There will be no pain, no sorrow, no tears. And we will see our Father's face.
I don't have a lot of time right now, but I'll throw out some thoughts: (1) No, I don't believe God still speaks to us through dreams. He did that in days of old to reveal his plans that would ultimately save or condemn people, but today, we have the revealed scriptures, and we're warned harshly about adding to or taking away from what God has revealed in its entirety. (Rev. 22:18-19) We're also warned many times throughout the OT and NT not to trust in our own beliefs, but to trust what has been given to us. (Gal 1:8 even tells us not to believe "angels" who speak, because everything has already been revealed, and those are false teachers today.) (2) No, God can't do everything. The Bible specifically tells us that it is impossible for God to lie. (Heb. 6:18) (3) To those who are saved, we will all be brothers & sisters in heaven, and nothing more. The Bible specifically tells us that there will be no marriage in heaven (Luke 20 beginning in 27), and that there will be no sadness or suffering. If I'm in heaven and my (unbelieving) husband is not, how could I be happy unless those relationships are no longer intact? Why else would God tell us we're no longer bound to each other after death and are free to marry another when our spouse dies? (I Cor. 7:39) Why else would he tell us that we're not worthy of Him unless we're prepared to "hate" our family members who do not choose to follow Him? (Lk 14:26)
On a flight home from Boston last week, I happened to read 'Heaven is for real' by Todd Burpo. It's about a young boy from a Christian family who claims that, when he was dangerously ill, he left his body and experienced Heaven - meeting Jesus and various other Bible characters. While I would never challenge the integrity and sincerity of the father who wrote the book (in part because we know people who lived in the same small town as he), I do believe such accounts are visions or pictures and not 'reality' per se. While the images described are understandable to a child, the reality of our next life must be far more intense - things that, under our current physical and time constraints, we really couldn't understand right now. This principle of being shown pictures to understand the essence of something is, for me, particularly important. I know others disagree, but I find the creation account in Genesis and the Noahic flood incredibly clever accounts. People of all eras and cultures and educational levels can grasp the essential principles described - whereas a factual account of evolutionary development, for example, would have been utterly confusing. The stories contain all the messages we need to know. Our mastery of the sciences have shed light on the mechanical details. Incidentally, in that young boy's story, certain elements ring true. For example, an elderly believer I knew years ago was totally convinced that the first person we'll meet will be Jesus. While I've never found it, she claimed a Bible verse says as much. This young lad makes the same claim. On the other hand, there are obvious contradictions in his account (e.g., about ages), but such detail doesn't matter in a picture. What matters is the level of comfort and confirmation is brought at just the right time in his life.
I Thess 4:13-18 is probably the passage she was referring to?? It's the one that immediately pops into my mind.
Steve, when you say contradictions about ages, are you referring to how there were no old people in the Colton Burpo story, that everybody seemed to be like age 35 or so? I believe that it was possibly just that way, that we won't necessarily be forever whatever age we died. 35 would be like "the perfect age" - mature (30+), but not old. I also believe that children who have died get to grow up in heaven, although I can't tell you why I believe that, other than I can't feature why there would be "eternally children" people there. The concept that these "visits to Heaven" we read about are just vivid pictures not reality, is interesting, and would explain why different people's accounts of similar happenings... are different. It's what they could understand and communicate to others in a way that we can understand what they experienced. I liked how Colton said that the colors are SO bright, and so many more of them than we can see with our physical eyes now. Anybody who has had cataract surgery should be able to relate at least a little; what you thought you were seeing before the surgery (through a glass, darkly, so to speak) is SO much brighter and clearer than after... And I believe there will be animals there, too, so it did not strike me as odd that Colton said he saw Jesus' "rainbow horse". I believe that we will meet and know each other when we get there, but of course the former relationships will be gone but the love will remain. I believe that we will be so full of joy there that there could be no room for sadness, so any memories that caused sadness we will forget, but any that brought joy could be remembered. Kind of like no need for lights or lamps because we will be WITH the Light, and IN the Light, and there will be no darkness at all. Maybe we will remember stuff, but without the sadness or regrets we currently associate with those memories.
