“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 
—1 John 1:9, NASB

Reflection

Father God speaks powerfully through dreams, even when they are unusual. In a powerful prophetic dream, the journey was already underway. My wife and I were halfway through a journey across the United States, and rather than stay at a hotel, we asked my former martial arts instructor if we could stay at his home for the night. 

When we arrived, he said he was going to show us the bedroom where we would be sleeping, but before he showed us the bedroom, he wanted to show us something. He guided us upstairs to the bathroom, lifted the lid on the toilet, and the bowl was filled with blue sanitizing fluid. Then my martial arts instructor suddenly dove into the toilet bowl and shrunk down inside a translucent egg. I could see him inside the egg, surrounded by the blue sanitizing fluid, and he was joyful and content. A few seconds later he was standing beside us again, back in full stature and acting as if everything was normal. 

Then we were shown to the bedroom, and we went to sleep. The next morning, after waking up and making the bed, we went downstairs ready to continue the journey. But he said, not so fast. Let’s check the bedroom where you slept and make sure you’re ready to leave. 

He inspected the room, pulled a big dresser away from the wall, took out a toothbrush, and started scrubbing between the baseboard and the drywall. I was thinking, what is he doing? We only slept here one night. Then he reached behind the dresser, pulled out something that looked like an electrical box, and told me to set it up correctly. I had never seen anything like it. It seemed to have only a single button on top, so I set it up by doing the only thing I knew to do: I pushed the button. 

But he said I was doing it wrong. I was not thinking. Then he got down on his knees, flipped open a side panel I had not seen, and suddenly I could see that this gadget had many buttons inside. He entered a combination and reset the device, and the dream ended. 

God was saying, I want to cleanse you deeper than you realize right now. You thought you were done because you made the bed. You thought you were ready to move on in the journey, but I want to sanctify you. I want to sanitize you more deeply than you have been sanitized. 

The electrical cord with the gadget represented the mind and thoughts. The Lord was saying, you are not examining your thoughts. I want you to start examining your thoughts because I want to sanctify your mind. 

Going deeper with Him in fellowship and divine romance involves addressing things inside us that we have not considered before. We give up obvious vices first, and then the Holy Spirit turns the spotlight on our hearts to show us sin at even deeper levels. The Holy Spirit turns up the power of His light not to shame us, but to show us what must be scrubbed out of our hearts and minds. This is Father God’s mercy in action. He reveals our unrighteousness so we can be cleansed. 

Application 

• Ask Father God to show you where you have assumed you were ready to move on, while He is calling you to deeper sanctification.  

• Begin examining your thoughts before the Lord, trusting the Holy Spirit’s light as mercy, not shame.  

Prayer 

Father God, cleanse me deeper than I realize right now. I surrender the hidden places of my heart and mind that I have not considered before. Turn the spotlight of Your Holy Spirit upon me, not to shame me, but to show me what must be scrubbed out. Sanctify my mind and teach me to examine my thoughts before You. Thank You for being faithful and righteous to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Amen.