The Man dressed in Purple: Dreams and Visions

Traveling to the other side of the globe can be grueling. Some of the biggest things I dislike the most about these overseas mission trips are long flights and layovers. Fatigue and jet lag set in, and all I want to do is rest. To battle the tiredness, I usually try to walk around a lot and avoid junk food.

God doesn’t waste these moments, even if I’m tired. He usually puts someone in my path that needs Jesus or encouragement. My layover in Dubai proved to be a moment that God wanted to use me. I sat next to a lady on my long flight from Texas who was also a Christian.  I finally had some space to stretch out and sleep. Then, it was in the airport in Dubai that God began to speak to me about someone.

After a long fourteen-hour flight, I decided to walk around the airport to stretch my legs and battle fatigue. There is a lot to look at in Dubai, but I was certainly reminded that I was not in Nebraska anymore. The airport was filled with Muslims, Hindus, Jews and wealthy tourist families. The eerie Muslim call to prayer sounds off every so often. Our cultures are so different, but God reminded me that we are all just humans who need a Savior.

On my walk, a tall African man caught my eye a couple of times. He stuck out because he was wearing a long purple tunic and struck me as an impressive looking man. I began to pray for him as I was walking, and the Holy Spirit showed me that this man was having dreams. His dreams were of a man dressed in white. Then the Lord said, “I want you to tell him.” I said, “Okay Lord, if I pass him again, I will take that as a sign to talk to him about what you have shown me.”

About an hour later we crossed paths again. But I chickened out. I said, “please forgive me Lord, next time I will know for sure.” An hour later I passed him again, but he was headed into the bathroom so naturally I had an easy out. I could not walk into the bathroom and start talking to this stranger about dreams. He would for sure think I was crazy.

Again, I said, “Okay Lord, I will talk to him if I see him again.”  Twenty minutes later we ended up at the same gate. Keep in mind, there are 52 gates in terminal B where we were walking. This time I awkwardly said, “hey it’s been a long day in this place, my name is Matt.” He smiled and said, “yes, long day, nice to meet you.” He spoke very little English but seemed delighted that I went out of my way to say hi. I could tell he was having trouble understanding me, but his kind eyes seemed open for more. I didn’t say anything about his dreams. We casually said hi and goodbye and I figured the language barrier was just too great.

We sat down in separate areas as there was no room to sit next to him. After sitting there silently praying for him for about ten minutes, the Holy Spirit said, “invite him to come and sit by you.” So, like a well-trained child I began to obey. I went over to him and asked him if he would like to come sit by me. He came right over with a smile.

We made formal introductions. His name was Omar, he was a pleasant man with piercing eyes and a gentle smile. He showed me pictures of his beautiful wife and baby. It was clear that he was a wealthy man. He owned a large factory and warehouse. He was a man of great influence and power even though he was quite young. This is something that the Lord had shown me while I was praying for him, so I was feeling more confident about asking him about his dreams. We began communicating through a translation app.

I finally got reason for introducing myself to him.  I said, “Omar the reason I wanted to talk to you is because the Lord showed me that you have been having dreams of a man dressed in white. The man you see has a name, His name is Jesus, and He loves you.”

Omar’s gentle eyes widened as a large smile took over his face. He confirmed that a man in white has been visiting him in his dreams. He seemed eager and curious to learn about Jesus. I shared John 3:16 with him and we exchanged contact information. While he did not receive Jesus today, I believe he will soon.

Please pray for Omar. It is clear that Jesus is pursuing him. Pray that the lie of Islam would be revealed to him as he pursues the one true God who has been pursuing him.  

Matthew 4:4 reminds us that God is always speaking. This is when Jesus rebukes Satan after Satan temps him to turn the rock into bread and eat. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” How often are we so tempted by the temporary that we miss out on the eternal. Imagine what Omar might have missed if I had chosen to self-focus and veg out. When we are consumed by the natural, we can miss out on the supernatural.

God is always speaking; the question is, are we listening?