Living On Purpose In Christ | Journaling Prompts, Biblical Encouragement, Aromatherapy, Devotions, Bible Study, God's Peace

101 | Is it God’s Voice at 3 AM or the Enemy Using Your Dreams as a Playground?

• Paula Behrens | Christian Coach, Pastor, Certified Aroma Freedom Practitioner • Season 2

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Those midnight wake-up calls can leave your heart racing and mind swirling with questions. When you jolt awake at 3AM, how do you know if God is speaking to you, if the enemy is attacking, or if your mind is simply processing the day?

The predawn hours have a way of making the spiritual realm feel closer, more immediate. Throughout Scripture, God often chose these quiet moments to speak to His people through dreams and visions. Yet the enemy also exploits our vulnerability during these hours. The key isn't controlling when these moments come—it's learning to discern whose voice you're hearing.

God's communication always carries His peace, even when challenging or convicting. As 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us, "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." When God speaks, there's a calm undercurrent, a clarity that cuts through the noise. The enemy, however, traffics in fear, accusation, and disorientation. His goal isn't necessarily to make you believe disturbing dreams but to make you doubt your ability to hear God clearly.

Many believers have noticed that the early morning hours—what the Bible calls "the fourth watch of the night" (3AM to 6AM)—often become moments of spiritual sensitivity. Perhaps these wake-ups aren't attacks but invitations to meet with Jesus when our hearts are finally quiet enough to listen. When you find yourself staring into the darkness, try turning that moment into worship. Whisper His name, read Scripture aloud, or simply invite His presence to fill the room.

Remember, you are not powerless in these moments. The Spirit of God dwells within you, and "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Both night and day belong to God, and so do you.

Are those 3AM wake-ups leaving you anxious instead of rested? Book an Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour plus Peace Reset with me, where we'll pray through what you're experiencing and design practices that transform those restless nights into purposeful time with God. Visit paulabehrens.com/coaching to begin your journey from midnight fear to divine peace.

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Paula Behrens:

Hey friend, have you ever jolted awake in the middle of the night, heart racing, mind swirling, unsure if what you just experienced was from God or from something else entirely? Have you ever stared into the darkness at 3 am, replaying a strange dream over and over, wondering Lord, was that you or is my mind just playing tricks on me? Those quiet hours before dawn can feel like a holy ground or a battlefield, and sometimes it's hard to tell which. We're going to talk about that in just a minute, but first I'd like to give a shout out to Jynae Schmid. She writes, "Paula offers clear, scripture based guidance that fits easily into a busy life. Her episodes are short, focused and full of practical ways to deepen your walk with God, a great resource for Christian women seeking consistency and peace in their faith routines." Well, thank you, Jynae, for those kind words. If you'd like to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it's easier than you might think. Just head on over to the podcast page, scroll down to the ratings and review section and share your thoughts. Not only does your feedback help other women discover our show, but your review could also be showcased on one of our upcoming episodes.

Paula Behrens:

Are you finding it challenging to maintain your spiritual practices or yearning for a more peaceful, God-aligned day? I'm Paula and I've been there too. Balancing spiritual habits with a busy life can be difficult. I longed for a deeper connection with God but struggled with consistency. Then I found the perfect approach. If you seek simple ways to deepen your connection with God, this podcast is for you. Please take a moment to follow the show, leave a review and share with your friends who need a little biblical encouragement today.

Paula Behrens:

Are you curious about what actually happens in the Aroma of Christ coaching hour? Let me walk you through it. First, we'll talk about your current routine, what's working, what's not, and where you feel stuck or dry. Then we'll walk through your spiritual goals, whether that's deeper intimacy with God, more peace or simply knowing how to stay consistent. Together we'll build a realistic devotional routine that works for your real life, and I'll introduce you to ways essential oils can help you feel more grounded and connected during your time with the Lord. We can also talk about peace-filled ways to use essential oils during that next 3 am wake-up call. You'll leave with simple next steps and a fresh wind in your spirit. Everything we do is led by the Spirit and grounded in grace, not guilt. So head on over now to paulabehrens. com/ coaching and book your session. That's Paula Behrens B-E-H-R-E-N-S . com/ coaching (no spaces). All right, let's get started. Grab your Bible, dust off your journal and cozy up to your favorite beverage and let's dive in.

Paula Behrens:

You know, there's just something about 3 am. You're not distracted by the noise of the day or the list in your head. It's as if the world goes still and the spiritual realm feels closer, somehow more present. It's just you, your thoughts and the unseen, and that can feel unsettling, because how do you really know if what you're sensing is God showing you something or if the enemy is poking at your vulnerabilities while you're too sleepy to resist? I want you to know that you're not alone in asking this question. Many believers have wrestled with it. In fact, throughout scripture, God often spoke to his people in the night hours through dreams, visions, whispers in the dark. But also in scripture, the enemy crept in during vulnerable moments, planting fear, confusion and lies, as seen in Job 7.14, where Satan was allowed to scare him with dreams and terrify him with visions. The key isn't trying to control when the moments come, it's learning how to discern the voice you're hearing in them.

Paula Behrens:

Let's start here. God is not a God of confusion. That's not just a comforting statement, it's biblical truth. First Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 33 says, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. So when God speaks, even if his words are challenging or convicting, they will carry his peace, always. His presence doesn't stir chaos inside of you. It brings clarity. It may be clarity to ask you to change something or to let go, but there's still a calm undercurrent to it. Contrast that with how the enemy operates. He traffics in fear, accusation and confusion. When a dream leaves you in a fog of fear or shame, when it stirs anxiety that lingers in your chest for hours, that's a red flag.

Paula Behrens:

The devil will use those vulnerable twilight hours to magnify lies, especially if you're already weary, stressed or spiritually depleted. He wants to make the battlefield feel like your fault, to convince you that even your sleep isn't safe. But here's something powerful, your sleep does not belong to the enemy, it belongs to the Lord. Psalm 127.2 reminds us, he gives his beloved sleep. Your nighttime hours are not outside of God's care. If you're his, then even the hours when your conscious mind is resting, well, it's still covered by his Spirit. That means if he wants to speak to you, he can, and if the enemy tries to intrude, God has given you authority to resist him, even while you sleep.

Paula Behrens:

So how do you discern the difference? Well, one of the simplest but most profound ways is to test what you've seen or heard against the character of God revealed in Scripture. God never contradicts his word. If the message in your dream aligns with his truth, if it echoes his heart as revealed in the Bible, it's worth praying through and asking him to confirm. But if it stirs condemnation, despair or anything that opposes what God says about you as his beloved child, then it is not from him. I've also found that God doesn't mind being asked to confirm. In fact, he invites it.

Paula Behrens:

James 1, verse 5 says, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously, and it will be given to him. So when you wake from a strange dream, instead of spiraling in analysis, which is what I like to do, pause and pray, saying Lord, if this was from you, confirm it and if it wasn't, just wash it away. That posture shifts you from fear to faith, from confusion to confidence. Here's another key sign. God speaks to bring life and direction, while the enemy speaks to bring confusion and paralysis.

Paula Behrens:

Think about Joseph in the Old Testament, you know, the one with the coat of many colors. When God gave him dreams, they came with a sense of purpose, even though he may not have fully understood them, but they aligned with God's bigger plan. The dreams pointed him forward. But when the enemy whispers, it's like getting stuck in mental quicksand. You just go around and around in circles and never move forward.

Paula Behrens:

Okay, so let's talk about the timing. I mean, why 3 am? Well, many believers have noticed that the early morning hours often become moments of spiritual sensitivity. Some even call it the fourth watch of the night, which in biblical times was from 3 to 6 am. It's when Jesus walked on the water toward his disciples, calming their fear in the midst of the storm. We see that in Matthew, chapter 14, verse 25. Isn't that interesting. While they were battling the waves and probably exhausted, Jesus came walking toward them with peace and with power. Maybe your 3 am wake-ups aren't attacks. Maybe they're invitations. Invitations to meet with Jesus in the stillness, invitations to bring your questions straight to him instead of trying to sort them out alone.

Paula Behrens:

Sometimes God stirs us awake simply because it's the only time our hearts are quiet enough to listen, but he never does it to frighten or torment us. His goal is always relationship. Of course, our bodies also play a part. Being human means your mind can generate strange dreams simply from stress, hormones or what you ate for dinner. Not every dream is spiritual, but even when they're just random, mental noise, you can still hand them to God and ask him to guard your thoughts. Because here's the beautiful thing. Discernment isn't about decoding every dream. It's about deepening your intimacy with the One who gives you peace.

Paula Behrens:

So if this has been happening to you, I want to gently challenge you. Don't rush to label the experience as from God or from the devil right away. Instead, use it as an opportunity to draw near to God. When you wake up at 3 am, instead of lying there in confusion, turn that moment into worship. Whisper his name, read a psalm out loud, invite his presence to fill the room. You'll be amazed how quickly fear loses its grip when you lift your focus to Jesus. And if the dreams continue, write them down.

Paula Behrens:

Sometimes patterns emerge over time. If they're from God, he'll often repeat or confirm the message in other ways, through scripture, through godly counsel or even through circumstances. But if they're just the enemy trying to confuse you, they'll start to fade away when you refuse to engage them with fear, because darkness hates being ignored. One thing I've learned is that the enemy's goal isn't necessarily to get you to believe the content of the dream. It's to get you to doubt your ability to hear God. He wants to make you second guess your discernment. But you are not powerless. You have the Spirit of God inside you. First, John, chapter 4, verse 4 declares, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. That means the enemy does not get the final say, not over your days and certainly not over your nights.

Paula Behrens:

If the dreams feel oppressive or they continue to recur, it can also help to pray specifically over your sleep before you go to bed. Ask the Lord to guard your mind and spirit, to set angels around your home and to fill your dreams with his truth. There is power in proactive prayer. You're not begging for protection. You're standing in the authority Jesus has already given to you. The enemy has no right to torment what belongs to God. And please remember God isn't testing you by making his voice cryptic. He delights to make himself known to his children.

Paula Behrens:

Jesus said in John, chapter 10, verse 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they will follow me. You don't have to fear missing his voice in the noise. If he's speaking, he will make sure you recognize it. That's his responsibility as the Good Shepherd. Your responsibility is simply to stay close enough to hear. So when 3 am dreams come again, and they probably will, breathe in deeply. You're not alone in the darkness. The same God, who speaks galaxies into motion, also watches over your slumber. If he has something to say, he'll make it clear, and if it's just noise from the enemy, God's peace will silence it when you call on his name. And you don't have to solve the mystery in the moment, you just have to stay close to the One who holds every moment, day and night. The enemy may try to use the night as a playground, but it will never stop being God's territory. Both the night and the day still belong to him, and so do you.

Paula Behrens:

So are those 3 am wake-ups leaving you anxious and exhausted instead of rested? What if they could become moments of peace and even deeper connection with God? I invite you to book an Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour plus Peace RESET with me. In this one-hour session, I'll walk beside you as we pray through what you're experiencing, reset your spirit with God's peace and design a devotional plan that fits perfectly into your season of life. We can also talk about peace-filled ways to use essential oils during that next 3 am wake-up call. We'll calm the racing thoughts, protect your sleep and turn those restless nights into purposeful time with God. If you're looking for a practical, faith-filled way to move from fear to God's peace, I'd be honored to be your guide.

Paula Behrens:

If that sounds like the step your heart needs right now, head on over to paulabehrens. com/ coaching to book your session. That's Paula Behrens B-E-H-R-E-N-S . com/ coaching (no spaces). Friend, this is your time to breathe deep, reset and live fully in his name, today and every day. Book your session now, while the peace reset is still on the table.

Paula Behrens:

Thank you for tuning in today and remember, just like setting biblical boundaries, it's okay to say no to things that don't serve you well, like that third piece of cake at the church potluck. If you were blessed by this episode, be sure to share it with a friend and leave a review, so that we can reach even more women like you. Check the show notes for all the links. Join us next time as we continue to discover how to live on purpose in Christ. Until then, keep leaning into Him and walking in His wisdom. See you next time.