I had a very vivid dream. In the dream, Jan and I were meeting with a prominent public figure. As the meeting progressed, it was made known to me that this person was living in sexual bondage. His sin was not known to those who looked up to him, followed him, and trusted him. The Lord told me his sin would be made visible.

Three times during our conversation, I could clearly identify what was hidden to the natural eye. The man repeatedly revealed his sin, completely unaware of any exposure. I turned to Jan and held up three fingers. She nodded in agreement.

I spoke to him: “I know you are held captive by sin, and you don’t know what to do.” Instead of rejecting my words or telling us to leave, he crumbled under the weight of conviction. His entire demeanor changed. He was no longer a confident public figure. He became a broken, crumbled man, covered in shame. At that point, the dream ended.

When I woke up, I shared the dream with Jan, and we prayed for the man by name. Several things were revealed. The Lord will place some of us in dreams or in actual life situations where sins cannot remain hidden. These are not spiritual witch hunts for the purpose of exposure. They are opportunities for God’s mercy to be revealed.

It will require courage to speak what we sense the Lord has revealed. These are prophetic assignments to release freedom to the oppressed, not more condemnation. 

We are given insight into the sins of others for one reason. God is offering compassion and true freedom. His justice and His mercy work together hand in hand. If we don’t have compassion, we need to invite God to convict our own hearts before we speak.

Just as it was in my dream, a principle also applies to these real-life confrontations: “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1).