A recorded message sent to Akosua Afriyie appeared at first to be nothing more than a concerned brother sharing a troubling dream. But as events unfolded, questions arose about whether the dream had ever happened at all.
The message came from Evangelist Akwasi Fobi of True Faith Church, Kumasi-Akropong, who was Akosua’s brother.
A Strange Dream
According to Akwasi’s recorded account, he had dreamed about Akosua’s husband.
In the dream, he claimed he saw the husband performing household chores. He was washing clothes and grinding pepper.
Akwasi presented the images as spiritually significant rather than ordinary scenes.
He told Akosua that, within the dream, he decided to take over the washing himself. He then asked Ama Bedu, who was regarded as a junior mother in the family, to take responsibility for grinding the pepper.
To Akosua, hearing such a dream from an evangelist could naturally carry spiritual weight. After all, dreams are taken seriously in many Christian and Ghanaian families, particularly when they are presented by someone regarded as spiritually gifted.
But there was more to come.
The Recording Remained
Akwasi had not simply mentioned the dream casually. His account had been preserved as a recorded message sent to Akosua.
As time passed, however, circumstances surrounding the supposed revelation began raising questions.
Why was Akwasi so interested in his sister’s household?
Why did the dream place him in a position where he appeared to be coming to the assistance of Akosua’s husband?
And what did any of this have to do with Germany?
Eventually, a different explanation emerged within the family.
Was Germany the Real Objective?
According to the later family account, the supposed dream had allegedly been fabricated.
The accusation was that Akwasi had constructed the dream as part of an attempt to persuade his sister Akosua to help bring him to Germany.
If true, this transformed the issue completely.
What had been presented as a spiritual revelation was now being questioned as a story designed to influence a family member.
The washing of clothes and grinding of pepper could therefore be interpreted differently: rather than predicting something supernatural, the imagery portrayed Akwasi as someone ready to enter the household, help with responsibilities and become useful to the family.
In other words, the alleged dream conveniently created a role for him.
When Spiritual Authority Enters Family Decisions
The controversy raised a much broader issue.
Faith can be extremely powerful within families. When someone says, “God showed me,” “I had a dream about you,” or “God revealed something concerning your marriage,” the listener may hesitate to question the message.
That becomes particularly sensitive when the person delivering it is a pastor, evangelist, prophet or other religious figure.
But spiritual titles should never prevent people from exercising discernment.
The Bible itself encourages believers to test what they hear rather than accepting every spiritual claim automatically.
A dream should not become a weapon for manipulating relatives.
Neither should someone’s faith be used to pressure them into providing money, immigration assistance, accommodation or other personal benefits.
Akosua Faced a Difficult Question
For Akosua, the situation was particularly uncomfortable because the person involved was not a stranger.
He was her brother.
Family loyalty and religious respect were therefore intertwined.
If she questioned the dream, would she be accused of lacking faith?
If she refused to help him come to Germany, would the dream later be used to make her feel guilty?
Those are precisely the circumstances in which emotional and spiritual pressure can become difficult to recognise.
Eventually, according to the family’s version of events, the underlying motive became clearer: Akwasi wanted his sister to help him come to Germany, and the supposed dream was alleged to have been created to strengthen his case.
A Lesson Beyond One Family
Whether a message comes from a relative, friend, evangelist or respected religious leader, important life decisions should not be made solely because someone claims to have received a dream.
Faith and wisdom are not enemies.
A genuine spiritual message should be able to coexist with truth, honesty and careful examination.
When someone’s “revelation” consistently produces a personal advantage for the person delivering it, asking questions is not disrespectful. It is discernment.
And when a spiritual claim is used to influence decisions about marriage, money, immigration or family relationships, those affected have every right to examine both the message and the motive behind it.
Moment of Wisdom
Never use the name of God, a dream or a spiritual title to manipulate another person for personal benefit. Faith built on truth does not need fabrication to accomplish its purpose.
A dream may be forgotten, but a recorded message can remain.
And when the truth eventually emerges, the greatest damage may not be to the story—it may be to the trust people once placed in the person who told it.
Moment of Wisdom — Time for Wisdom.
