A dream is a unique experience that every human must experience at one point. While we cannot take away the significance of dreams, some are more importance than others. Some dreams feel so real that the emotions still linger for days. In this state, there is usually one question on our minds;
Identifying a dream from God is easy, watch out for possible signs. These signs could be supernatural, or little hints.
Psychologists believe that dreams reflect our daily activities. According to some research, it is the brain’s natural way of healing. While this might be true, as Christians, we also believe that God speaks to us through dreams, as seen in the Bible. Numbers 12:6 that they are made accessible to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For a clearer understanding of how God can talk to us through dreams, read; Gen.15:8-21, Acts 2:16-17, Gen. 28:10-22, Gen. 37:5-11, and Matt. 2:7-23, Acts 10:9-17, etc.
The Significance of Dreams in Christianity
The Bible says the influence of the Spirit of God on the soul extends to our sleep and waking thoughts. Waking thoughts in the context means visions.
The word dream was written 33 times in the book of Genesis alone; in Daniel, it was written 27 times. While in the entire New Testament, it occurred eight times. Also, in the Bible, two people were blessed with the ability to interpret dreams; Daniel (Daniel 2:16-23, Daniel 2:28-30, Daniel 4) and Joseph (Genesis 40:12, Genesis 40:13, Genesis 40:18, Genesis 40:19, Genesis 41:25-32). This shows that revelation through dreams plays a significant role in Christianity.
There are three reasons why God speaks to us through dreams: to reveal prophecies, warn us, and encourage us.
The first time a dream was mentioned in the Bible was in Genesis 20 when God stopped King Abimelech from having intercourse with Abraham’s wife. It was next mentioned in Genesis 28:12 when Jacob dreamt and saw a ladder leading to heaven. Then God told Joseph to go home and return home and apologize to his brother.
The book of Daniel talks a lot about dreams. In that scripture, God showed Daniel a lot of things, from the present to the future. In the dream, Daniel sees different symbolic things, including a lion, a bear, a leopard, and another strange, ten-horned beast, coming out of the sea. God judges the beast in that dream, and man is given dominion, just like in the beginning.
Later in the New Testament, the Bible talked a lot about dreams that forecast the birth of Christ Matthew 1:18-2:23. An angel also appeared to Joseph in the dream and instructed him not to divorce his betrothed Mary and told him that the child she was expecting was the savior Matthew 1:18–24.
Also, God appeared to the wise men in a dream and warned them to avoid King Herod when they were returning from Bethlehem because Herod was planning to kill Jesus. Later in the scripture, we were told that God appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to take Mary and Jesus and run away to Egypt.
After the death of Herod, God tells Joseph that he can return. However, he should avoid Herod’s territory—Judia—because his son was in power.
How to Know if a Dream Is From God
First, the knowledge that not all dreams come from God is the first thing every christian should have at the back of their mind. Some dreams are just subconscious thoughts from our daily activities, while others could be a message from God. So how do we separate a dream from God and common dreams? Here are three tips that might help.
1. A Dream from God Comes with a Supernatural Sign
This is the most straightforward way to know that your dream is a message from God. You can tell that a dream comes from God if you notice some supernatural elements.
Remember that God will assist us in understanding his message if we listen. So he is going to include supernatural signs for us. Jesus talked about signs in John 6:26.
In some cases, the sign might just be something straightforward. For example, when your pastor preaches the exact message you saw in your dream. Or when events are unfolding that make it seem like you are having a deja vu.
While we must look out for signs, we must also be careful not to manipulate them. Habakkuk 2:1. If a dream is from God, he will give you clear signs.
2. It is Part of an Ongoing Conversation
Aside from looking for signs, we should also try to identify God’s voice. While dreams are God’s way of speaking to us, it is not the only way, so before he talks to us in a dream, he must have been talking to us in other ways. If you have a dream, ask yourself, what has God been telling me lately? It can be through other mediums, and when you know what he is trying to tell you, you may get an interpretation of your dream. God knows us more than we know ourselves. He understands our experiences. He listens to our prayers and things that have already been said. When God talks to us over time, we will find it easier to identify his messages in our dreams.
3. It Contains Divine Wisdom
The third method to identify a dream from God is by looking at the nature of the message. Among all your dreams, there’s always that one that stands out. These messages tell stories that talk directly to our spirits. They naturally answer questions that you have been asking.
Discerning the Source of a Dream
Test Your Dream Against God’s Word: The only yardstick to test or know whether or not a dream is from God is to test it against the scripture. God’s message in the form of the dream will only complement and not contradict the Bible.
Submit Your Dream To God: Not all dreams come as clear messages. Sometimes they come as puzzle pieces. While it is ok not to know what your dream means, don’t just wave it away. Hold on to it, as God may give the meaning later. All you need to do is to pray to God and ask him to provide you with the purpose.
Hold On To Your Dream: Sometimes, our dream may be of a distant future, but we don’t always expect the manifestation to be immediate. A good example is Joseph’s dream in the book of Genesis, so normalize holding on to your dream and allowing God to make your dream reality in his own time.
Share Your Dream With Humility: Finally, God may pass a message to you in the form of a dream. These messages are not always for us. You might just be a messenger. God urges you to share the dream, don’t hesitate. Approach the owner of the message with respect, as your approach will help the recipient accept it rather than just being defensive.
Conclusion
When God passes a message to us through dreams, the dream always contains God’s nature. It is essential to identify the dreams that come from God and understand them as dreams help produce the fruit of the spirit and keep us in check.
