Dreaming Dreams
Some time ago, a new Christian in a group I am in had a dream. She noticed something odd about it and came to the group, asking for help interpreting it, and whether it was even from the Lord. Her biggest fear was that it was not from God and that the sense of awe and wonder she had were not “real”. There were several ladies who were concerned about “dealing with dreams”. A friend of mine requested that I share my response here.
Here is a quick synopsis of her dream:
She and a friend (the one who brought her to Christ) were running from some unknown being and ran in the side door of a church (not reverently –they were fleeing). There a priest (unknown to her) pronounced a benediction over her and anointed her with oil and she felt an incredible sense of awe at God’s glory and protection. Then she woke up.
The following is my response to her:
If this dream brought you a sense of awe and wonder and of God’s Holiness then it is from God. You can test it against scriptures and see. Being anointed with oil is a Biblical concept and a sign of blessing by God (*Psalm 23:5). And if, in your dream, you were fleeing something or someone and came in by the side (instead of in reverence at the back of the church) may I suggest that this a sign of coming in as an equal, not as someone below a priest but as a fellow Christian equal as Jesus points out in Matthew 23 (in fact I just spent time reading that this morning, when Christ speaks of the scribes and pharisees and warns the people to consider each other equals instead of calling one “Father” and another “Rabbi”.) And the fact that you were fleeing someone makes perfect sense because by coming to Christ we are fleeing Satan and all His legions and it is only in Christ that we can stand and fight. It sounds very much to me that the Lord intended you to gain a sense of how Holy and wonderful He is and to place a blessing on you. He loves to bless us and shows each of us that He does in a way that we can understand.
We are called to test all things against scripture. If we are not testing all things it is very easy to be lead astray. I often dream dreams that I am not sure of and for many years I was afraid of them. Finally I learned a few steps to deal with them.
- Pray for wisdom and help understanding. If it is from God then He will help you better understand what it meant or why He sent it. If it is NOT from God then He will help you throw it off.
- Does the dream leave you feeling in awe of God? Does it glorify Him? The prophets fell down prostrate before the angels who came to them in visions and they were speechless with amazement and recognition of their own sin when they stood before the throne. Unlike the prophets, who had a measure of God’s Holy Spirit but were not constantly filled–they were under the old law, we are members of the coming kingdom, our sins are covered in Christ. We do, however, still feel awe and amazement when we are before God’s glory. If the dream leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth then it is probably NOT from Him.
- Know God’s Word. Know the symbolism of the Bible–read it through the whole way. Knowing the Old Testament and the symbolism there helps us, not only better understand dreams but also better understand the symbolism of the New Testament. (The woman who dreamed this dream is a new Christian but she was also reading the Bible straight through from the beginning and really making headway. God’s Word is ALL useful for understanding, teaching, discerning, and edifying.)
- Do you notice any symbols in the dream that are also used in the Bible–are they glorifying God, if so how are they used in the scriptures.
- Once you are at peace about it, don’t dwell on it. Glean what God wants you to glean–if it is from Him write it down (so you can remember it later), if not forget about it–Satan loves to hold us back from being our best in Christ.
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.– Acts 2:17 (NIV)
Lord, thank you that You still speak to us through many means. I pray that You would protect us from Satan’s attacks on our minds, help us to discern the Truth and be able to spot his attempts, and keep us from fear.
Have you ever dreamed dreams?
In Christ’s grace and peace,
Heather
Thanks for this awesome post.
Well look at that – I’m famous, LOL.
As you know, I’m still splashing around in the wading pool of Christianity with the little ones, LOL, so I’ve had a ton of questions. I guess this dream was an answer to some of them 🙂
It really was a rush of feeling as soon as the priest touched my forehead. After the discussion on the board, in which I basically took your view, that it only left me with positive thoughts after and therefore I believe it was from God, I laid it aside, and feel comfortable having done that. And as you also know, I continue to seek answers and post questions, LOL. I doubt that will ever end.
As for the dream itself – those on the board will know my history, or rather, lack of history, in Christianity. I certainly haven’t had a great track record with putting my faith on the unseen and I am so far separated from the whole pagan/dream interpretation thing that my initial reaction was to dismiss it. And I may still have done that had it not been for the serious and unexpected jolt of awe. If the priest in my dream had merely brushed the top of my head or something, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But I’d just begun seriously reading the Bible and the whole anointing/oil thing really resonated. And though it was a dream, there was a PHYSICAL reaction to the priest’s (Jesus’?) touch. I believe now that it was this touch that actually woke me up.
Quick background for others who don’t know me from 1Peter3 – I was not raised with religion AT ALL. The only connection I had with religion was a father who was raised Catholic but had lapsed by the time I came along – we didn’t go to church, didn’t talk about Jesus, nothing. Occasionally we’d be in church for a funeral, but that’s it. To be considering Chrisitanity at all is a miracle in itself and one that will probably ruffle a few feathers 😛
Cheers,
Lizzie
I have a friend who depends on dreams and visions, some of which I can show her a verse that says the opposite, some of which I believe are wishful thinking.
Ellen –
As some of the ladies on 1Peter3 pointed out, which I agree with, dreams become a problem if you’re using them to replace the Word. If Scripture clearly contradicts something seen in a dream, then it is obvious to me that the dream is from Satan. However, as one of the ladies pointed out, if a dream clearly lines up with Scripture, has not left a bad ‘aftertaste’, has left you with a positive reaction rather than a negative one, and more specifically, actually answers a question you’ve been internally pondering for some time, then its probably harmless, perhaps even beneficial. The first port of call should always remain with the Bible of course and if you can show your friend Scripture that disproves her dream, then obviously she’s being misled. And if one depends on dreams – even if they *appear* to be from God, then that’s a form of idolatry, right?
In my case, it was just something I’d never had happen before. And trust me, I’m a cynic from way back. Last March I was a confirmed atheist. From April onward I’ve gradually been drawn to the gospel. Now to me that speaks volumes 🙂 If I, with zero religious history, can be ‘turned’ to Christ, then anything that propels me even more forward surely has God’s hand all over it 🙂
Cheers,
Lizzie
Heather,
I am so glad you shared about this subject. The Bible speaks specifically about God communicating with His people through dreams. Your instructions are wise and helpful. The time of the end approaches and it is clear in scripture we will dream dreams. Understanding their meaning and their origins in God is vital.
Also, Lizzie, thank you from all of us. You have caused us to remember what it is like to be a new believer and searching for the truth. You inspire and cause me to want to read my Bible more and pray more. I KNOW (I really know) God has something profound ahead in your future. You will server our King in a mighty way. Keep reading and keep praying. Thank you for sharing yourself with us at 1Peter3.
Love you both. Lynn