Does God use dreams and visions today? Well, this is a question that most of us struggle with. There is a lot of debate and confusion around the topic of dreams and visions. Some people claim that visions and dreams ended in Bible times. While others say that dreams and visions are for today just as they were in Biblical times.
Then there are those who think that dreams are just dreams. There is nothing so special about them.
God still uses dreams and visions today to get our attention, to warn us about something, to bring instructions, to make His ways known, to tell about the future events, etc.
It could be that you’ve had a dream or a vision, but you’re not sure if it is from the Lord. The vision or dream was so clear. But you are confused because you don’t know if God still communicates this way to believers.
Well, in this article, we’ll discuss whether God uses dreams and visions today. And why He does that. But first, let us look at what dreams and visions are.
What are Dreams and Visions?
Biblically speaking, a dream is a series of emotions, thoughts, or images that occur as we sleep. Joseph is an excellent example of someone that God used to speak to through dreams. On the other hand, a vision is a series of images or thoughts that occur while a person is awake. Peter had a vision of a white sheet full of all kinds of animals, birds, and reptiles (Acts 10:9-16).
Throughout the Bible, we see God using dreams and visions to communicate to different people.
Does God Speak to Believers through Dreams and Visions TODAY?
The best way to deal with this question is to look at what the Bible says.
In Joel 2:28, God says that in the last days, old men will dream dreams, and young men will see visions. We are in the last days and what this means is that dreams and visions are one of the ways that God communicates with us.
Another thing that we need to note is that we serve a God that does not change. Times and seasons may change. People will also change but not God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:18).
The same God who spoke to people through dreams and visions in Bible times is the same God that we serve. So He still speaks to us through dreams and visions just the way He did in the past.
Where Do Dreams Come From?
Probably, you heard this – not all dreams come from God. There are two sides of the coin. Let us look at three main sources and see what I mean by that:
• Dreams Come from God
As we have already seen, God is the number one source of dreams and visions.
Apart from speaking to us through the Bible, prayer, or other people, God also speaks to us through dreams and visions. We should not brush off anything thinking that it is not from God when your Heavenly Father is trying to communicate something to you.
In the Bible, people like Joseph, Daniel, Peter, Paul had dreams and visions from God.
• Dreams Come from the enemy
Yes, the enemy is fond of taking the things of God and twisting them around so that he can use them to confuse the children of God. There is nothing original about him. At times he gives us dreams and visions so that he can confuse us.
In one of the parables, Jesus said that the enemy planted tares when men were sleeping (Matthew 13:25). We can look at this parable from the perspective of dreams and visions. When we sleep, the enemy comes and plants weeds in our minds. The weeds could be images and thoughts. But why does he do that? To steal the word of God, the promises of God from our hearts so that we may not remember them.
From my observation, if we have dark, frightening, confusing dreams – they are our fears, insecurities, anxieties. God is showing these things that we can face our enemies and deal with them.
Our mind is the battlefield. That’s why we must fill our hearts with the Word of God – words of peace, love and joy. Only the peace of God which exceeds anythings you can understand, can deal with your fears and will make the answers known to you. (Philippians 4:7)
Do not blame the enemy, but deal with your enemies – your fears.
• Dreams Come from our Own Imaginations
Do you know why we are asked to be careful about what we watch or feed our minds with? It is because we become what we think about all the time. Sometimes the dreams that we have at night are based on what we have been feeding our mind or thinking about during the day.
If all one does is watch violent movies, then there is a higher chance of them having dreams full of violence.
However good a dream may seem to be, you need to be careful. Your dream could be based on what you have been thinking, watching, or hearing. You must guard your heart against negative things that may poison your mind.
I explained three sources where the dreams come from. What I’ve learned over the years that God can still use any dream. In Jeremiah 17:9-10 God says that He searched the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to His ways.
If our dreams are from our own imagination, then the first thing we have to do is to examine ourselves. Why are we receiving these kinds of dreams? Is there something that is blocking us to receive freedom, healing, restoration? Is there something we do not want to face?
Do not underestimate your dreams!
And of course, it brings us to another question –
How do we Know that a Dream or Vision is from God?
1. By Asking God
You need to check with God to ensure that the vision or dream that you’ve had is from Him. In order not to forget the dream, make it a point to write it down immediately you wake up. Or once you have a recollection of the dream.
Ask God to reveal what each part, person, or image in the dream or vision means. Remember not to take everything loosely. You should not only depend on someone’s dream interpretation. Their interpretation may not be accurate. Instead, ask God for confirmation after you have received help from a person.
2. Dream will be Followed by Interpretation
God is not the author of confusion. He will never show you something and leave you hanging. If a vision or dream is from God, He will follow it up with an interpretation. Now the meaning behind the dream or vision may not come immediately. But as you study the Word and pray, God will open up your mind and tell you what the dream is all about.
I had dreams which had to be matured to understand them fully. I had some understanding, but I still was not sure of the whole picture. And when the right time came, God reminded me of the dream and all the puzzle pieces came together.
The waiting times helped me to understand the meanings of dreams or visions’ pictures. It was like learning a new language with lots of symbols.
I love that.
3. You will Remember your Dream
Sometimes we tend to forget dreams immediately after waking up. No matter how much we try to remember, we cannot bring our minds to recollect the dream. But there those that we remember even after a week, month, or year. If a dream is from God, you will not forget it immediately. You will remember the details when you wake up.
Now, this does not mean that you should not write the dream down. As I stated earlier, it is essential to write down the dream because you can get easily distracted and forget some details of the dream.
It happened to me so many times. When I did not write my dreams down or record them, I forgot them. Have you experienced the same? There are some dreams which I still remember, but there are some which were faded away.
See, if a message is from God, then there are no insignificant details. Every detail, big or small, counts. So it’s crucial to write everything down while you can still remember.
4. Talk to a Spiritual Person
There are people who God has given the ability to interpret dreams just the way He did with Daniel and Joseph. If you know such a person, ask them to help you. Once you tell such a person your dream, they will help you interpret each element in your dream.
Through prayer, they can help you know if the dream is from God or not. You can also talk to your spiritual leader. God may give them insight into what your dream means.
Please be careful when seeking for other people to help you interpret your dream. Also, be cautious of online dictionaries. You may end up missing out on what God is trying to tell you by depending on the wrong kind of interpretation.
Be led by the Spirit of God rather than by man’s dream dictionaries. What a “dog” means to one person in a dream, will not have the same meaning to another.
Why does God use Dreams and Vision?
• To get our Attention
It easy for us to miss out on what God is trying to tell us (Job 33:14-18). Most of us tend to filter what God is trying to say to us with our own experiences. We read the word, and as the Holy Spirit begins to give us revelation, we filter it with our personal experiences. God will use visions and dreams to deal with our hearts so that we can be able to pay attention to what He is trying to tell us.
• To Open Our Spiritual Ears
God always talks to us. But because we can be so busy, we do not have time to quiet ourselves down and listen to an inner voice.
At times God warns us about some things, but we don’t listen. There are things that He has told us in the word, but we don’t obey. Through dreams and visions, God can draw our attention so that we can listen to what He has been trying to tell us.
• To Bring Instruction
When Peter had the vision of animals, he was actually receiving instruction from God. The instruction was for him to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family, who were Gentiles. So, dreams and visions are ways through which God gives us instruction on what to do to advance His kingdom.
• To Reveal Future Events
In Daniel 2:1-49, you can read about the most famous king in the 2nd Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar, who had a dream and was troubled by it.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted his wise men to know the dream and interpret it. Not an easy task to do.
Thankfully, there was Daniel who with the knowledge and understanding given from above, from God, interpreted the dream. The dream which Nebuchadnezzar received talked about the future events – four kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, and be replaced by the everlasting Kingdom of God.
Daniel said these words, “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. – Daniel 2:45
I can’t forget that day when one lady reached to us asking for prayer. She was going through a very tough time. So, we sent her a word. The most astonishing thing was – we sent her a dream God gave her, and interpreted the dream. Can you imagine receiving that? God in His mercy gave us the knowledge and interpretation of the dream. Through that word, the Lord gave the lady a future filled with hope.
Something changed inside of Nebuchadnezzar after receiving the dream from God. He said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
God uses dreams to reveal the future. Why? That His Name shall be glorified!
Watch this powerful narration – God STILL SPEAKS through dreams and Visions. Enjoy!
Wondering Whether a Dream or Vision is from God?
Since our Heavenly Father does not change, it is safe to say that God still uses dreams and visions today.
Some of the dreams that we have are spiritual attacks from the enemy. While other dreams are our own imaginations.
We need to ensure that the dream we have had is from God before taking any other step. We can do this by asking God for revelation and talking to a spiritual person that can interpret dreams
A dream that is from God will be followed by an interpretation, and you will not forget it quickly.
What about you? Does God speak to you through dreams? Is it easy to distinguish if a dream is from God? Or have you got a dream or vision and do not know what to do with that or still not sure if it is from God or not? As you share in the comments below it could also help someone else – “sharing is caring” 🙂
Shalom & Blessings,
Haly
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