Divine Dreams: Understanding When God Communicates Through Dreams

Introduction God has always desired to communicate with His people, and dreams have been one of the ways He speaks. Dreams are a divine channel through which God reveals His will, provides guidance, warns of danger, and offers comfort. Scripture shows that God has used dreams throughout history to communicate significant messages. Many believers today, however, overlook this incredible gift or struggle to discern whether their dreams are from God. By understanding how God speaks through dreams, how to recognize His voice, and how to respond, believers can unlock this divine channel of communication. This narrative will explore how God uses dreams, the biblical basis for this form of communication, and its relevance for today’s believers. One surefire way to discern God’s communications is to know him better, read, study, and meditate on His Word, pray, and….listen!

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Biblical Examples of God Speaking Through Dreams

The Nature of Dream Communication

Key Scripture: Job 33:14-18 (AMP) “For God speaks once, And even twice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job]. In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice], When deep sleep falls on men While slumbering upon the bed, Then He opens the ears of men And seals their instruction, That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep him from pride; He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction], And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).”

Job reminds us that God uses dreams as a means of speaking to humanity. Dreams often contain messages that might not be heard in the busyness of daily life. Throughout the Bible, dreams were a frequent method of divine communication.

More Scriptural Examples:

Numbers 12:6 (AMP): "He said, 'Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision And I will speak to him in a dream.'"

Joel 2:28 (AMP): "It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions."

Genesis 28:12,16-17 (AMP): "He dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven... Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven!'"

Guidance Through Dreams

Key Scripture: Matthew 1:20-21 (AMP): “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.’”

God used a dream to guide Joseph regarding Mary and the birth of Jesus. This dream provided clarity, reassurance, and direction. God used a dream to provide direction regarding arguably the best news ever! Rest assured, God continues to provide guidance to believers through dreams today. More Scriptural Examples:

Matthew 2:13 (AMP): “Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’”

Matthew 2:19-20 (AMP): “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel.’”

Acts 16:9-10 (AMP): “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Warnings Through Dreams

Key Scripture: Genesis 20:3 (AMP): “But God came to Abimelech in a dream during the night, and said, ‘Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken [as your wife], for she is [another] man’s wife.’”

Abimelech was warned in a dream to avoid sin and its consequences. God used this dream to protect both Abimelech and Sarah, demonstrating His care and intervention. More Scriptural Examples: Matthew 27:19 (AMP): “While he was seated on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man [Jesus]; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.’”

Genesis 31:24 (AMP): “God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, ‘Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.’”

Daniel 4:5-7 (AMP): “I saw a dream and it made me afraid; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.”

Prophecy Through Dreams

Key Scripture: Genesis 37:5-7 (AMP): “Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. He said to them, ‘Please listen to [the details of] this dream which I have dreamed; we [brothers] were binding sheaves of grain stalks in the field, and lo, my sheaf [suddenly] got up and stood upright and remained standing, and behold, your sheaves stood all around my sheaf and bowed down [in respect].’”

Joseph’s dreams revealed his future role as a leader. They also highlighted how God uses dreams to unveil His plans and prepare His people. More Scriptural Examples:

Daniel 2:28 (AMP): “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.”

Daniel 7:1 (AMP): “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.”

Provision Through Dreams

Key Scripture: Genesis 41:25-27 (AMP): “Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The [two] dreams are one [and the same in their meaning]; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the two dreams are one [in their meaning].’”

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, which revealed a coming famine. This divine revelation saved Egypt and surrounding nations, demonstrating that God uses dreams to provide for His people. More Scriptural Examples:

Genesis 41:32 (AMP): “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that God has determined the matter, and He will bring it to pass very quickly.”

Daniel 2:45 (AMP): “...The great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Encouragement Through Dreams

Key Scripture: Judges 7:13-15 (AMP): “When Gideon came, there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, ‘Listen carefully, I had a dream; there was a loaf of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and it turned it upside down, and the tent lay flat.’ His friend replied, ‘This dream is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and the entire camp into his hand.’ When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down [in worship].”

Gideon received courage to defeat the Midianites after hearing the dream and its interpretation, showing that dreams can inspire faith and boldness. More Scriptural Examples:

Acts 18:9-10 (AMP): "One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.'"

Daniel 10:19 (AMP): "He said, 'O man highly regarded and greatly beloved, do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take courage and be strong!' Now when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, 'Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.'"

Relevance to Today’s Believers:

Believers today can trust that God still uses dreams to guide, warn, and reveal His will. These examples demonstrate that God’s communication through dreams is intentional and purposeful. They encourage believers to seek His guidance and pay attention to messages received in their dreams.

How We Know It’s God Speaking Through Dreams

God desires to speak to all His children through dreams, not just a select few. This divine communication is available to everyone who is open to receiving it. By listening with a willing heart, you can experience His guidance, comfort, and the unveiling of mysteries through your dreams. If you're in a season of seeking God's direction or feeling distant from Him, invite Him to speak to you in this unique way. Open your heart, record your dreams, and seek His interpretation. You may be surprised by the clarity, wisdom, and insight He offers as you journey deeper into His presence. Key Scripture: John 10:27 (AMP): “The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.”

Believers can discern whether a dream is from God by evaluating it against His Word and seeking confirmation through prayer. Dreams from God are consistent with His character, promote His glory, and align with scripture. 1 John 4:1 (AMP) advises: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world.”

More Scriptural Examples: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP): “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

1 John 4:1 (AMP): "Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world."

Psalm 119:105 (AMP): "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

Proverbs 11:14 (AMP): "Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory."

Relevance to Today’s Believers:

Believers are reminded to rely on God’s Word as the ultimate test for interpreting dreams. Seeking wise counsel, praying for discernment, and waiting on confirmation help ensure that the dream’s message is truly from God.

God’s Unchanging Nature and Fairness in Communication Key Scripture: Hebrews 13:8 (AMP): “Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.”

God’s methods of communication have not changed. What He did in biblical times, He continues to do today. Acts 10:34 (AMP) reinforces this: “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing].’”

More Scriptural Examples: Malachi 3:6 (AMP): "For I am the Lord, I do not change [but remain faithful to My covenant with you]; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, have not come to an end."

James 1:17 (AMP): "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]."

Numbers 23:19 (AMP): "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?"

Relevance to Today’s Believers:

This truth assures believers that God’s communication is available to all. Dreams are not reserved for a select few but are a gift to any believer willing to listen.

Summary

God speaks through dreams as a divine means of communication, providing guidance, warnings, and encouragement. Biblical examples, such as Joseph’s dreams, Pharaoh’s warning, and Gideon’s encouragement, demonstrate the significance of this channel. Believers can discern whether a dream is from God by evaluating it against scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) and seeking confirmation through prayer. God’s unchanging nature and fairness ensure that this form of communication remains accessible to all His children.

For today’s believers, dreams remain a powerful way to hear from God. By paying attention to their dreams, praying for understanding, and trusting in God’s consistent character, believers can unlock this gift in their lives. Dreams not only reveal God’s will but also strengthen the bond between believers and their Creator, equipping them to walk confidently in His purposes.

As you get ready to sleep tonight, take a moment to pray and invite God to speak to your heart. Set aside a journal specifically for recording your dreams and commit to documenting them regularly. You might be amazed at how God reveals Himself to you in fresh and unexpected ways.

God is always speaking—may we tune our hearts to hear His voice, even in the quiet moments of the night.

If You Have Ears To Hear, Then Hear It!

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