The question is, Does God speak today to His people in dreams and visions? The short answer is yes. The more correct answer is, “Yes, God can do anything, but He most often chooses to speak through His Word and other means than dreams.”
The difference between a dream and a vision is not clearly marked in the Bible but we do get the idea that a dream is a lower communication than a vision. Dreams require more interpretation than visions and its usually difficult to interpret dreams. I have heard Christians I admire comment that visions usually happen when they are not asleep and that dreams of course happen when they are asleep.
If you feel that God is communicating with you more through dreams than any other way, there may be a problem with that. A relationship with God through Jesus consists of more than dreams and visions. It consists of daily walking and talking, prayer and obedience.
I don’t say that God does not and will not communicate to you through dreams, but I I would give these warnings:
1) If your dream does not line up with the personality and Word of God, its not from God and you must dismiss it.
2) Learn to distinguish your own thoughts from those of God.
3) Pray that God will protect your dreams, for even there we are subject to temptation and torment from the devil.
4) God does not give new revelation today about Himself so if your dream seems to give you something “New” about God that is not in His Word, it is not from God and you must dismiss it.
5) When you dream something that you do not understand, make every effort to ask God to help you understand and compare it to His Word.
6) If the content of the dream does not somehow bring glory to Jesus Christ, it is not from God, so you must dismiss it.
Finally, remember that dreams are an unusual way for God to communicate. They cannot compare to The Word of God. Jeremiah 23:25-32. When you have a dream that seems to be God speaking to you and you have compared it to Scripture and are still convinced that it is from God, then thank Him and ask Him how to use it to His glory.
Hello and welcome! I'm Sylvia Britton, and I've been online since 1996 offering encouragement and help in the spirit of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 at Christian Homekeeper. CHK is the original Homekeeping site on the internet
Gail,
I haven’t thought you’ve meant harm, not at all. We have to work hard to make ourselves understood in print. We have to make sure that what we say can be backed up scripturally, not only by our experiences.
I’ve enjoyed our discourse.
Sylvia
Sylvia you said, “That is, that people who do not communicate with God in dreams do not know the Word. I disagree with this strongly. God will communicate as He desires with any of His people. Simply because I believe God can communicate through His Word, doesn’t mean that He will choose to do so with me.
You seem also to assume that simply because God does not communicate with someone in his or her dreams or through an audible voice, that person has not heard from God. I disagree with this also.There are many other ways that God communicates with His people noted in the Word and experienced by His people daily.”
That’s not what I am saying at all. No where near it. I’m not putting anyone down. Yes, God does communicate with people in different ways. Some of them are not listening. So God does not push. That’s what I am saying. When you spend time with God, God will come to you more. God said if you call unto him that he will answer, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not (Jeremiah 33:3). You have to show yourself approved (2 Timothy 2:15). There are a lot of Bible verses that can explain what I am saying. I can not tell it to you any better. Tammy mentioned some things that explains what I am saying. Yes, God is reaching out to us. He talks to people. Everybody does not want him. He gave us a choice. Many are called and few are chosen (Matt. 22:14). I can hear the Lord telling me right now that I have explained enough. Sylvia, I have meant no harm, but I am often misunderstood.
He said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. Numbers 12:6 (NIV)
But this is not true of my servent Moses; he is faithful in all my house. Numbers 12:7 (NIV)
With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Numbers: 12:8 (NIV)
Many years ago I was caught up in the interpretation of dreams and visions. This was an area that The Lord deterred me from by my seeking His word. He took me on field trips of revelation to learn the difference and I did. I asked The Lord to show me how to use these dreams and visions for His Glory only….He said, to remember that He was the Great I am and that I was nothing and could do nothing aside from Him. The Lord is always trying to reach, teach and guide us.
“But Let him who boasts about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24 (NIV)
Sylvia, thank you for this Godly discussion. I love it when one can discuss the answer by using the word of God.
Hello Ladies,
Just want to ‘put my two cents in’ if I may. I feel like I’ve had a pretty clear line of communication with my Lord for several years now. I was not raised in a Christian home, so have had to learn alot of things on my own…therefore, leaving room for much error on my part (this is where being in the Word regularly helps me to focus in the right direction); but I can say that most (if not all) of my own, personal communication has taken place while I’m wide awake.
Sometimes (alot of times) it happens in the shower; I think that’s the place where I can go that is quiet enough to hear His voice; we are a very busy, loud family. Other times I get strong messages when a verse pops off the page while I’m doing my devotions/quiet time. Sometimes I hear the same message over and over in different formats…this is when He really needs to show me something or I’m not paying close enough attention (not listening, too many self-imposed distractions). I think that’s why the Bible refers to it as a “still, small voice”.
I will admit though, that sometimes the one thing that keeps me going back to my Bible every day is the hope that I will hear something BIG from Him. I can initiate a dialogue through prayer. Those times are rare, that’s why they’re so awesome!
Well anyway, that’s my two cents. I hope the Lord blesses you both with clarity today.
Your Sister In Christ,
Tammy
Sylvia, I understand if it is unusual to you. To me, a dream itself can be unusual, but God himself speaking to us in dreams does not seem unusual to me because of what the Bible said. God will give you the meaning if you ask him. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given you (Matt.7:7)”. So you cannot go wrong. If it had not been known from the Bible that God visits us in dreams, it might would have been unusual to me. Some of our Grandparents may have been visited by God in dreams, I’m sure, and our parents too. Things have been handed down. God is still giving people spiritual gifts. Some of us are use to it, and some of us are not. From the Bible, we know how God operates. Maybe in our day and time it would be unusual to most people that have never heard or seen anything of the Lord. Especially those that don’t know the word. Some of them are not even trying to know. Some things the world just can not accept. That’s the biggest problem right there.
It’s no surprise to me if God spoke to us out loud rather than a dream. He spoke out loud to Adam and Eve and Noah just to name a few. Even people in the new testament. All through out the Bible. Why is it so unusual now if you have communication with God? I have heard of it and read of it. On top of that, I believe the impossible because all things are possible to him that believeth. With God all things are possible. If we believe his word, it shouldn’t be unusual. I don’t know about anybody else, but his word has been with me and the things that he has done all of my life. I thank God for a mother that taught me. God has not changed. He’s the same today as he was yesterday. You said the key word. His word. So that’s why it’s not unusual to me.
You didn’t miss anything. It’s just that dreams don’t seem like an unusual way to me for God to communicate with us. Sometimes it might be the best way to communicate with man. When man is not sleeping, it might be harder to get his attention. So when we are resting and everything is quite, that might be the reason God comes to us in dreams. I think the closer we get to God, the more we can see his image or maybe even hear him. If it’s truly God, it’s going to be right one way or the other. However, the Bible does speak of dreamer of dreams (Deut.13). So people do need to be careful, and I think with visions too. In Numbers 12:6 The Bible said: Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. (8) With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches….
So those that know God’s word will know if it is God no matter how he may come. He will tell you just what he wants you to know and will not give you riddles to figure out.
I have experienced dreams and visions. He has told me things about my future. I didn’t know God then as well as I know him now. He speaks to me according to my understanding. Some of the things he told me I’m not sure about. I know that some things we can do here on earth now while we are alive. Some things we might be doing when he comes. So, if the things he told me I would be doing in the future doesn’t happen while I’m on earth, I know they will happen when I am with him. I can not see all of the outcome, but I have some idea reading the Book of Revelation.
Whether God speaks to you through a vision or a dream, he will let you know what it means. It might be something new for your future. We don’t know all of God’s plan and every single thing of the future. We only know what God had the holy men to write and we don’t understand everything that is written.
It happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. His dream was from God, and he did not understand it until he was told the meaning through Daniel. The dream he had about the golden image has a lot to do with now and the end of time, and Nebuchadnezzar was from Bible time. See?