It is a great thing to hear from God. For one, hearing from God signifies He’s on our side. He has many means of communicating with us; through life situations, visions, prophecy, and even dreams! However, sometimes we are unable to recognize God speaking to us.
As already established, one of the common ways God speaks to us is through dreams. But mind you, not all dreams are signs that He is speaking to us. But how do we know when God is speaking to us in a dream? How can we discern God communicating to us in dreams?
In this article, I will walk you through 13 signs God is speaking to you in a dream. This will help you know when the father is sending a message to you in your dream.
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How To Know If A Dream is From God
In Numbers 12:16 (NIV), God 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.
This Scripture makes it evident that dream is one of the ways God conveys messages to us. But sometimes, it is difficult to discern if it is indeed God speaking to us through a dream. Hence, it is crucial to understand how God communicates with us so that we will know when He is speaking to us in a dream.
But firstly, it is important to note that not all dreams come from God – in the same way, that not all waking thoughts are from Him! Some of the dreams we have are known as ‘natural dreams’ – they are activities of our unconscious minds during our sleep.
Notwithstanding, they may be essential to pay attention to, as they occasionally help us understand ourselves. But they aren’t the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Here are three ways to recognize a dream from God:
- A Clear Dream.
God, as the wisest Being in Heaven and on Earth, wouldn’t allow you to have a meaningless dream. So, if your dream isn’t clear or does not make any sense, then it may not be from Him.
Although there are God-dreams that are often difficult to understand. And sometimes would require interpretation, but it still makes sense, nonetheless. When God speaks, He communicates with clarity—even when you don’t fully understand what He says! (See Ecclesiastes 5:7).
- Unforgettable Dream.
If you dream and can’t remember the exact details of the dream, even after days of asking the Holy Spirit to remind you. Then it is a sign that it was not from God.
On the other hand, if God sends you a message in a dream, then He will ensure you remember. However, writing down any dream you feel is from God as soon as you wake up is a great idea. Doing this will help you understand God’s message just like Daniel did in Daniel 7:1.
- Recurring Dreams.
Because God loves us, He wouldn’t abandon us even when we are ignorant or don’t get His message. This is why God will keep sending the same dream to you each time you sleep until you take action.
The likes of Joseph (Genesis 37), Pharaoh (Genesis 41), and Peter (Acts 10:9-16) all had recurring dreams until the message was fulfilled. So, another way to know if a dream is from God is when you keep having the same dream.
Here Are 13 Signs God Is Speaking To You In a Dream.
1. Dreams Conveying Divine Instructions (Matthew 2:13).
Dreams from the Lord usually come with a message, a unique message passing divine instructions. Just like how the Holy Spirit uses dreams to send instructions from Heaven on what to do (See Joel 2:28-32).
As such, dreams must consistently deliver a strong message in sync with His word. So a dream without a clear message is not from God. And when it has a clear message, it is undoubtedly God speaking to you.
2. The Feeling of the Presence of the Holy Spirit.
Another sign that the Lord is speaking to you in a dream is when you awaken and feel His presence around you.
When you awake from a dream feeling all pumped up spiritually and sensing an aurora of the Holy Spirit, then you should quickly write what you dreamed. You must capture every detail at that point.
3. Spiritual and Physical Impact.
Again, you will know that God has spoken to you in a dream when you feel the impact on your body and soul. Have you woken from a dream that felt so real that you feel the effects on your body and spirit?
Such kind of dreams are often spiritual and comes from God. For example, if you have a dream where someone touches your right palm, and you woke up and continue feeling the touch, that is no ordinary dream. You’ll need to pray and meditate to understand the dream.
4. A Meaningful Dream (Daniel 7).
If a dream gets you frustrated and confused, it is not from God. On the other hand, a dream that comes with a clear meaning, which you’re able to understand and comprehend, is God speaking to you.
However, sometimes, we may not immediately understand the dream, but it will come, notwithstanding. It may take a few days or an occurrence to understand the dream. But at least the dream should make sense from your point of view until the Holy Spirit reveals its meaning.
In this era, God only conveys simple and clear messages to us so we can quickly take action.
5. When the Dream Brings Peace of Mind (Job 33:14-18).
In most cases, God uses dreams to comfort us in tribulations. His words assure us of peace, and when we awaken, we are filled with joy and satisfaction. So, when you dream, meditate and look out for ways God is using to comfort you in the dream.
You might even find the solution to your problems in some cases. And if you do find the dream is about your current predicament, then the Lord has surely spoken to you.
6. Clarity (Matthew 1:20-23).
A true dream from God does not come in hassle and fizzle. Instead, it is clear and plain. When you have a dream that leaves you confused, a dream where you cannot connect the signs and symbols, it isn’t from the Lord.
God does not confuse us with dreams, and neither does He gives useless, annoying, scattered, controversial, and complicated messages. He instructs with clarity and plainness as in dreams, the same way He does with His word.
His words and messages are clear and straightforward. Hence, it can be easily understood when He is speaking to us.
Also See: 13 Awesome Signs God is Transitioning You.
7. Repetitive and Disturbing Dreams (Acts 10:9-16).
Dreams from God can sometimes be troubling. In some cases, a dream from God will come disturbing and repetitively until you get the message and act upon it (See Genesis 41).
He does this to get your attention, and if you continue to ignore it, the dream will become even more disturbing until you act upon it. This is because it’s a matter of importance.
However, if you keep having this kind of dream and can’t understand the message, look up to Him and ask for interpretation because He is indeed trying to tell you something.
8. Reveling Dreams.
Another sign that the Lord is speaking to you in a dream is when it seems your dream is revealing a peculiar situation.
In the Bible, dreams are always used to reveal something. For example, apostle Paul’s dream revealed that his direction was Macedonia instead of the other way around. So it was with the three wise men on their way from paying their respect to Jesus.
All you need do is listen to His instructions in your dream, connect the signs and symbols, and you’ll get the revelation, which is a message from the Lord.
9. Unforgettable Dream (Daniel 2:3).
Normally, details of a dream out of your subconscious mind are easy to forget, but that from the Lord is hard to forget. Consequently, it will perturb you all day until you get the meaning.
It’s more vivid than normal dreams, and you’ll become settled when you finally understand it. This kind of dream does not only stay in your memory but also in your spirit, causing you to make the right decision when it’s time for fulfillment.
10. Doesn’t Contradict God’s Word.
God’s faithfulness is in His words, and He values them so much. As a result, He will not send you dreams that contradict His words.
Therefore, if you can use the Scripture to interpret your dreams, then it was God speaking to you. However, if your dream goes against God’s teachings, then it wasn’t God speaking to you.
11. Gives Direction.
When your dream shows you the way out of a perplexing situation or leads you out of danger, it is the Lord speaking to you. For example, when Herod attempted to harm Jesus, God gave Joseph instructions in a dream.
His Angel appeared to Joseph and told him to flee to Egypt until the right time (Matthew 2:13-23). When God shows us direction in a dream, we can act on it and avoid making mistakes or walking into danger. Therefore, when you receive a direct and clear message in a dream, God is communicating with you.
12. The Dream Inspires Hope and Optimism.
A dream from God usually dispels dread and instills hope. God’s loving nature is to instill hope, peace, and joy in His children. He has wonderful plans for us, according to Jeremiah 29:11.
Therefore, any dream that causes you to smile and brim with confidence is from the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, dreams that cause you to tremble with fear and impede your confidence aren’t from the Lord.
13. Motivates You to Take Action.
When God is speaking to you in a dream, the message will often prompt you to make an effort to avoid danger and bring God’s plans to fruition.
For example, God sent a revelation to Pharaoh through a dream, which Joseph interpreted, and together they were able to save the Egyptians and Israelites from starvation.
Live A Victorious Christian Life
How to Know If a Dream Is From The Enemy.
Dreams from the enemy usually come in the form of nightmares. The enemy desires to instill fear to deter us from walking in faith. He often aims this kind of attack at believers. When this occurs, the right thing to do is to pray. Furthermore, put your trust in God instead of panicking in fear.
Sometimes dreams from the enemy are demonic visitations. For instance, sleep paralysis, a common phenomenon among people both in and outside the church often occurs when a demonic entity engages them as they sleep.
Consequently, this kind of dream tends to linger more than normal, even after we awake, along with an extreme sense of fear or evil presence felt during the dream.
Another sign of a dream from the enemy is known as a “dark dream.” The Bible often differentiates God and Satan by using light and dark or day and night. When Heaven or the throne of God is mentioned, the most common description is a bright light and radiant colors.
Similar features are often true of dreams from God, whereas dreams from the enemy are set at night, with low light, or are black and white. Finally, dreams from the enemy will leave you distressed, confused, and unhappy.
Conclusion
God usually sends dreams to us since it is one of the best ways He can communicate with us. He generally speaks to us through dreams while we sleep (See Job 33:14-15). He communicates critical instructions that we might not have gotten when awake through this means.
As a result, dreams are important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Therefore, acknowledging God’s voice in your dream is significant to you and those around you. However, if you’re still confused as to whether or not God is speaking to you through dreams, pray and ask Him for discernment.
Your dream might just be the answer to your problems.
