A friend told my wife recently about a dream she experienced that she thought may have been spiritually significant.  I thought i would write a little about my experience with dreams in the hope that they might help others process their own experiences.

Several years ago i started having dreams that i believe are spiritually significant. That is, i believe God has revealed things about my life to me through dreams.  In talking to people about my dreams i've found that not a lot of people whom i know share this experience, and it's sometimes hard to know what to do with them when they happen.

Some disclaimers before i begin:

• Those whose theological position does not include God still speaking in specific ways will not find much value in this post; i do not try to address this issue here, and merely suggest reading the references at the end.
• I don't have any qualifications in the scientific study of dreams or training in the spiritual interpretation of dreams, so i've made up my own terms to explain certain dream phenomena. You might know these concepts under another term - if there is any official standard by which they are named, please let me know and i'll update this post.

What to do with dreams

1. Write them down.  Record as much information as you can, as soon as you possibly can, about their setting, details, characters, and emotions.
   • Characters in dreams often have "name tags" (visible or invisible) which indicate who they are, even if they don't look like that person.  For example, my wife is often in my dreams, and even though she sometimes doesn't look like herself, i still know who she is.
   • Dreams often have an "emotional overlay" or "colour" - a general feeling which sets the context of the dream.  It is important to record this, if possible.  Sometimes this is difficult to put into words, but try to describe the feelings in as many relevant terms as you can think of.  For example, these might be groups of terms to describe different dreams:
     • love, joy, happiness, contentment
     • fear, warning, trouble
     • confusion, perplexity
     • wonder, awe
2. Lay out your "dream journal" (mine is just a file on the computer which i usually print out to keep in front of me for a few days) before God.  Pray specifically for wisdom to interpret, just like Paul encouraged tongue-speakers to do in 1 Corinthians 14:13.
3. Consider the possible interpretations of the dream and write them down after the dream.  Be sure to distinguish clearly between the reporting of the dream and the possible interpretations you've considered afterwards.  I do this by making large, clear headings at the start of the dream and the start of the possible interpretations.
   • Be aware that some dreams are quite clear and straightforward; they might simply be someone speaking or the accounting of a very straightforward, everyday event.  Some Scriptural examples of this are Genesis 20:1-18 and 1 Kings 3:3-15.
   • Other dreams are highly symbolic and there is nothing apparent connecting them with their interpretation in the real world.  Scriptural examples: Genesis 37:5-11; Genesis 40:1-23; Genesis 41:1-36.
4. Ask trusted Christian advisors for their thoughts on your dream.
5. Keep your dream journal permanently and review it from time to time (say, every year or so).  Some interpretations of my dreams have taken months or years to make themselves plain.  Other dreams are still sitting in my journal, mysterious as the day i had them.

My experiences with interpretation

These are some general reflections on how the dreams have turned out - some of them may be generally applicable, but i suspect that these factors might differ from person to person.  Your mileage may vary!  :-)  Please don't take them as authoritative.

• I have not found that asking other Christians for guidance or thinking logically through possible interpretations has produced convincing results.  Usually the "emotional overlay" of the dream, the circumstances in my life, and seeking God have been better indicators for me.
• The symbolism in my dreams is usually very general, and there is no real correlation between entities in dreams, and their corresponding entries in real life.  For example, in one of my dreams, viewing pornography was represented by riding as the passenger in a car with a very reckless driver.
• In general, the emotional overlay i get at the end of the dream has provided significant direction in interpretation.  For example, at the end of another dream where i was asked to do things for which i felt very unprepared, i felt a sense of expectation upon me to be prepared for something which was coming.
• One of the ways in which i distinguish between a dream that is significant and one that is just an ordinary dream is the level of continuity in the story.  Dreams for which i have a strong sense of spiritual significance (and for which i believe that the interpretation that i have come to is valid) generally tell a single story, while those which are just my brain doing its "defrag" while i sleep are jumbled, with characters and scenes fading in and out at random.

Spiritual Warfare

The few people with similar experiences with whom i've talked seem to find that a lot of their dreams are about spiritual attacks from the enemy or sinful practices (either in their lives or the lives of people close to them).  A lot of the time these dreams are uncomfortable, and sometimes absolutely terrifying.  It is important to remember when encountering these types of dreams that as children of God, we are absolutely safe in our Father's care.  Some Scriptures which touch upon this are: Matthew 10:1-11:30; Luke 9:1-10:24; and Romans 8:26-39.

Further reading

• Jack Deere, "Surprised by the Voice of God" - this book has lots of practical advice and Scriptural discussion about dreams, visions, and prophecy.
• Jack Deere, "Surprised by the Power of the Spirit" - this book explains from both Scripture and experience why God still speaks and acts through his Holy Spirit.