What to Do with Dreams

Dreams–those unjointed, sometimes whacky thoughts that dance through our brains while we sleep–can plague many a night. Or other times they bring comfort. Reassurance or premonitions of things to come. Seriously, what are we to do with dreams?

Are they evil …

Being chased as your legs are stuck is a prevalent bad dream (nightmare). Other examples of nighttime terrors are: being late, not being prepared for an exam, or missing an important event. ACK! These make me break out in a sweat just thinking about them. Yet God, in his complete love, directs us how to deal with unsettling dreams.

Psalm 91:3-6 tells us:

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

 

… Or are they good?

Scripture offers samples of God speaking to prophets in dreams. Jacob’s dream of a stairway for angels to and travel to/from heaven made perfect sense. Or how about when an angel spoke to Joseph and Mary found favor with God and was with child, or to flee to Egypt because of Herod’s desire to kill him? Don’t overlook the comfort given in Acts 2:17.

In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams …

Are Dreams Just Strange?

Whether dreams are random thoughts our brain is trying to clean out or they’re premonitions of things to come, consider seeing your dreams with a new perspective. Instead of trying to understand them, pray for what you see.

After waking, my morning prayer starts with, “Father, thank you for the opportunity to wake up to see this new day. Bless those who were in my thoughts while sleeping, even if I don’t know them or even remember the dream. And Lord, if the dreams were wrapped in evil, please protect me and banish that ugliness from me.”

Was it the late-night pizza or a true premonition? How do you deal with dreams? Click To Tweet

Then Things Changed

After I began praying over my dreams … those people I never knew, places I never traveled to, and the situations I never experienced … the strangest thing began to happen. I found myself waking with a new energy. A positivity I didn’t know I lacked until I saw the hole in its deficiencies. And my nightmares stopped.

Now, I look forward to dreaming again. Will it be a speckled horse I ride in on or will I be in a house with a circular excellator? I never know. But what I do know is that God is standing guard over my dreams.

And that, dear friend, is a great feeling to take with me when I sleep.

What say you?

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, now in audible! And don’t forget to check out any of my other books on my Book page.