Walking in dream language and tapping into the mind and heart of God can be an exciting and exhilarating journey. But understanding and interpreting the revelation He gives in dreams can often be a complex and even confusing process.
These 15 keys will help you to simplify dream interpretation:
1. Most of all, dreams should be interpreted on a personal basis first (John 10:3).
2. Most dreams should not be taken literally. They need interpretation (Daniel 1:17; Genesis 40:8).
3. God will use familiar terms that you know (Matthew 4:19).
4. Ponder on the dream or revelation and ask the Holy Spirit for insight (Daniel 7:8; 8:15-16; Luke 2:19; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12).
5. Ask the Holy Spirit what the central thought, word, or issue is in the revelation. Reduce the dream to its simplest form. What is the main thought?
6. Search it out in the Word. Dreams from the Lord will never go against His written Word (Proverbs 25:2).
7. What did you sense and feel from the dream? Was it a good or evil presence? What was the primary emotion?
8. Relate the dream to your circumstances and spheres of influence.
9. Consecutive dreams often have similar meanings (Genesis 41:1-7). God will speak the same message more than once in more than one way.
10. What are the colors? Is everything black and white with one main object in color?
11. Interpretations can be on three levels: personal, church, or national and international.
12. More than one interpretation can come forth in one dream. Just as with Scripture, there is the historical context as wells as the personal, present implication. So it is with dreams. It might be a general word for the church with specific applications for yourself (or others).
13. Some dreams may only be understood in the future. They unfold over time. Details will make sense down the road.
14. Write down in a journal the summary; date it; write down where you were, the time (if you woke up from it), the main emotions, and a possible interpretation.
15. The key to proper interpretation is to ask questions, questions, questions!
Dreams are significant to all people—every society, culture, creed and color has dreamers. Dreams are a venue God uses to move a divine purpose from His heart and mind so that it can become a reality in our story.
Dreams are where space and time are pushed away, where God allows our inner selves to see beyond and behind the conscious plane and where possibilities and hopes, as well as our hidden ungodly beliefs come out.
Father, we know that dreams and their interpretations belong to You. With honor coupled with a deep hunger, we ask You to give us dreams that come from You, proper interpretation to the things You are showing us, and Your wisdom to apply it to our lives, in Jesus’ great name. Amen.
