This is written as a series of Dream Interpretation Helps concerning dreams from God. I will cover the things that I feel are mandatory for correct dream interpretation and application of the truths revealed in the dream. All scripture references are NASB, unless otherwise noted. Emphases are mine. © 2013, 2022 Elizabeth Elam. All rights reserved.
IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR PRAYER AND BIBLE READING
Remember Jeremiah 23, and its emphasis that prophetic dreamers should seek the Lord, and not expect to hear a true word or true dream if they don't seek Him? It says they will actually become a false prophet with false dreams that turn people away from God. I believe this is also true if we don't pray or read the Bible regularly. The Bible, the timeless Word of God, sharpens our spirit. Because I regularly read the Bible, I will often recognize a scripture that the dream is similar to. It is a beautiful template with which to test our dreams. He still cares about the same themes and subjects that are in the Bible! He loves to bring emphasis and exclamation marks to His Words in the Bible by speaking on the same theme or topic in a dream. God still speaks! He still teaches through the Holy Spirit! Jesus' Words of the Bible will often be brought to life and magnified through a dream and the Bible's truths will be enlarged and made touchable by a dream from the Lord.
I get so amazed when the Lord often adds my pastor's preaching into the mix! Whenever I have a dream on a Sunday morning, for example, before church even starts and before I've heard my pastor's message, I know there's a good chance that my pastor, Terry Horn, will preach on what I dreamed about and his in-depth knowledge of the Bible will help me understand the dream more fully. Or I know he will preach on the same theme or use the same Biblical story or parable or symbol. We have many dreamers in our church, and I believe it is because of the types and shadows in the Bible that our pastor has introduced to us and helped us understand their meanings. God knows that we are being equipped to understand the dreams, and the Bible, if we will just stop and prayerfully, diligently seek Him.
Here are a few examples of Bible stories or parables that I or others have dreamed, with the Lord changing just a tiny bit in the dream from the Bible version, to show where we're not lining up with God's will (the Bible story) or actually a 'what if' version of the Bible story if a person wasn't to make the same bad choice as the person in the Bible story:
-Queen Vashti and Queen Esther - When our pastor preached the story of Queen Vashti (rebellious) contrasted with Queen Esther, I dreamed the Bible story as if one of my sons (who had been divorced by a "Vashti") was likened to the king, for whom others were searching for a new queen. My son said he'd found her, that we could stop looking. I saw that it was my new daughter-in-love, his beautiful, kind, sweet bride. God was saying she was an "Esther". Such a healing dream for the Lord to give!
-Boaz and Ruth - 'Ruth' sleeping at foot of 'Boaz's' bed in the wrong house! They were not in the FATHER'S HOUSE and the Father had come to find them. He was upset because instead of Ruth leaving the culture of false gods, Boaz had left his Father's house and gone to her house of the pagan culture. This was opposite from the Bible story and pointed out where correction was needed. The dreamer and her husband heeded the warning.
-Naomi dream- just a few weeks later showed the same 'Ruth' not leaving 'Naomi's' side as the train (symbolizing death coming to all of us) kept coming on the tracks toward 'Naomi' who couldn't get off. 'Naomi' kept trying to push and send 'Ruth' off the tracks, but 'Ruth' was faithful and wouldn't leave 'Naomi's' side. Ruth in the Bible story is known for the famous words to Naomi, "I will not leave you". And, "Your God will be my God."
-The one-talent man in the parable of the talents - My pastor, Terry Horn, was preaching on this, emphasizing the 'one-talent' man. The Lord turned my dream (the same day) into a 'what if' dream about the one-talent man. In my dream he had one gift (musical talent), but also a huge disability (he had no legs!) It felt like it would be an insurmountable problem for him to be able to use his gift. In other words, the disability felt much bigger than his one gift. But, this man had a most grateful heart and never complained. He got to work using his gift anyway.
The next glimpse I had of him, he was trying to do new things on his own, like showering (a type of turning, cleansing from sin). In my final glimpse of him, he was conducting a large symphony that was performing his original composition. It was beautiful. And his legs had grown out! He was whole! His attitude had multiplied his gift to reach an audience of around 100, plus the large orchestra had great joy in performing his musical masterpiece.
IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR PRAYER AND BIBLE READING
Remember Jeremiah 23, and its emphasis that prophetic dreamers should seek the Lord, and not expect to hear a true word or true dream if they don't seek Him? It says they will actually become a false prophet with false dreams that turn people away from God. I believe this is also true if we don't pray or read the Bible regularly. The Bible, the timeless Word of God, sharpens our spirit. Because I regularly read the Bible, I will often recognize a scripture that the dream is similar to. It is a beautiful template with which to test our dreams. He still cares about the same themes and subjects that are in the Bible! He loves to bring emphasis and exclamation marks to His Words in the Bible by speaking on the same theme or topic in a dream. God still speaks! He still teaches through the Holy Spirit! Jesus' Words of the Bible will often be brought to life and magnified through a dream and the Bible's truths will be enlarged and made touchable by a dream from the Lord.
I get so amazed when the Lord often adds my pastor's preaching into the mix! Whenever I have a dream on a Sunday morning, for example, before church even starts and before I've heard my pastor's message, I know there's a good chance that my pastor, Terry Horn, will preach on what I dreamed about and his in-depth knowledge of the Bible will help me understand the dream more fully. Or I know he will preach on the same theme or use the same Biblical story or parable or symbol. We have many dreamers in our church, and I believe it is because of the types and shadows in the Bible that our pastor has introduced to us and helped us understand their meanings. God knows that we are being equipped to understand the dreams, and the Bible, if we will just stop and prayerfully, diligently seek Him.
Here are a few examples of Bible stories or parables that I or others have dreamed, with the Lord changing just a tiny bit in the dream from the Bible version, to show where we're not lining up with God's will (the Bible story) or actually a 'what if' version of the Bible story if a person wasn't to make the same bad choice as the person in the Bible story:
-Queen Vashti and Queen Esther - When our pastor preached the story of Queen Vashti (rebellious) contrasted with Queen Esther, I dreamed the Bible story as if one of my sons (who had been divorced by a "Vashti") was likened to the king, for whom others were searching for a new queen. My son said he'd found her, that we could stop looking. I saw that it was my new daughter-in-love, his beautiful, kind, sweet bride. God was saying she was an "Esther". Such a healing dream for the Lord to give!
-Boaz and Ruth - 'Ruth' sleeping at foot of 'Boaz's' bed in the wrong house! They were not in the FATHER'S HOUSE and the Father had come to find them. He was upset because instead of Ruth leaving the culture of false gods, Boaz had left his Father's house and gone to her house of the pagan culture. This was opposite from the Bible story and pointed out where correction was needed. The dreamer and her husband heeded the warning.
-Naomi dream- just a few weeks later showed the same 'Ruth' not leaving 'Naomi's' side as the train (symbolizing death coming to all of us) kept coming on the tracks toward 'Naomi' who couldn't get off. 'Naomi' kept trying to push and send 'Ruth' off the tracks, but 'Ruth' was faithful and wouldn't leave 'Naomi's' side. Ruth in the Bible story is known for the famous words to Naomi, "I will not leave you". And, "Your God will be my God."
-The one-talent man in the parable of the talents - My pastor, Terry Horn, was preaching on this, emphasizing the 'one-talent' man. The Lord turned my dream (the same day) into a 'what if' dream about the one-talent man. In my dream he had one gift (musical talent), but also a huge disability (he had no legs!) It felt like it would be an insurmountable problem for him to be able to use his gift. In other words, the disability felt much bigger than his one gift. But, this man had a most grateful heart and never complained. He got to work using his gift anyway.
The next glimpse I had of him, he was trying to do new things on his own, like showering (a type of turning, cleansing from sin). In my final glimpse of him, he was conducting a large symphony that was performing his original composition. It was beautiful. And his legs had grown out! He was whole! His attitude had multiplied his gift to reach an audience of around 100, plus the large orchestra had great joy in performing his musical masterpiece.
Back to Dream Index