Dreams and Seeking God’s Will

Dreams are often referenced in Scripture as a method of communication by God. It was a way to describe future events, such as what Joseph conveyed to his father and his brothers (Genesis 37:5, 9; 42:6, 9; 43:26; 44:14; 46:29). Daniel was an interpreter of dreams (Daniel 1:37), and God spoke to him through visions about the future conflict (Daniel 7-12). God also used a dream to warn of impending danger to Joseph, Mary and Jesus (Matthew 2:13). He even used a dream to terrify Pontias Pilate’s wife to admonish her husband to “have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!” (Matthew 27:19)

With these examples, we see that God, indeed, has used dreams and visions to communicate with us. God speaks to us in many different ways, but dreams are also a way of capturing God’s vision of the future, just as Joseph was mindful of God’s dreams for his own future in the midst of extreme hardship. What gave Paul the desire to press on for the sake of his own faith and for the brethren? It was his vision of one day being with the living Christ, even though he was imprisoned and suffering persecution for his faith. We, too, are to cope with our own difficulties by focusing on Jesus Christ and living a Christlike existence. “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable–if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise–dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

Dreams are a sequence of sensations, thoughts, and images that communicate information to us, most often during sleep. Dreams can also occur as we visualize in our minds the product of our imagination, a wish, or our desire to see important changes in our life and the lives of others. With this, we see that God gives us the ability to dream and also use dreams to visualize what we may see in the future. If used properly, we can see how dreams can inspire us to live a life of promise and can help us to realize our own hopes, thoughts and ideas. Dreams can help to challenge us to see something in the future when we truly trust in the Lord and remain obedient to Him and His Word. Our strength comes from believing that God provides us with the ability to persevere and succeed in Christ. “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Our goals and visions of the future are reassured by God’s ongoing faithfulness. His faithfulness comforts us as He demonstrates over and over that He has everything under His control. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). We can see God working, yet we are challenged to trust completely in Him on a daily basis.

While God wants us to see His will for us and to remain in Him, what matters to God most is how you, as an overseer of His kingdom, bear fruit before others. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. This is what I command you: love one another” (John 15:16-17). Living for Christ will give you the ability to bear fruit, and that our trust in Him will be manifested in the results. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples” (John 15:7-8). We are fruitful as we abide in Christ and in seeking His will. His desires become our desires (Psalm 37:4). Our dreams, viewed by others as difficult to achieve or as impossible, can become a reality as we trust in Him.

Why does one stop dreaming? It is because dreams seem impossible to see through all of the obstacles that appear to be before them. Dreams, honestly, require hard work in their execution. Satan would like nothing better than for our dreams and desires of our lives for Christ to be put aside and rendered as unachievable or unreachable. Martin Luther King’s dream was well beyond the laws and rules that existed in his lifetime, and yet his dream was the desire of many. In the midst of the perception of what does not appear to be possible, will you dream anyway? While acknowledging the hardships of life, anything can be accomplished or realized as God goes before us, gives us the strength and ability to believe while we press ahead towards the prize (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:24)

The realization of your dreams require your faith in Jesus Christ. “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). If it is according to God’s will, it will definitely be accomplished. Dreams are not just about ourselves, but they also may involve others. When God speaks to us, He helps us see how we can see outside of ourselves when we dream. We can know if our dreams are not just our own when we acknowledge that God is with us. “Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15). God will truly accomplish what He desires, and His fellowship with us makes it easier for us to see His vision and recognize that the Lord’s presence guides us to see through our dreams and desires to reality. Even with this, God is also looking for our proper and reverent response to Him. God is the One who helps us to achieve our dreams in our work, and it is our responsibility to see that we claim none of the glory in our accomplishments. Without Him, we can do nothing; therefore, He deserves the glory for the realization of our hopes and dreams.