Dream Guidance
Interest in dreams
When I was 17, I had a strong interest in dreams and dream interpretation. I bought a book, which I studied, and learned all about things such as becoming lucid in dreams (being aware you are dreaming or "awake") and how to teach yourself to fly. It also contained the meanings for many common symbols and incidents that occur frequently in dreams. So I actually taught myself to fly by repeating to myself, as I fell asleep, that I was going to fly (power of suggestion). It was funny, I sort of ran and then flapped my arms like wings. It took a little practice, but eventually I flew. I'm sure this comes naturally for most people. I also was able to wake myself up in my dreams or become "lucid" and control them to a certain extent. Not a good thing to do. I was into the heavy-metal lifestyle and dreams sort of fit with my interests at that time, which also included astrology. I remember having a lot of nightmares. Certainly due to the fact that I didn't know God and had a lot of evil going into my mind as well as having a lot of worries and fear.
There was a song called "Silent Lucidity" from my favorite band back then, Queensryche. It was a beautiful, mystical song about exploring the world of dreams. I'm not sure if it brought on, influenced, or just strengthened my interest in dreams. I was always searching for spirituality in my life. For something deeper and more meaningful. I was always searching for God, but was totally unaware of the potential to experience the ultimate spiritual high with Him. Not to mention the ultimate love relationship. Which I also sought. This was really just another attempt, on my part, to fill the empty place where God belonged.
Excerpt from Silent Lucidity:
God's into dreams
So as you may imagine, the supernatural aspects of God fascinate me. Well God, in general, totally fascinates me. So coming into the Adventist faith, several years later, and learning of the prophetic dreams in the book of Daniel, was pretty awesome. As well as learning of the visions and dreams of Ellen White, which helped to guide the church, in it's beginning, and still does, through her writings.
And afterward,
I will pour out My spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28, 29
Personally, I have been given a few dreams that I am sure were from God. One resulted in my involvement in the rescue of several children in an abusive and dangerous situation. It was amazing how it played out. God warned me in the dream and it was confirmed the next day, by someone I knew, that the kids were going to be subjected to the abuser again. Taken to where he was. So we set off to try to get the kids before they could be taken to the man's house, in another town. When we arrived at their house, we were shocked to find the man there with the kids, alone. We called the authorities and the children were removed from the home. God wanted them to be protected, so He intervened. We had been praying for these kids for awhile before this happened.
A man I know was accused of wrongdoing, but nothing ever came of it. A couple years later, a family member of mine had a dream about the situation. She had no knowledge of what the man had been accused of. The next day, at church, this same man came up and put his arm around her and said, "I did not do such and such." She was shocked that he said that, since that was what she had dreamed of. She grabbed me and another family member and took us outside, where she told us about what happened. After picking my jaw up off the ground, I said ,"What?! You didn't know about what happened? That's exactly what he was accused of! God wants us to know the truth." I filled her in on the details. Just recently a friend has had some trouble with this man and we were able to strongly warn her about him.
Another dream was given to yet another family member. She was struggling spiritually and being pulled away by her unbelieving friends and family. At church, one morning, she began to tell me the details of her dream from the night before. In it she was holding onto cords that came from the sky and walking on a narrow path. She could hear people partying and laughing down below, in a deep ravine. She had to hold on to those ropes. Her dream represented the hard struggle she'd endure to stay close to God. A little while later, during the sermon, the speaker read a vision that Ellen White had that was almost identical to the dream she had had the night before. We just stared at each other in shocked disbelief and awe with tears in our eyes. She wasn't familiar with that vision. When God wants to guide or warn, He sometimes uses dreams to get through to us.
While my involvement with dream control and interpretation wasn't of God, and that I believe we should NOT mess around with dreams in that way because it is actually harmful to us, we should never ignore or dismiss our dreams either. Most of them are just our mind's way of processing life, but sometimes they are used, by God, to communicate very important information to us. It has been my experience that when He gives dreams, He also reveals that they are from Him. Sometimes He sends someone else to help interpret them.
Yes, I believe God's still very much in the dream business. He seems to reserve this way of communication for special situations. To me, it just proves what a real, powerful and totally awesome God we serve. Much better than the empty, vain, though beautifully packaged, counterfeit spirituality available in the world. His love is so great and available to each one of us.
You will not be afraid when you lie down.
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24
When I was 17, I had a strong interest in dreams and dream interpretation. I bought a book, which I studied, and learned all about things such as becoming lucid in dreams (being aware you are dreaming or "awake") and how to teach yourself to fly. It also contained the meanings for many common symbols and incidents that occur frequently in dreams. So I actually taught myself to fly by repeating to myself, as I fell asleep, that I was going to fly (power of suggestion). It was funny, I sort of ran and then flapped my arms like wings. It took a little practice, but eventually I flew. I'm sure this comes naturally for most people. I also was able to wake myself up in my dreams or become "lucid" and control them to a certain extent. Not a good thing to do. I was into the heavy-metal lifestyle and dreams sort of fit with my interests at that time, which also included astrology. I remember having a lot of nightmares. Certainly due to the fact that I didn't know God and had a lot of evil going into my mind as well as having a lot of worries and fear. Thankfully, I passed up my chance at becoming involved with hypnotism and astral projection, at 14, because of the warnings my mother gave me. An older man was really into it and offered to hypnotize me. I said no and just watched as he hypnotized my two guy friends. I was tempted with astral projection, however, which is like traveling outside of your body mentally, (I think...FREAKY!!!!!!!) when he assured me I could go see Stephen Pearcy, lead singer of Ratt. Yes, I really wanted to go to his house. So glad I didn't fall into that!
There was a song called "Silent Lucidity" from my favorite band back then, Queensryche. It was a beautiful, mystical song about exploring the world of dreams. I'm not sure if it brought on, influenced, or just strengthened my interest in dreams. I was always searching for spirituality in my life. For something deeper and more meaningful. I was always searching for God, but was totally unaware of the potential to experience the ultimate spiritual high with Him. Not to mention the ultimate love relationship. Which I also sought. This was really just another attempt, on my part, to fill the empty place where God belonged.
Excerpt from Silent Lucidity:
There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see
This magic new dimension
If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...
When I first became a Christian, I had no idea what was opening up to me. Suddenly there was another realm. Another reality. A "magic new dimension". There were angels and the Holy Spirit. God was orchestrating my whole life, for my good, behind the scenes. Yes - He was there before, but I didn't know Him. I didn't 'see' any of this new world of hope and love. Strange how similar the false promises of the world and the reality of God can be.
God's into dreams
And afterward,
I will pour out My spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28, 29
Personally, I have been given a few dreams that I am sure were from God. One resulted in my involvement in the rescue of several children in an abusive and dangerous situation. It was amazing how it played out. God warned me in the dream and it was confirmed the next day, by someone I knew, that the kids were going to be subjected to the abuser again. Taken to where he was. So we set off to try to get the kids before they could be taken to the man's house, in another town. When we arrived at their house, we were shocked to find the man there with the kids, alone. We called the authorities and the children were removed from the home. God wanted them to be protected, so He intervened. We had been praying for these kids for awhile before this happened.
A man I know was accused of wrongdoing, but nothing ever came of it. A couple years later, a family member of mine had a dream about the situation. She had no knowledge of what the man had been accused of. The next day, at church, this same man came up and put his arm around her and said, "I did not do such and such." She was shocked that he said that, since that was what she had dreamed of. She grabbed me and another family member and took us outside, where she told us about what happened. After picking my jaw up off the ground, I said ,"What?! You didn't know about what happened? That's exactly what he was accused of! God wants us to know the truth." I filled her in on the details. Just recently a friend has had some trouble with this man and we were able to strongly warn her about him.
Another dream was given to yet another family member. She was struggling spiritually and being pulled away by her unbelieving friends and family. At church, one morning, she began to tell me the details of her dream from the night before. In it she was holding onto cords that came from the sky and walking on a narrow path. She could hear people partying and laughing down below, in a deep ravine. She had to hold on to those ropes. Her dream represented the hard struggle she'd endure to stay close to God. A little while later, during the sermon, the speaker read a vision that Ellen White had that was almost identical to the dream she had had the night before. We just stared at each other in shocked disbelief and awe with tears in our eyes. She wasn't familiar with that vision. When God wants to guide or warn, He sometimes uses dreams to get through to us.
While my involvement with dream control and interpretation wasn't of God, and that I believe we should NOT mess around with dreams in that way because it is actually harmful to us, we should never ignore or dismiss our dreams either. Most of them are just our mind's way of processing life, but sometimes they are used, by God, to communicate very important information to us. It has been my experience that when He gives dreams, He also reveals that they are from Him. Sometimes He sends someone else to help interpret them.
Yes, I believe God's still very much in the dream business. He seems to reserve this way of communication for special situations. To me, it just proves what a real, powerful and totally awesome God we serve. Much better than the empty, vain, though beautifully packaged, counterfeit spirituality available in the world. His love is so great and available to each one of us.
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24
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