Pay Attention to your Dreams

All through the Bible, it’s clear that dreams are one of the ways that God speaks to man and gives divine revelation. The Lord did it with Jacob in Genesis ch. 28:10-20.

But my focus today is based on my bible study that concerns Joseph. We are introduced to Joseph as a young boy who was not only his dad’s favourite but also received dreams from the Lord. In Genesis 37, we are told that:

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.“Listen to this dream,” he said.“We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
Vs.5‭- 7 NLT

In the account we are informed that his brothers were offended by his dreams.

His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.
Genesis 37:8 NLT

As a result of their jealousy, they sell him to Ishmaelites and Joseph finds himself in Egypt where the prophecy is fulfilled.

Importance of Dreams

Based on the story of Joseph, let’s look at the reasons as to why its important for us to pay attention to our dreams.

• They reveal God’s plans for our lives. Through Joseph’s dreams, the Lord was showing him his future and the important role He (God) had prepared for Him.

“We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
Genesis 37:7 NLT

• Not all your dreams are meant to be shared to the whole world because there are people (including family, unfortunately) who will be envious of what the Lord is going to do in your life. Ask the Lord for discernment and wisdom on who you should open up to concerning your dreams.

But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.
Genesis 37:11 NLT

• If God gives you a dream only He can be able to interpret it so ask Him for the interpretation. He has also equipped some people with the ability to be able to interpret dreams. However, the 1st thing you should do is ask Him for interpretation before seeking out others.

And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”
Genesis 40:8 NLT

• God also speaks to unbelievers through dreams. In Genesis 31, God speaks to Laban in a dream and warns him not to harm Jacob at all. The Lord also speaks to Pharaoh through a dream warning him of the drought that would hit Egypt.

Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.
Genesis 41:1‭-‬2 NLT

• Dreams are of a different nature and are to achieve different purposes. The dream God gave to Pharaoh was a warning dream. Depending on the season of your life or other circumstances the Lord will speak to you on what to do and how to go about it.
• Notice that even though the dream was a warning dream, God gave the solution to the problem. Many times when God gives you a warning dream he will also lay out the strategy to overcome the problem in the dream.

Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”
Genesis 41:25‭, ‬33‭-‬36 NLT

• Dreams will always come to pass in accordance with what that the Lord says. That is why it is important to engage in repentance when issued with a dream that symbolises judgement. Because it’s only through repentance that judgement can be averted. Just as was revealed to Joseph many years earlier, his brothers appeared before him and bowed…

Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground.
Genesis 42:6 NLT

• Pray about all the dreams that you receive from God, record the instructions in a journal as soon as you wake up. There will also be dreams sent to you by Satan to counteract the plan of God for your life so pray too. Whatever kind of dream you receive, pray!

Many believers  don’t pay attention to the dreams and that is dangerous because you are missing out on key things that God wants you to know.

Happy dreaming!