What is a dream exactly? According to Merriam-Webster, here are some definitions:
- a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep
- a visionary creation of the imagination : DAYDREAM
- an object seen in a dreamlike state : VISION
- a strongly desired goal or purpose
Acts 2:17
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.”
When we are filled with God’s spirit, an evidence of this can be prophesy, seeing visions and dreaming dreams. The challenge is always interpreting these things well and if they are from God.
Mark Batterson says in his book, Whisper, “The dreams God gives us are for us, but they’re never just for us; they’re for everyone who will be affected by and inspired by them.”
He also says, “A God-given dream won’t take you beyond the boundaries of Scripture, but it will stretch you to do things you didn’t know were capable of even attempting.”
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In 1971, when a small group of families began to meet and pray about a new church plant in Southeast Denver, my father, David Moore, spoke out the dream he believed God had for the church — to be a church over 1000 people. He would die before that dream was realized, but within the years following his death, Southeast Christian Church surpassed 1000 people. That small group of families was faithful to prayer and to the ministry God had put before them, and those of us who belong to Southeast today and all those years previous were and are the recipients of those who were obedient to God’s call on their lives.
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“The goal of going after a God-given dream isn’t just accomplishing it. In fact, accomplishing the dream is of secondary importance. The primary goal is who you become in the process. Big dreams make big people because we have to trust a big God. Nothing keeps us on our knees like God-sized dreams. They force us to live in raw dependence upon God. Without Him, the dream cannot be realized. God-sized dreams force us to lean in a little closer, and that’s when God has us right where He wants us.”
—Mark Batterson, Whisper
We are also the beneficiaries of the obedience of those in Scripture who followed dreams God spoke to them in. The Messiah was saved by a dream that warned Mary and Joseph to flee Bethlehem:
Matthew 2:12–23
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
And Paul’s obedience brought the gospel to Europe…
Acts 16:9-10
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Reflect: What dreams has God laid on your heart, either through dreams at night, visions, or desires?