Understanding Your Dreams: First Steps

Posted on by Jennifer Arimborgo

 

Eating His Words

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight…” (Jer. 15:16, NIV).

When God imparts to your heart His personal messages, do you devour them?

What a treasure it is when He speaks to us! I’d like to share some experiences with you from my own journey of learning to cherish His communication. I’m eager to share these because I know they will be helpful to you as you develop intimacy with Him.

Last week, I had the joy of filling in the very last page of my second dream journal. I now have two complete volumes, filled with special messages from God, just for me. I took one of them with me on an errand the other day; I knew I’d be standing in line for a while. I read through some of my previous dreams, and He gave me new insights into several of them. How this blessed my spirit! I rode home afterward, communing with Him, full of joy.

The Prophet Jeremiah’s words help us to embrace His words to us for what they truly are: nourishment. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight…” (Jer. 15:16, NIV, emphasis mine). There’s that word again, too – joy!

Do you realize that God would never ask us to do something incongruent with reality? He gives us the joyful instruction, “Delight yourself in the Lord,” because His personality is, in reality, blissfully delightful! As a result, everything He has to say is infinitely life-giving. When we truly come to know how delicious and strengthening His words to us are, they will innately become our joy and our heart’s delight, just like they were for Jeremiah. We, too, will want to consume them enthusiastically as soon as they come.

Would you like to cultivate this kind of passion for God’s communication with you? Then a journal is indispensable. Writing down what He shows you expresses to Him that His words are the delight of your soul. You know how, when you truly listen to someone with your full, loving attention, they end up talking more and more? Daddy God is the same way. If you want to hear more of His heart, practice listening by literally taking notes on what He says to you.

As this series of posts continues, we will continue to specifically apply this principle to the area of God-given dreams. Today, I’d like to give you a few helpful pointers to get you started.

  1. Start each new dream on a new page of your journal. This is helpful in two different ways: one, it makes them easier to find in the future. And two, it usually means leaving an empty space at the end of each recorded dream; where you finish writing, there’s still room left. You don’t want to start jotting down the next dream in that space; you intentionally need to leave it blank. If you happened to fill up the whole page with the dream, then there’s no empty space at the end. In that case, leave a whole page blank in between it and the next entry you start. Here’s why:
  2. When you obediently write the dream down, the interpretation may start to flow. This is what you will use the empty space for at the end. Whether it’s in that same sit-down with God, or a future one, He is going to give you insights into the dream. You need the room to add them in, so the dream plus the interpretation can together become a reference package in your journal. You will look back on both with satisfaction and gratitude in the future.
  3. Sometimes, however, the understanding will come later. This depends almost entirely on God’s mind-blowing timing. I have been absolutely amazed, over and over again, at how perfect His scheduling is. He always gives the interpretation exactly when I need it. This may be the same day I received the dream, or months later, or years later. Don’t let it bother you when the dream remains a complete mystery for a long time. “For the vision is yet for the appointed time… it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come…” (Hab. 2:3, NASB).

In future posts, I will share with you more tips I have learned along the way on my dreaming journey… stay tuned!

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Have you ever suddenly understood a dream that you had quite some time prior?

 

45 thoughts on “Understanding Your Dreams: First Steps”

  1. Hi Jennifer, I explored some of my files and found a dream I had written about. Thank you so much for your posts on dreams. It inspired me to share one on my blog this week and I even submitted it to Chicken Soup for the Soul. One of their topics is “Listen to Your Dreams.” You may be interested, too. Sounds like you may have some to share. The deadline is Feb. 28–I just found out today…https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

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    1. Oh wow! I am SO blessed to know that my post brought you inspiration in that way! Truly, thank you for sharing. I just checked out the link, too, and wow! Maybe I’ll have to do that too. Again, thank you, my dear sister! And I’m very much looking forward to checking out your dream post too 🙂 ❤ 🙂

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  2. I Love this…”God would never ask us to do something incongruent with reality….

    There’s always a need for what God calls and anoints us to do, and there’s an audience for what He gives us to pen. Have Your way in our lives Lord!!!

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  3. How blessed you are to have our Almighty communicating through your dreams Jennifer! I am one of those folks who rarely remembers my dreams, so I’m assuming they are not communiques from the Lord!
    But I will chime in with my total support and agreement with journaling. I find it a blessing to be able to look back at where I’ve been in the notes I’ve taken and more importantly, what God has done to see me through all the seasons of my life.
    Blessings,
    Chuck

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  8. Thank you for this post. I believe God wants me to write my story, what He has done for me but I can not do it on my own so I’m reaching out. Would you consider if possible to ask the Lord if we should write it together? Please do not think I’m going to harass you, just hoping God will bring someone in my life to help me do what I think He wants me to do.thanks and don’t stop following me please.lol just asking

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    1. I am honored that you would ask! The Father has filled my plate to overflowing in this current season of my life, so that I don’t think I’d be able to take on any additional assignments, but still, I thank you so much for the kind consideration! And I won’t stop following you of course, don’t worry about that! 🙂 His richest blessings to you as you seek Him on His plans for moving forward ❤

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  13. Oh my goodness, it is such a blessing to come across this post of yours! (New reader here, lol!) I have always had “weird dreams”, but since getting involved in church completely about 3-4 years ago, I have been having very vivid dreams and lots of “visions”. I’ve prayed and prayed for guidance on them all, but it isn’t often I get anything back. I figure maybe it’s just ME or maybe it’s not TIME 🙂 Either way, it’s so good to read that it’s something that other people have as well. Thank you so much for sharing and I can’t wait to read through the series. Bless you, in Jesus’ Name!

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    1. Stacey, welcome! My heart is joyful to read your words and know that you are being blessed and helped through these posts! Truly, thank you so much for sharing that with me. I rejoice for the beautiful journey of discovery Daddy God has you on! Much love to you, my dear sister ❤ 🙂

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  18. “” because His personality is, in reality, blissfully delightful!”

    Never thought about. That is profound. But, when you consider the wonders & magnificence of Creation, and we, made in His image, it makes perfect sense. Great!

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    1. At this point, I actually physically “write” almost none of them because I switched a few years ago to voice dictating them onto my phone, because it was taking more and more of my time to write them all down. I actually miss that quite a lot, but feel this is what He has me doing for this season. But I do record nearly all of the ones that I remember because I get a sense in my spirit that nearly all of them are from Him. I don’t know if this would be the case for everyone or if it’s just part of the specific spiritual gift set that He’s given me. Dreams and dream interpretation are one of my main gifts from Him.

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