A God-Given Dream: What to do With it

By: Kim Garrett

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

“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." Joel 2:28

We've all had dreams, but they don't all come from God. Many things can influence our dreams: the heavy thoughts and emotions from our day, the types of food we ate (like a spicy, late-night meal or excessive caffeine), media exposure and excessive screen time, or maybe even our medications. But when our dreams align with God's Word, it catches our attention. A dream about godly things might even linger in our minds for multiple days. But if we experience a unique dream, one we've never had before, we may ask ourselves... Is God speaking to me? How do I know it's from Him? If it is from God, then what do I do with it?

Steps we can take to confirm a dream is God-given:

1. Pray over it. We share our dream with God and ask Him to give us clarity, wisdom, and insight about it (James 1:5).
2. Write it down. Journal the details, especially any scriptures that came to mind. Journaling will keep it fresh while we process it (Habakkuk 2:2).
3. Wait on The Lord. If it's from God, He will bring it to fruition in His perfect timing. Many times, a season of preparation will be necessary (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
4. Seek godly counsel. Seek wisdom from your God-fearing brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask them to join you in praying over the details (Proverbs 11:14).
5. Proceed slowly, one step at a time. Obey God and trust Him as you wait. Take your time, and don't take matters into your own hands. (Hebrews 11:8).

If God is the source of our dream, He'll confirm it. He won't leave us guessing what it means or what He was trying to say. If it came from our Heavenly Father, He will be more than willing to reveal the meaning behind it.

If God gives you a dream, be open to His leading. Draw close to Him, keep reading His Word, and patiently wait for Him to fill in the blanks you don't yet understand.

Read: John 10:27, Isaiah 30:21, Psalm 37:23-24