Studies question whether or not infants dream, whereas for adults, it’s presumed that everybody dreams, every night. Some dreams are vivid and memorable and other dreams are what we may define as “just a dream.”

I’ve hovered around the water cooler with colleagues and friends sharing funny dreams, scary dreams, and weird dreams without giving much thought to the oddities of doing so. We may not remember all of our dreams, but for the most part, most of us can relate because we dream in the night.

God designed us to dream. We cannot control what we dream any more than we can stop our hair from growing.

The Bible states that God is pleased with all He has created. “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases” (Psalm 115:3 ESV). I want to find pleasure in what God has created and what pleases Him.

The Bible makes a declaration that the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in it bursts forth with shouts of joy to the Lord. Psalm 96:11-12

There’s so much I can do to shout my praises to God, especially for the things in my life that I experience on a daily basis. Dreams are something I experience daily, even if I don’t remember all of them. To ignore them is to not give God glory for the unique way that He created me.

Ira Mulligan states that our dreams are like mail. “We should no more ignore our dreams than our mail. Certainly all of our mail is not valuable, but wouldn’t it be foolish to throw it all out unopened just because in the past some of it proved to be junk mail?” (Understanding the Dreams You Dream)

I choose to sift through my “mail” and see what God might reveal. The majority of my dreams are not prophetic, but I find that God can take a simple, silly dream and create an inspirational message. It may be subtle, but I find encouragement and inspiration from many of them. When a dream includes another person, I use it to pray for them.

God designed us to dream. Let’s pay attention to God by paying attention to our dreams from God. He is the great designer of all we are. Find joy in God today, including the dreams you dream in the night.

Can we glean something from all of our dreams? 

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be sharing a few of my dreams that have an inspirational message that aren’t necessarily prophetic. See how our God-designed dreams can encourage and benefit us personally, but can also be a means to directing our worship and awe towards the God of all creation.

What I’ve discovered is whether or not my dream is a fun one (such was the case from my Lion Dream) or scary (Snake Disguised as an Angel of Light), prophetic or not, God speaks through all of His creation.

A reminder:

1. Don’t become fixated on what God created, because it takes our focus off the Creator.

2. Don't seek out false teachers for interpretation. Final inspiration and interpretation belong to God. If there is a spiritual, hidden message, God’s Word will always provide clarity and direction. Direct revelation will come from God.

3. Pray, read your Bible, and be patient and expectant for God to reveal the meaning.

4. Don't create something out of nothing. If it is a prophetic dream, it will agree with Biblical principles (Old and New Testament). If not, take it for what it is, "just a dream." Laugh, smile, move on, and enjoy how God created you to have dreams.

5. Prophetic dreams: God will orchestrate the outcome in His time. A prophetic dream and what you believe to be a word from God will always be supported in the Word of God. Let go and allow God to direct your path.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. Psalm 19:1-4