I can only remember one dream that I had before 2008. It was from my childhood. I was standing by a pond with my Dad relieving myself. I woke up in middle of this dream to find that I had urinated all over myself. Yup.
It is clear that God speaks through dreams, but some dreams are just dreams. Unless God was trying to tell me to get up and go to the bathroom. Too little, too late.
It’s pretty easy to see why I remembered that dream as it had semi-traumatic consequences, but what about dreams that matter – the dreams that are whispers from our Heavenly Father? We’re having them. How do we remember them?
One of the best ways to remember something is to write it down. If you do forget it you can go back and read it again. Presto, bingo! You remembered. This is especially true with dreams. The memory of them starts to fade as soon as you wake up. The “dream fade” is real and that’s why it’s important to have a notebook close by to jot down your dream.
Although writing it down does not mean you will automatically understand it. The Holy Spirit can instantly give you the meaning, but most of the time that is not how it works. We’ll talk about understanding dreams later on. First things first, you have to write it down. Even the faith step of deciding “I will have a dream notebook!” can begin to awaken your hidden dreams.
I mentioned the year 2008 as marker in my life. That is when I came across the ministry of John Paul Jackson. John Paul, who has since graduated to heaven, was one of foremost voices in Biblical dream interpretation. I didn’t know that at the time, but I soon began to learn of the importance of dreams and visions through his teaching and insight.
My dream life was pretty non-existent before I started learning about them and ultimately honoring them. I began writing my dreams down and a whole chapter of my personal relationship with God was opened up. What if God was sending you handwritten letters every single day but you never checked the mailbox? Or maybe you didn’t even know the mailbox was there! Guess what? It’s there! Go pick up your mail!
Journaling your dreams can be done in different ways including drawing out the scenes. There is even a way to diagram a dream like those horrific grammar exercises from elementary school. Diagramming dreams is much more enjoyable, though. Dreams are a creative process that God uses to speak to us. Using creative outlets to record them can be a great way to open your understanding. Maybe you can act them out in a free flowing, interpretive dance. Or not.
The act of writing down my dreams has changed my life. God has spoken many significant things to me through them. I’m forever grateful to God and John Paul Jackson for awakening my dreams. Now, I have the opportunity to awaken the dreams of others. What a privilege! Partnering with God to share insight and encouragement from the throne room of heaven is like nothing else I’ve experienced.
The awakening of my night dreams has led to the awakening of my daydreams. God intends for the pursuit of His nighttime, secret messages to propel the deepest desires of our hearts. They are intrinsically linked. God is calling you on adventure to discover all that He has for you.
Get your pen. Get your paper. Expect a “letter from God” in your mailbox tonight. You’ll just need to transcribe it!