Have you ever wondered why God would speak to us in dreams? Perhaps you have received a dream which seemed to be from the Lord. God often uses dreams when He wants to communicate to His people in a special way. In the Scriptures there are many people who received dreams from the Lord such as Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar, and the Apostle Paul.
Today we want to unfold the dream of Jacob, but also discuss God dreams in general. Jacob received this dream when he was on his way to stay with his Uncle Laban because of a family dispute with his brother Esau.
Jacob’s Dream of a Stairway to Heaven
The Lord spoke to Jacob in a dream to affirm the covenant that began with his grandfather Abraham. As Jacob traveled to see his Uncle Laban, God showed Jacob that He is at work in his life. This greatly encouraged Jacob as he began a new phase in his life.
Genesis 28:12 As Jacob slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. 13 At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac.
The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.
15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep.[1]
Why Would God Give Us Dreams?
During a dream we are at rest and God has a chance to communicate to us as we are quiet. Don’t be afraid to pray and ask Him to give you dreams. Dreams from God can give us instruction, spiritual insight, warnings, prophetic insights of a future event, and general communication.
A God dream is the Lord breaking into our life to communicate to us in a way only He could. It is a good idea to pray to remember your dreams and then journal those you believe come from God. After you journal your dream take time to pray and ask the Lord to give you revelation. Dreams are symbolic and may be hard to understand.
Job gives us insight into dreams. Job 33:14 For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. 15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. [2]
Why would God speak to us in dreams? Find out more here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/god-has-more-a-dream-for-jacob
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.