Stages of the Dreamer (Part 2)
By: Minister Denise N. Fyffe
“Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision…” — Numbers 12:6 (NKJV)
Acknowledge You are a Dreamer
I am a dreamer. In some cultures, they refer to this as being a seer. I started to see my dreams and visions intensify and become more frequent as an adult.
So, I thought I needed to acknowledge this quickly to better understand what was happening and why they were happening. I have heard people say they do not dream.
However, I believe that it is more likely that they do not remember their dreams.
I have sometimes understood dream forgetfulness through a spiritual-warfare lens, but Scripture does not establish that every forgotten dream is caused by the devil. Ordinary memory, sleep and other factors may also be involved. The appropriate response is prayer, careful recording when possible and discernment rather than an automatic spiritual conclusion.
Just like Neo (Keanu Reeves) was pulled out of the Matrix before he saw the truth.
Explore Your Dreams
There are periods when I am conscious of my dreams, and I am also cognizant that I had a dream. But when I wake up, I don’t remember the encounters.
To the realization that it’s like living a whole other life spiritually, when my physical body is asleep. What I find to be the key to unlocking my dreams is total reliance on the Holy Spirit.
In the mornings, in those first moments of consciousness, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me recall my dreams and help me to understand them. Usually, by the time I visit the restroom, I will have pieces of those dreams pop up in my memory. Then as I walk through those memories the chips fall into place.
Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV) states:
“Write the vision And make it plain on tablets.”
In context, this command concerns the specific vision given to Habakkuk. It supports careful stewardship of revelation, but should not be treated as proof that every dream is a divine message.
The next step is to write down those dreams or visions. For several years, I’ve been capturing my dreams, which often seems like a full-time process because of the volume and consistency of those dreams.
First, I write them in books; but as the Holy Spirit prodded me to share the lessons that I have learned, I created lessons, logs or articles on my website.
Typically, when you’re a servant of God, He requires that you teach others through your experience. After all, for many of us, those experiences (trials and tribulations) are hard won and hard fought.
Consequently, you will find that I tend to share a lot about what I have experienced in my Christian Life.
Teaching Others About Dreams & Visions
During your spiritual journey, teaching through personal experience is a powerful way to guide others. The Bible reflects this in Proverbs 20:3, which honors the man who avoids strife, and Ecclesiastes 7:8, which values the patient spirit over the proud spirit.
These scriptures suggest that personal experiences, especially trials and tribulations, are instrumental in shaping wisdom and character.
Romans 5:3-4 also speaks to this, highlighting that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Similarly, 2 Corinthians 1:4 emphasizes God’s comfort in our affliction, enabling us to comfort others.
1 Peter 5:9 calls believers to resist the adversary and remain steadfast in the faith, knowing that other believers also experience suffering. It does not specifically teach that sharing dreams provides interpretation for others. Personal testimony may encourage readers, but dream interpretation should still be tested through Scripture, context and discernment.
Now, let’s talk about the stages.
Stages of the Dreamer
In the journey of understanding dreams, the Bible offers profound insights that align with the stages of dream interpretation.
Beginner
For those at the beginning stage, dreams may seem inconsequential, but even in the Bible, the simplest of dreams can hold divine messages. Genesis 28:12 recounts Jacob’s dream of a ladder reaching to heaven, a symbolic vision that reassured him of God’s presence and promises.
Beginner dreamers or seers can be a person at any age or stage of life. Similarly, beginners may receive dreams that, while seemingly straightforward, could be symbolic of deeper spiritual truths.
They only delve deeper when the dream is provocative.
Either it’s a wonderful dream, like going on a vacation to Hawaii and sitting on a sun kissed beach. Or, they have a distressing dream, like being chased by dogs or someone trying to kill them. Essentially having a nightmare.
A person can stay at this stage forever.
Basic
At the basic level, individuals seek to decipher the meanings behind their dreams. The dreamer develops an awareness or interest in understanding their dreams and that there must be some significance to them.
They develop a desire to understand the symbols or codes. Also, they begin to explore various means of getting understanding.
This can be from visiting websites to purchasing and reading books about dreams and visions.
Their dreams may become more frequent or receive greater attention, and they begin learning to interpret them in context. Being chased should not automatically be labelled a bad omen, and a baby should not automatically be treated as a promise of opportunity. Either image may be symbolic, literal, prophetic or connected with ordinary life; the full dream and later confirmation matter.
Get Understanding About Dreams & Visions
The Bible encourages this pursuit of understanding. In Daniel 2:28, Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, revealing that wisdom about dreams comes from God. This mirrors the basic stage where individuals gather knowledge from various sources to interpret their dreams.
Dreams in the Bible often come with a call to action or a revelation, such as Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41, which led to Egypt’s preparation for famine.
The Bible also provides cautionary advice about dreams. Ecclesiastes 5:7 warns against becoming overly engrossed in dreams, reminding us to ground our interpretations in reverence for God.
As individuals progress from basic to more advanced stages of dream interpretation, they may find guidance in Scripture, such as in Acts 2:17, which speaks of young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams in the last days. Acts 2:17 does not describe age groups as stages from basic to advanced dream interpretation. Growth in discernment should instead be measured by biblical maturity, humility and responsible stewardship. This distinction is important when considering understanding of dreams.
Be encouraged.
Read More:
- Lesson 1 – The Christian Life: Understanding The Mystery of Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 2 – Dreams and Visions: The Source of Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 3 – Dreams and Visions: Generational Patterns and Dream Gifting
- Lesson 4 – Dreams and Visions: Gaining Deeper Levels of Understanding
- Lesson 5 – Dreams and Visions: Categories of Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 6 – Dreams and Visions: More Categories of Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 7 – Dreams and Visions: Understanding Symbolism and Interpretation in Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 8 – Dreams and Visions: The Language of Heaven
- Lesson 9 – Dreams and Visions: The Difference Between Dreams and Visions
- Lesson 10 – Dreams and Visions: Example of Deliverance Dream
- Lesson 11 – Dreams and Visions: Example of Prophetic Dreams or Visions
- Lesson 12 – Dreams and Visions: Example of Dreams Giving Directions
- Lesson 13 – Dreams and Visions: Example of Destiny Dreams and Warning Dreams
- Lesson 14 – Dreams and Visions: 90 Bible Verses about Dreams & Visions
- Lesson 15 – Dreams and Visions: Exploring the Dreams and Visions of Biblical Dreamers
- Lesson 16 – Dreams and Visions: Unlocking Hidden Messages From God
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About the writer: Minister Denise N. Fyffe is a published author of over 50 fiction and non-fiction books. She started Revealing the Christian Life Ministry to help other Christians and provide support. She is also a trainer and mentors aspiring writers towards achieving their goals.
Paperback and eBook Edition by Minister Denise N. Fyffe (Author)
Continue in the Dream Center: Use Stages of the Dreamer for the consolidated Dreams & Visions Knowledge Center development pathway.