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Does God Still Speak Through Dreams?

Recently, I’ve been having a lot of dreams, so I began to explore what Scripture says about them. To my surprise, I found they play a significant role throughout the Bible. Here are just a few examples:

  • Joseph (Genesis 37) dreamed about the future—and his dreams changed the course of his life.
  • Pharaoh (Genesis 41) had troubling dreams that led to Joseph’s rise and a national rescue.
  • Daniel (Daniel 2 & 7) not only interpreted dreams but also received visions from God.
  • Joseph, husband of Mary (Matthew 1–2) was guided multiple times through dreams.
  • Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19) had a dream warning her husband about condemning Jesus.

So I wondered: Does God still speak through dreams today?

A Symbolic Dream

So that night, I prayed, “God, if you still speak through dreams, would you show me something?” That night, I had a vivid dream.

I was heading into battle toward the barricades, but all I had in my hand was an umbrella. I felt underprepared. But then I pulled down the handle, and to my surprise, a sword slid out. I was relieved, but nervous. I didn’t know how to use it. Then I flipped it around and suddenly felt confident, like it was made for me. Nearby, I saw a man walking with me holding a white motorcycle helmet.

When I woke up, Ephesians 6 came to mind: “Take up the shield of faith… the sword of the Spirit… and the helmet of salvation.” Suddenly, the dream made sense. The umbrella, shielding me from the rain, reminded me of the shield of faith that protects against flaming arrows. The sword inside it pointed to God’s Word, and the white helmet the man carried represented salvation.it felt like a pretty clear answer to the prayer I had before bed  

Dreams Can Open Doors

During my sabbatical, I started keeping a dream journal and praying through them the next day.  

On a recent visit with family members who don’t usually talk about spiritual things, three of them unexpectedly opened up about recurring dreams.

  • One kept trying to call home from a payphone, but they couldn't remember the number.
  • Another was trying to drive home but couldn’t find the way out of a parking lot.
  • The third described a dream, years ago, just before 9/11 of planes on a chalkboard flying into a building.

It felt like God was moving. I listened, then gently shared that sometimes God uses dreams to get our attention. I made it clear I wasn’t trying to be a “Daniel,” and only God can truly interpret dreams. But I offered a thought:

Maybe these dreams were expressions of something spiritual—trying to call home to God, or get going to their spiritual home, or that God was proving his existence by revealing glimpses of the future. Perhaps God was reminding them that He sees them—and is nearer than they think.

They didn’t respond much, but I’m praying a seed was planted. For me, it was just another reminder that God still moves in mysterious and personal ways.

Test the Spirit

Not every dream is from God. Some come from stress, or late-night pizza. But Scripture reminds us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1), and when dreams stir us, it’s wise to examine them through prayer and Scripture. God’s voice never contradicts His Word.

Dreams are just one way He may speak. But if nothing else, they can become an invitation to listen, to seek, and to remember that God is still speaking.

“For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night…”

— Job 33:14–15