In dreams, your soul is released from the limitations of time and space. You’re also free from distractions that can preoccupy you while you’re awake. So, you can perceive more wonder through your dreams than you may usually notice in waking life.
God may be speaking through your dreams more than you realize. The Bible reveals in Job 33:14-15 that you may hear from God through dreams even when you’re not aware that is happening: “For God does speak – now one way, now another – though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds.” Famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, who was known for his dream studies, believed that dreams are even the primary way that people hear from God. “We have forgotten the age-old fact that God speaks chiefly through dreams and visions,” Jung once commented. How could that be so? While you may occasionally be blessed with direct messages from God through your dreams, that’s not the only way you can hear from God in dreams. If you have asked the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, the Spirit will help you process your thoughts and emotions during your regular dreams, sending you indirect messages on a regular basis while you sleep.
Don't discount the spiritual value of your dreams. Scriptures and oral traditions from throughout the world’s religions reference dreams and speak about their spiritual importance. The Bible records many references to dreams, such as Jacob’s dream of angels going back and forth between heaven and earth on a ladder, Daniel and his interpretation of the king's dreams, Joseph’s and the Magi’s dreams from the Christmas story, and Pilate's wife's dream from the Easter story.
Every time you go to sleep, you have an opportunity to experience wonder through your dreams. If you’re paying attention with a clear mind and an open heart, those awe-inspiring experiences will move you closer to God. Learn more about dreams in the lifelong learning chapter of Wake Up to Wonder, and in upcoming blogs.
Dare to believe that new adventures of wonder are waiting for you in your dreams!
Learn more about experiencing God’s wonder in Wake Up to Wonder (order the paperback or the e-book) and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year (order the paperback or the e-book).