FACTORS AFFECTING DREAMS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION:
Job 33:14-18 NKJV
[14] For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. [15] In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, [16] Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. [17] In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, [18] He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.
Dreams are powerful, impactful, and beneficial only if they are understood. Every dream comes with its own Interpretation. So, care must be taken when seeking to understand our dreams or Interpreting dreams for others.
The best person to interpret your dreams is God so first ask for His help. Acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
Genesis 40:8 NKJV
[8] And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
Secondly, every dream and it’s interpretation thereof, must be viewed in context. We must consider how we feel, what we are going through, and what is going on around us. When we are stressed, pregnant, involved in an argument, or jointly facing challenges, they will influence our dreams and their Interpretation.
Thirdly, we must consider our location or position in the community, church or workplace. The symbols in our dreams may mean one thing in one nation but a different thing in a different nation. A hammer for instance may mean one thing to a carpenter a different thing to a lay person. Always be careful to consider the location of the person or where they come from when Interpreting a dream.
Fourthly, consider the time, the number of times a dream occurs or the number of times an item occurs in a particular dream. When you have a dream twice or more, it means it is urgent and certain. It will happen or its already happening! For Pharaoh, seven meant seven YEARS, while for the Baker and Butler, three meant three DAYS. Understanding time and timing is very important.
That is why we must be careful not to assign specific meanings to symbols in our dreams, unless there are several people having the same dreams. For instance if we should say bread means a sword, authority and power (Judges 7:13-15), how will we interpret a dream in which a Baker is distributing bread to people. It certainly will not mean a sword, authority, or power. Will it ?
Friends, let us remember that God speaks to us through dreams to help us. If we realize how important our dreams are, we will not take them for granted. I personally think that God obscures the meaning of some dreams to stir us into action and be more diligent in our actions.
Gideon acted with confidence when he understood the dream of his enemy. Pharaoh acted wisely and promptly when he was helped to understand his dreams. May the Lord help you to understand your dreams and act accordingly in Jesus’s name. Amen!