WHAT ARE THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF DREAMS?

Today we want to look at - “THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF DREAMS!” What are the general effects of dreams?

1. Dreams influence people greatly. After having a dream, you start reflecting and thinking about the things you saw while sleeping. The dream may make you to take one action or the other which you may not have planned before.

2. Some dreams trouble and disturb people. Such dreams create problems for people where there would have been none. This is so because dreams register thoughts and ideas in your mind. And because you may not know how to do away with such thoughts already registered in your heart through dreams, certain adverse effects may set in.

This capability is a natural and essential quality in man, which is supposed to help you to control your spiritual environment, and exercise your God-given powers over your circumstances. 

“…in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him” (Dan. 2:1).

3. Dreams can confuse and destabilize a person. “For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore, they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd” (Zech. 10:2).

Idols speak vanity and tell false dreams. Those idols or spirits use dreams to give people false and useless comfort which turn round to trouble them. 

4. Bad dreams scare and terrify people making life unbearable and undesirable. 

“When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life” (Job 7:13-16).

Here, Job thought that it was God that was terrifying him in his dreams, not knowing that it was the devil that was doing that.

5. Satan and his hosts send dreams to people. Satan uses analysis and interpretation of dreams to influence and control the lives of actions, attitudes and decisions of individuals. Some of these dreams make people to run to herbalists, diviners, and spiritualists for help. But the help which people receive create more problems for them unawares. Understand that dreams generally are full of vanities (Eccl. 5:7).

6. Bad dreams lead people astray. The basic implication and indication of bad dreams is that the individual has wandered away in his mind and spirit. God wants us to be guided by His Word, not by dreams.

But if you do not have God’s Word in your heart, then Satan will fill you with his own words and thoughts through dreams.

7. Bad dreams create fear in the hearts of people. Bad dreams create fear in the hearts of people making them to lose confidence. Fear destroys faith and generates instability with several impossibilities in one’s life.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Prov. 29:25).

The fear of man brings a snare. Fear makes one to be in bondage. And dreams can make one have such fear.

8. Some dreams also cause worry and anxiety. When you entertain worries in your heart, you’ll begin to live in anxiety. This is a state of unproductiveness.

To worry means to carry the problems of yesterday to today, and thereby allowing today to go wasted. When you have terrible dreams, you spend several hours thinking over the outcome. Those hours you spend thinking and worrying can never be recalled. Therefore, bad dreams can rob you of your valuable time.

9. Bad dreams can make you restless and sick. By the time you work in the day and you still keep busy asleep, you will begin to loose vitality and strength for physical work the next day. Bad dreams make your heart to beat faster than normal thereby making the person to have high blood pressure which leads to various forms of sicknesses.

10. Having bad dreams consistently can make you to look hopeless and dejected. In time, despair sets in because there is no stopping of the evil dreaming system. This can as well lead to suicide.

How can one identify a dream from God?

1. A dream from God must have two parts:

1. a)  It shows a problem;
2. b) It also shows the solution.

Dreams from God are always designed to save us from problems. Therefore, if you see a problem in a dream, and there is no direct way of escape, it has not come from God. Dreams from God warn us of an impending danger, or to give wisdom, counsel or understanding.

2. When you wake up from a true dream, you are able to recall easily what you saw in the dream if the dream is from God.

3. Any dream from God must be sound and clear. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Dreams from God must be true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue and praise (Phil. 4:8).

4. Dreams from God come once in a long while. God does not like you to be dreaming every night because dreaming every night will deny you of meaningful rest. 

God still speaks to us today through dreams and visions. In Joel 2:28 God said, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS, your young men shall see visions.”

Through dreams God can speak to you about your spiritual state. For instance, if you are under a generational curse you’ll experience:

• Eating in the dream,
• limbing a hill, staircase or tree without ever getting to the top,
• Seeing yourself in your primary or secondary school uniform writing exams that you have passed long ago.

Also if you have demons in your body because of your involvement in carnal relationship with someone who is not your spouse, you’ll experience:

• Having sex in your dreams with known or unknown persons,
• Seeing yourself pregnant, giving birth or nursing children in your dreams,
• inding yourself being caressed or romanced in your dream
• Wet dreams,
• Having carnal relationship with someone few days before your menses,
• Heavy menstrual pains,
• Unnecessary discharges,
• Itches in your private part. This is one of the sites of covenant with your spirit husband,
• Being escorted by snakes in your dream,
• Having long hair in your dream despite the fact that your hair is not that long in the physical,
• Having ring in your marriage finger in your dream.

I challenge you therefore, to position yourself so as to hear from God through dreams. Today if you desire to see and know whatever happens around you spiritually, then you must give yourself to fasting and prayer.

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit! 

Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor) 05.09.2021