Faith on fire
Are Dreams and Visions Happening More Today?
Have you ever had a dream or vision that felt different from anything you'd experienced before? Discover what the Bible says about dreams, visions, and the ways God may get our attention.
Beyond Lukewarm
8/16/20264 min read
Are Dreams and Visions Happening More Today?
Have you noticed more people talking about dreams, visions, and unusual experiences with God?
Perhaps you've experienced something yourself that was so vivid or meaningful that you couldn't simply dismiss it as an ordinary dream.
I've had several experiences like that, and they have caused me to think more deeply about whether God sometimes gets our attention in ways we don't expect.
Dreams and Visions Are Biblical
Dreams and visions are certainly not new.
Throughout Scripture, God used dreams and visions to communicate with people. Joseph received dreams about his future. Daniel received visions. God spoke to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, through dreams.
And Joel prophesied:
“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy... your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
— Joel 2:28
Peter quoted this very passage in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost.
So could God still use dreams and visions today?
I believe He can.
That doesn't mean every dream is from God. But neither should we automatically dismiss every experience simply because we don't understand it.
How Do We Know What Is From God?
This is where discernment matters.
We should always compare what we experience with God's Word. God will not contradict Scripture.
We can pray about a dream or vision, write it down, and ask God for wisdom. We don't necessarily need to understand everything immediately.
Sometimes God may use an experience to get our attention. Sometimes He may reveal something about an area of our lives that needs to change. And sometimes a dream may simply be a dream.
The important thing is to bring it before God.
A Personal Experience
I've had a few experiences that made me stop and pay attention.
One happened as I was waking up. I suddenly experienced what sounded like two loud knocks on my bedroom door.
The knocks weren't actually coming from the physical door. They were something I experienced in my mind as I awakened. But they were so distinct that I couldn't simply ignore them.
As I prayed about it and searched for understanding, I felt convicted that there was something in my life that needed to change.
At the time, I had become far too distracted by social media. It was taking more of my attention than I wanted it to.
Since then, I've been intentionally cutting back. It hasn't been easy, and every day is still a challenge, but that experience caused me to stop and ask myself:
What is getting my attention—and is God getting enough of it?
I've also had two dreams that were very different from anything I had experienced before.
In them, I experienced the kind of love that comes from a kind, God-fearing man who loved me for who I am in Christ.
I don't know exactly what God may be showing me through these dreams. But they were so different and so meaningful that I chose not to simply brush them aside.
I've written them down. I've prayed about them. And I continue to believe that if God has placed something on my heart, He knows exactly how and when to bring it to pass.
Write the Vision Down
There is something powerful about writing down what we believe God has placed on our hearts.
Habakkuk 2:2 says:
“Write the vision, and make it plain...”
When we believe God has given us a vision or placed a desire in our hearts, we can write it down and continue praying over it.
That doesn't mean we know exactly when it will happen.
It doesn't mean we should try to force it.
It means we can say:
“Lord, if this is from You, I trust You with it. I will believe Your promises and leave the timing in Your hands.”
Psalm 37:4 reminds us to delight ourselves in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our hearts.
Sometimes those desires may take time.
Sometimes God may change them.
And sometimes He may fulfill them in a way we never expected.
But we can trust Him through the process.
Don't Chase Experiences—Seek God
There is a difference between chasing supernatural experiences and paying attention when God may be speaking to our hearts.
We don't need to go looking for signs every day.
We don't need to turn every dream into a prophecy.
But neither do we need to dismiss something meaningful simply because it doesn't fit into our usual way of thinking.
Pray about it. Write it down. Test it against Scripture. Ask God for wisdom.
And then trust Him.
Whether God speaks through a dream, a vision, Scripture, prayer, circumstances, or that still small prompting in our hearts, our response should ultimately be the same:
Draw closer to Him.
Perhaps the real question isn't simply, “Are more people having dreams and visions today?”
Perhaps the better question is:
“Are we paying attention when God is trying to get our attention?”
If something has been placed on your heart, don't be afraid to bring it to God.
Write it down.
Pray over it.
Believe Him.
And keep walking with Him.
Because the greatest vision isn't simply seeing what God may have in store for our future.
It's seeing Him more clearly and drawing closer to Him today.