Hearing from God

1. Dreams & Visions
Various Scriptures

2. Key Concept
And it shall be in the last days, that I will
pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And
your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, And your young men shall see
visions, And your old men shall dream
dreams;
2

3. Dreams & Visions
Various Scriptures

4. Full Version
‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I
WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND
YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND
YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN
SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH
MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF
MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.
Acts 2:17–18 4

5. God said
Pour out the Holy Spirit
On everyone
Regardless of sex
Regardless of age
Regardless of social standing
5

6. Specific Manifestations
Prophecy
Dreams
Visions
A response to the outpouring of the Spirit 6

7. Needed
Where there is no vision,
the people are
unrestrained, But happy is
he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 7

8. Dreams
God desires to speak to us through dreams
8

9. Dreaming is important
REM sleep
Deepest sleep
Mind is sorting out things
9

10. God speaks in dreams
Bad Guys
Abimelech
Pharaoh
Nebuchadnezzar
King Saul
Good Guys
Joseph
Abram
Jacob
Paul
10

11. God uses dreams to call Muslims to Himself
Dream of Jesus
Very personal
Seek out Christians
11

12. Purpose of dreams
Warning-Pharaoh
Prophetic-Daniel
Instruction/information-Joseph
Encouragement-Jacob
Blessing-Abraham 12

13. Dreams from God
If God gives it, He will provide the interpretation.
Revelation
Word
Messenger
13

14. Joseph in Jail
Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and
there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said
to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?
Tell it to me, please.”
Genesis 40:8 14

15. Joseph before Pharaoh
Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not
in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
Genesis 41:16 15

16. Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar
However, there is a God in heaven who reveals
mysteries, and He has made known to King
Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter
days. This was your dream and the visions in your
mind while on your bed.
Daniel 2:28 16

17. God’s warning about dreams
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you
and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the
wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to
you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you
have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not
listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of
dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find
out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 13:1–3 17

18. God uses dreams
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a
prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make
Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with
him in a dream.
Numbers 12:6 18

19. Dream from God?
It will have a special quality.
When you awake, think about it.
Write it down.
Tell someone about it.
Search it in the scriptures
19

20. Visions
Part of the experience
20

21. Visionaries
Paul
Peter
John
21

22. Part of Paul’s ministry
2 Corinthians 12:1–6 (NASB95)
1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to
visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who
fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the
body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the
third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or
apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into
Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted
to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I
will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to
boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain
from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me
or hears from me.
22

23. warnings
Colossians 2:18 (NASB95)
18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize
by delighting in self-abasement and the worship
of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has
seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
23

24. Purpose of visions
Warning
Prophetic
Instruction/information
Encouragement
24

25. Vision catching
 Be full of the Spirit
 Be engaged in the Lord’s work
 Be faithful to the Lord’s commands
 Be here in the present and have an eye for the
future
25

26. Ask God
This is the confidence which we have
before Him, that, if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14 26

27. A vision for what?
Your marriage
Your family
Our future
Encouragement
27

28. Dreams & Visions
Various Scriptures