God speaks to us in different ways and we can experience the voice of God even through our senses including hearing, knowing, feeling and seeing. In our previous writ-up which you can access it here – Perceiving God’s Voice Through Sight – 1. we indicated that God can convey a message to us through our physical sight. In this write-up we delve into some ways which God can talk to us through spiritual sight.
Dreams, Visions and Trances
Dreams, Visions, Trances are symbolic, metaphorical or direct images which may be still or in motion that God can use to communicate a message. Throughout scripture, we see that these are some of the ways God uses to communicate. Dreams, visions and trances usually are perceived with an inner/spiritual sight and not the natural physical sight.
- Dreams are a series of thoughts or images that occur in the mind during sleep. God talks to us through dreams because the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends beyond the physical waking thoughts. In Genesis 40, we see that while in prison, Pharoah’s wine bearer had a dream where he saw a vine with three branches, from which grapes were squeezed into Pharaoh’s cup. With God’s revelation, Joseph’s interpretation of the dream showed that the dream conveyed a that in three days, the wine bearer will be restored to his position as Pharoah’s wine bearer. (For further knowledge on hearing God through dreams, a book that can be of great help is THE POWER OF YOUR DREAMS by Stephanie Ike Okafor).
- Easton Bible dictionary defines vision as “a vivid apparition, not a dream”, visions are like a supernatural appearance but it feels real and unlike dreams, it happens while someone is awake or in a heightened state of connection with the Spirit of God. It sometimes like a picture in the mind, a symbolic or literal image or scene. In Acts 16:9, Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia calling Paul to come help them in Macedonia and Paul understood that God used the vision to call Paul to go preach the gospel in Macedonia.
- A trance is series of thoughts or images that occur in the mind when in a state of semi-consciousness where someone becomes unaware of the physical surrounding. A trance is similar to a dream nevertheless unlike a dream, it is not in a deep sleep but like in a state of semi-consciousness where someone becomes unaware of the physical surrounding. In Acts 22:17, Paul was praying and went into a trance where he was told to leave Jerusalem. Once I was praying, I was not sleeping but it felt like a small sleep but all I know is I was seeing things but not with my physical eyes. When I came out I knew what I saw and it was something I had to pray about. It was later I realized that was a trance.
After deducing that God talks in Dreams, visions and trances, it is essential for us to know that some messages we receive through these means may be direct and the meaning is clear. Other times, the message may be in a metaphor or imagery and needs interpretation. Fundamentally, interpretation of what God is communicating is by the help of the Holy Spirit. “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”(1 Corinthians 2:10-13).
In order to best understand what is seen with the spiritual sight, it is necessary to practice writing down the dream, vision or trance and pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on what we have seen in a dream, Trance or Vision. The messages we receive are usually for our knowledge i.e a word of knowledge. God wants to give us knowledge. Nonetheless, we still need to seek God and discern what it means and wisdom on how to act on what we receive. This is so important because many people have visions or dreams and sometimes give wrong interpretations, sometimes not that they saw wrongly but because they did not rely on the giver of the message (God) to discern what the message is actually saying and what to act on it.
My sister was engaged to be married and after spending time with God in prayer seeking His will on her marital destiny, she was convicted that she was with the right person. In same season, a friend had a dream where my sister was in a car with her fiancé and going on a journey, they had an accident. With this dream, my sister’s friend immediately thought God was not in approval of my sister’s relationship. It was kind of confusing because my sister was convicted about God’s approval of her relationship. She went back just pondering on the dream and praying and seeking God. Then through other means which God speaks to her, He made her understand that she was in the right relationship but it was not yet God’s perfect timing for the marriage and God wanted her to tarry a few months before the wedding and if she married immediately, even a few months earlier than the God-given time, the marriage may have some hurdles which God did not want. In that season, she and her fiancé had to tarry a few months, spend time in marital counselling, had to engage in some specific God-directed prayer programs before embarking on the marriage.
Now let’s understand something from the scenario above:
The word of knowledge: The dream that my sister was in a car with her fiancé and going on a journey, they had an accident.
Discernment from the Holy Spirit about the meaning – interpretation : She was in the right relationship but it was not yet God’s perfect timing for the marriage and God wanted her to tarry a few months before the wedding and if she married immediately, even a few months earlier than the God-given time, the marriage may have some hurdles which God did not want.
Wisdom (How to act on what she received): During that season, she and her fiancé had to wait a few months, attend marital counseling, and participate in specific prayer programs as they prepared for their wedding.
As we seek God for clarity through the Holy Spirit, lets seek for discernment and wisdom on the word of knowledge we received. As we seek to hear God speak to us, it is worth noting that we have different voices in the world including the devil’s voice and the voice of our own mind. We also need discernment to know if a message or its interpretation is from God and one of the key way of doing this is that it will be in alignment with God’s word and by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Dear friends, the way to master someone’s voice is to have an intimate relationship characterized by consistent communication flow. The foundation of hearing God and discerning His voice from other voices is to believe in Jesus Christ and continue to pursue a growing relationship and consistent communication with Him. “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”(1 John 3:23- 4:1)
If you do not know Jesus Christ or have not yet engaged in a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is hope.
You can join us to say this prayer of faith, not just jokingly but let it be from your heart.
“Lord God, you are a great and loving father. Lord, I acknowledge my sins and wrong doings. I come to you this day to cleanse me of my sin and make me whole. I believe in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and I commit my life to you this day. Take my heart, cleanse me, consecrate me and use me for your glory. Thank you Lord for saving me. Through the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, Amen.”
If you genuinely made this prayer, believe God has heard you and you are welcomed to the family of believers. We encourage you to grow in faith by studying and meditating on the word of God daily, making prayer, praise and thanksgiving a lifestyle, strive to flee evil and bad habits, fellowship with other believers to grow in knowledge of the word of God and seek spiritual guidance. You can also contact us if you need help to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Remain Blessed