9 Practical Tips for Dream Encounters
While I cover ground in the area of dreams and interpretation in my book, Night Vision, I want to give you some practical advice so you can thrive in this mysterious world of dreams.
The following guidance will help you maximize your dream life to the fullest.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep Regularly
I understand that there are times because of our busy schedules that we might need to stay up later than usual. You must understand, however, that going to bed too late can affect your dream life. The human body has two distinct modes of sleep—REM sleep and NREM sleep. REM (rapid eye movement) is the deep sleep cycle and the cycle for dreaming. During REM sleep, our eyes move around rapidly in a range of directions but do not send any visual information to your brain. NREM (nonrapid eye movement) sleep has three stages. In order to get to REM sleep, you have to first go through the three stages of NREM sleep. The first two stages of NREM sleep are considered light sleep, preparing us for deep sleep. If we always go to bed late, we will have limited time in REM sleep and our dream lives will be hindered merely from a physiological standpoint. Besides, getting between 7-8 hours every night provides needed rest for your own good health and well-being.
Submit Your Sleep to God
Before I go to bed every night, I say a prayer and submit my sleep to the Lord. I consecrate my dream life to the Lord. Sleeping is a holy thing in the Fox household. If we commit our day to the Lord when we awake in the morning, we should also commit our sleep to Him every night. Part of committing my sleep to the Lord is asking God to reveal Himself to me in dreams and to give me revelation. You can do the same thing. I am reminded of Luke 12:32 (NKJV): “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It is the Father’s good pleasure to reveal Himself to you.
Set the Right Atmosphere Beforehand
Setting the right spiritual atmosphere is important for your dream life. You will be more susceptible to having a spiritual dream from the Lord if you engage in the right activities before going to bed for the evening. The following are part of my pre-sleep routine.
Research Books and Online Christian Material About Dreams and Visions
Reading or viewing online Christian material about the subject of dreams and visions before turning in for the evening can build up your spiritual hunger and even enable you to receive an impartation before retiring for the evening. I have experienced this many times. I began to notice that my dreams increased after watching online videos from the late seer prophet John Paul Jackson. As I continued to watch the online videos, I became hungrier for the Lord. I began to read and study more about dreams.
Even right now as you read this book, you are setting the right atmosphere for a spiritual dream encounter because of the hunger you are developing in your heart for the Lord and for the mysteries He wants to reveal to you in the night season of rest. No matter how much I dream, I still make it a practice to read and watch anointed people before going to sleep for the evening.
Avoid Watching or Reading the News Before Bedtime
Watching the late news on television or even reading news on your phone or the Internet before heading off to sleep can have an adverse effect on your dream life. The book of Isaiah declares the following: “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:2 NKJV).
You must realize that we are in the last days and in a time of deep darkness. That darkness is not just manifesting itself in communities, government, education, or through entertainment, it is also being transmitted through the medium of news broadcasts. Imbibing all of this darkness before going to bed can cause us to have nightmares or make our brains review the things that we watched earlier in the news as we sleep. These things will interfere with the genuine encounters that the Holy Spirit desires to give you.
Always Be Ready to Record Your Dreams
Always be prepared to record your dreams. I actually keep my iPad and my phone by my bedside. I keep my dreams in my note section on my iPad. The best time to record your dream is right after you awake from the dream because the details are fresh in your mind.
Keep in mind that a dream may not always come at an ideal time when you feel like you have been fully rested or when you are ready to start your day. A secret to receiving more revelation through dreams is properly valuing and recording the dreams that God has given you. If the Lord gives you a dream at three o’clock in the morning that causes you to wake up and your alarm is not set to go off until seven o’clock, don’t roll over and go back to sleep. Some people forget the important details because they think they will remember them later. It is important to respond correctly to the dreams you receive so they occur more often.
How does the Lord want you to respond? Does He want you to stay awake and intercede for someone? Does He want you to write a few notes about the dream to refresh your memory later? Does He want you to take copious notes and write every detail? Whatever the case, you must be prepared to record the dream and respond to the Lord.
Spend Time Meditating on Your Dreams
Meditating on your dreams helps you establish a personal culture of thanksgiving for the wonderful encounters that God has given to you. Pondering our dreams helps to build our faith. I often go back to the dreams that I have recorded several years earlier because they are sources of encouragement to me.
Perhaps you are standing on the Word of God for some area of healing in your body and you had a dream that you were healed of that particular ailment two years ago. Keep focusing on that healing dream. God gave you the dream to encourage you so you can war against the enemy who may be telling you that you will not be healed.
Another reason for meditating on your dream is that the Lord may also be trying to increase your understanding of the dream. This has happened to me many times. As we continue to reflect on our dreams, we start to become more skilled in dream interpretation by studying the symbols in our dreams.
Last, as you spend more time reflecting on your dreams, you are showing God that you value the revelation He is sending you. Meditating on your dreams sends a message to Heaven that you are thankful and are ready for more. In essence, if you value what God is revealing to you, He will give you more dreams.
Dreams May Decrease During a Test or Trial
As a former high school teacher and seminary professor, I have given many exams and quizzes over the years. I have always tried to prepare my students thoroughly so they would be successful on the test. On the day of the actual exam, however, I stop instructing them because they must rely on their own preparation beforehand in order for them to do well on the test.
Similar to a teacher during an exam, God is quieter during a test. This is also true when it comes to dreams. During times of intense testing, dreams tend to decrease. So, during these times you must go back to what the Lord revealed in His Word, through personal prophecy, and through your dreams to encourage yourself in the midst of the trial.
Never Be Satisfied with the Gift Alone, You Must Develop It
I have often reminded my son, who has a natural gifting for playing baseball, that he must keep working to improve himself. Ever since he was a toddler, I would pitch to him and he was able to hit most of the balls, particularly the fast ones. He was blessed with great hand-eye coordination. I had to communicate to him that natural giftedness would only take him so far in reaching his goals for baseball. He needed to develop his gift by working hard and studying all aspects of the game of baseball.
The same is true as it relates to being gifted to see in the spirit. We must never be content with having a spiritual gift. We need to mature in the gift by studying and gaining as much knowledge as we possibly can. As someone once said, “The more you know, the more you know that there is more to know.” Be sure to read books that address dreams, visions, and the seer realm, which will increase your hunger for the things of God.
And finally, be sure to dwell in the secret place with your heavenly Father. Just enjoy spending time with Him and read His Word. This time spent with Him will keep you grounded so you don’t become flaky, always seeking the spectacular. Remember to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else, including dreams, will be added to you (see Matthew 6:33).
