Also you need to oppose any possible influence of the devil on your dreams. This is what the Bible tells us to do:

Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 - NKJV

Our friend who sent in the enquiry about Christian handling of dreams also wrote, "The people who adhere to this teaching (namely, all dreams come from God and need interpreting) are adamant that Satan cannot speak to us in dreams."

This type of teaching reminds me of New Age doctrine and psychics. On another of my web site pages entitled "Psychics!" I write,

"Spiritualists and New Age people are naive - they think the spirit world is safe to wander around and consult anyone. Do they act that way in this physical world? No, they use any discernment they have. They realise that there are some very evil people about! Likewise, there are wicked spirits in the realm are physical eyes cannot see."

How can anyone be so naive as to believe that dreams are exempt from outside influences and even evil influences?

Our dreams are residing in our minds and therefore like our minds are subject to outside influences and we have to guard our dreams in the same way we guard our minds.

The apostles in their letters left us with some very plain instruction on looking after our minds. Paul wrote,

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 - NKJV

He also exhorted us:

Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8 - NKJV

Beware that you don't let your current personal or denominational view of scripture cause you to discount what you have heard in a prophetic word, dream or vision!

Often the prophetic comes to you by God's Spirit to change how you've been seeing what God communicates with us through His Word. God wants to set you free on to a wider stage of service for Him or give you a greater depth of insight into His plans for you and all of His people.

There's a good illustration of this in the New Testament. We find it in the story of Peter on the roof top and the vision from Heaven he received there. Acts 10:9-16.

The vision Peter received while in a trance and the message following it contradicted Peter's understanding of God's will. However, Peter neither discounted the vision nor rushed off to act upon it. Instead, note, he reflected upon it!

At the same time, Peter didn't immediately take the vision at face value. He considered what its meaning might be. As he did so then events framed its significance and a word from God encouraged him in accurately applying the prophetic vision in his life. As a result Peter was blessed and the people not of Jewish origin started hearing the Gospel preached.

You are to do likewise. When the prophetic comes - be it in a dream of unusual clarity or a message in the church gathering - ponder its meaning as Peter did the vision. Pray and ask the Lord by His Holy Spirit to give you the interpretation of the dream. Pray as Daniel and his companions prayed when they required the interpretation of a dream. Expect that you will be able to hear from Him and afterwards declare,

There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known...

Daniel 2:28 - NKJV

A visitor to this page wrote,

"I have visions of the future, they show me bad things that will happen to my loved ones and after my visions I tell the person involved and it saves their life and prevents injuries but only if they choose to listen. Why am I shown the future? Should I help the people I see in it? Or let it happen as in the visions and do nothing?"

Before we get on to visions and dreams it is important to recognise that for individual lives the future is not set. The future always depends on choices we make. However, choices already made will have set us on a track to a particular outcome or a particular destination in life. Then new choices can be made that alter that track or the direction of that track.

This means that any vision or dream you have about what will be is only how it will be unless those involved make further choices or direction changes in life.

Recognising this helps us understand what the Bible is telling us about dreams in the passage found in the Book of Job (Job 33:15 - 18). See Part 1 of this web article.

The principle outlined in that explanation of dreams holds true for visions about a persons life also.

You should take your dreams or visions therefore to be an insight from God about what will be unless people make positive choices or direction changes in life. This means your dreams give you an opportunity to share lovingly with those who know and trust you how things could be turning out or moving towards unless they look at what changes in life they might make.

You should always stress when sharing these dream insights or vision insights with people that there is no need for them to become anxious or fearful because of them but rather to look to the Lord for a better way of planning, organising and arranging their activities or daily lives so as to avoid the particular outcome or a particular destination in life the dream or vision is revealing.