God in Dreams

Q: In the Old Testament, God often spoke to someone by coming to them in a dream. Does God still speak to us this way?

A: He doesn't need to. When God spoke to people via dreams, a burning bush, etc. we did not have His written Word. Today we have God's Word which is comprehensive and complete. We can get direction from God regarding virtually any topic from the Bible today. In both Old and New Testament times, God also spoke through people. He still does that today.

Now, the truth is I don't know if God still speaks to people in dreams. I'll acknowledge the possibility that He does. But if you think God spoke to you in a dream, then it's fairly easy to confirm that. First, does it match what God has already said in His Word (the Bible)? Second, is it consistent with the character and nature of God as revealed to us in His Word (the Bible)?

Third, do other mature believers pray with you and get the same answer? This is an important one - because when God tells you something, He usually doesn't keep it a secret. In fact, He'll tell others about it. They just have to ask. So if I think God is telling me to do or not do something, in important source of validation is other mature believers. Ask them to pray with me about that and affirm that He is telling them the same thing about the subject at hand.

We should never, ever move forward on our own interpretation or understanding of what God is telling us unless we have checked it against these three points of validation. Does it match His Word? Is it in line with His nature and character? Can other believers confirm that's what He's saying?

Moving forward without these points of validation is risky. We humans are too vulnerable to deception. Our own selfish motives can deceive us. The ungodly motives of others can deceive us. And even the devil can deceive us. Often people do things that that think God told them to --- only to find out later that it wasn't God who they were listening to!