5 principles of interpreting dreams

The more we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, the more likely we can hear better and clearer from the Lord, and the more likely we are going to receive anointed dreams from the Lord. 

When our minds are set on the things above (i.e. the things of the Spirit), we are like opening a 'super highway' between heaven and us. And that's how we can receive the many things that the Lord wants to show to us and convey to us. You see, it is our spiritual 'radar' that needs to be 'in tune' and be cleansed. Because as for the Lord, He will always want to speak to us and release His revelation and direction to us. But we need to tune in, just like a radio that needs to be tuned in to the right frequency to receive the right transmission!

Job 33:15-16 (NKJV) says, 'In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.' 

As you can see here, a dream is also called 'a vision of the night'. It happens when a person is sleeping and not wide awake. So, over here in Job 33:15-16, 'when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds', the Lord then opens the ears of men, and shows them and confirms with them His instruction.

Joel 2:28 (NKJV) says, 'And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.' 

In cross-reference, Acts 2:17 (NKJV) says, 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.' 

Notice these two verses here. See the words 'afterward' and 'in the last days'. Joel 2:28 speaks about 'afterward', which is something that's going to happen in the future. But you are blessed, beloved, because that time has come! Joel's prophecy in Joel 2:28 in the Old Testament came to pass from the Day of Pentecost onwards. Peter quoted this verse in Acts 2:17 during his first sermon upon receiving the Holy Spirit.

What are the purposes of dreams from God? 

Number One: God confirms with dreams. 

Number Two: God instructs with dreams. 

Number Three: God answers with dreams. 

Number Four: God makes promises in dreams. 

Number Five: God cautions through dreams. 

But how do we know if a particular dream is from the Lord, and it isn't just any random dream? What are the things that we should know as we learn to interpret a dream?  

Five principles of interpreting dreams: 

Principle One: Dream from God is not mind play or replay of activities of the day, but it's a sovereign overruling of God over your mind. 

Principle Two: Dream from God can bypass logical reasoning of the mind, and is often 'symbolic' in nature.  

Principle Three: The interpretation of a dream depends on the 'mood' of the dream.  

Principle Four: The person who receives the dream should first and foremost seek the Lord himself about the dream. If the dream is from the Lord, it is vivid, as if the person has just watched a drama.

Principle Five: Dream from God are mainly for the dreamer himself (i.e. for the person who receives the dream). However, there can be dreams that you receive regarding another person, or a city, a country, or any situation.

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God is turning the tide for you!

The Lord says: 

"The tide is shifting! The tide is shifting! The tide is shifting! For I am turning the tide for you. So, fear not, if you are surrounded by fiery darts and spears. For I am beginning to reverse the situation to your favor, even against the odds. Put your faith and hope in Me. Put your confidence and trust in Me. Look to Me and My Word. I am the Lord who answers. I am the Lord who comes to your aid. Watch how I begin to turn things around for you." 

Beloved, no matter what you have been facing recently, whether in your office, in your organization, in the ministry, or in any area of your life, there is hope for you! There is hope that the Lord can turn things around for you! Your part is to keep putting your trust and confidence in the Lord! 

Psalm 118:15-16 (The Message) says, 'Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? "The hand of God has turned the tide! The hand of God is raised in victory! The hand of God has turned the tide!"' 

Hallelujah! Indeed, the hand of the Lord has turned the tide for you! The hand of the Lord is raised in victory for you! As long as you are on God's side, and as long as you walk in obedience to Him, His hand will be raised against all those works of darkness against you. You are going to sing songs of triumph and victory! 

This psalm does not have an author in its title, but many Bible scholars believe it was David who wrote it. 

Now, David knew what it's like to be surrounded by 'fiery darts, arrows, and spears'. In fact, at a certain period of time, David was being 'hunted' relentlessly by King Saul. Yet David also saw how God turned the tide for him in the end! The same it is for you and in your situation, because you too are a beloved of God! The name 'David' means 'Beloved'. 

What is the definition of 'turning the tide'? 

It can mean any of these:

- bringing a turnaround (to your favor)

- reversing a bad situation (to your favor)

- reversing the course of events (to your favor)

That's what 'turning the tide' means. And the Lord has spoken today that the tide is turning for you! 

So, whatever not-so-good situation that you may be facing at the moment, be it in your career, in your business, in your finance, or even in your health, or in any other area of your life, the Lord wants you to know that He can turn things around for you, even against the odds! Nothing is impossible to Him. With Him, all things are possible!  

Psalm 118:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' 

Indeed, if God is for you, who can be against you? The expression 'set me in a broad place' here means you are not being stifled by the enemy anymore! In other words, you are set free to be who God wants you to be! Beloved, walk in this time and season! Walk in this freedom and victory that the Lord has given to you! Walk in triumph! 

Psalm 118:8-9 (NKJV) says, 'It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.' 

You see, God does put authority above us for the betterment of our lives on this earth. However, every form of authority on this earth may rise and fall. But if you put your trust in the Lord your God who will never fall, the Lord God Almighty, you are like standing on the solid ground and solid rock! Come what may, be it high waves, strong winds, or violent storms, none of these can shake you! 

Psalm 118:13-14 (NKJV) says, 'You push me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.' 

Indeed, the Lord your God knows how to come to your aid. He knows how to save you from all those 'fiery darts, arrows, and spears' that the enemy throw against you! He knows how to defend you from any form of attack, be it attack to your reputation, attack to your good name, or even attack out of jealousy against you! 

Just look at David who wrote this psalm. In spite of what had happened to David, the Lord knew how to turn the tide to his favor! For the record, King Saul was jealous of David. No matter how faithful David was to King Saul, King Saul saw David as a threat to his kingship. King Saul couldn't take it when someone else was rising up to do greater things than him. In fact, King Saul actually had made a vow not to kill David! (1 Samuel 19:6-7) But he broke his vow and promise time and again! 

When King Saul sought to kill David out of his own insecurity and jealousy against David, the Lord always knew how to protect and defend David. Ironically, at one time, it was King Saul's own son (Jonathan) and own daughter (Michal) who came to David's rescue! (1 Samuel 19:4-5, 1 Samuel 19:11-17) 

Beloved, are you in a situation where you have been falsely accused, you have been 'hunted', or some people are just plain jealous against you? Take heart. The Lord is with you. Continue to humble yourself before the Lord. Continue to look to the Lord. The Lord your God is not dead. He will know how to come to your rescue. He will know how to come to your aid. Trust Him and His Word. Put your confidence in Him. He is a God who is still alive in your situation, whatever you may be facing at the moment. 

Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 10. That's when King Saul met his tragic end. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers. If only David was there, things would have been so much different. Remember, it was David who has the anointing from the Lord to defeat the Philistines. But over here, there was no more protection for King Saul. King Saul eventually died, and all his household died together (1 Chronicles 10:1-6). What a tragic end! Upon seeing what had happened to King Saul, all the men of Israel also fled and escaped for their lives. Israel fell into the hands of the Philistines (1 Chronicles 10:7).

In 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (NKJV), it's written, 'So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore the Lord killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.' 

If you read from verse 13 to 14 here, this was God's verdict against Saul. God saw Saul as someone who's unfaithful to what He has spoken. God saw Saul as someone who did not seek Him and did not inquire of Him. Therefore, at that time, God pulled him down, and raised up David to be the new king. That's how God turned the kingdom over to David, a man after God's heart, a man who's faithful to God. The rest is history. The people began to gather around David and acknowledged him as their new king. Israel went on to become a great nation under the kingship of David. 

So beloved, take heart, because the tide is shifting for you too! God has begun His work, and He is in the midst of turning the tide for you! Continue to be a man (or a woman) after God's heart. Continue to live a life that is surrendered and yielded to the Lord. And the Lord will know how to do His part. Amen!

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Prophetic words: A time to clear the clutter!

The Lord says: 

"Prepare, prepare, prepare! Sanctify, sanctify, sanctify! Clear the clutter! Clear what needs to clear! Put your house in order! Because I am about to do great things and great exploits in your life and through your life! No matter how the world changes, My Word is still the same. Look to Me, and keep soaking in My Word and in My Spirit. And I will show you greater things ahead of you." 

Indeed the world has been changing very fast. Everything is accelerating. But one thing that never changes is the Word of God! The Word of God is still the Word of God! In Matthew 24:35, Jesus Himself said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." 

The Lord is also saying to you, beloved, that no matter what past you may have, or no matter how broken your past may be, He still remembers you and He still has a purpose for you. He still wants to do something great in your life and through your life!

Joshua 1:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them - the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."' 

In this time and season, this applies to you too. Let your past be past. Let the bygone be bygone. The Lord is in the midst of healing you. The Lord is in the midst of restoring you. The Lord is in the midst of renewing you. Yes indeed, your "Moses" is dead, and this is your Joshua's time! This is the time to receive fresh anointing from the Lord! This is the time to receive new strength from the Lord! 

We go all the way to Joshua 3 now. Joshua 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.' 

The word 'sanctify' here is 'kawdash' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to make clean, to consecrate, to prepare, to purify, to dedicate, to be separate, to be set apart.' In the context of our study today, the Lord wants us to be separated or set apart from the unwholesome things that are happening in this world. You may be in the world, but you are not of the world. You are of God. You are born of God. That's what the Scripture says about you. You are born again the moment you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. So, let the Holy Spirit fill you right now. Let the Holy Spirit wash you clean, cleanse you, and purify you right now. Let the Holy Spirit teach you how to be set apart from whatever that is unwholesome in this world. 

I would like to bring you to another version for Joshua 3:5-6. This time, I read from New American Standard Bible (NASB). 'Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you." And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.' 

Now, 'the ark of the covenant' here symbolizes 'the glory of the Lord.' Jesus is your glory! Jesus is the glory of the Lord who goes ahead of you. You part is to follow Him. Wherever the glory cloud goes, you follow. And you are going to see with your own eyes (both spiritual eyes and physical eyes) miracles, signs and wonders happening in your life and through your life. You are entering this time and season of your life! Believe for it! 

How did the translators of New Living Translation (NLT) translate Joshua 3:5-6? Let's read here. 'Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you." In the morning Joshua said to the priests, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river." And so they started out and went ahead of the people.' 

Indeed beloved, this is a new dawn for you! See the words 'In the morning' here. Yes, weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It's a new day for you. The sun has begun to shine brighter and brighter upon you. Receive this by faith, even as you look to the Lord and keep trusting in the Lord your God. Amen! 

Let's look at one more version, and let's go to The Amplified Bible now. 'Then Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves [for His purpose], for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders (miracles) among you." Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over [the river] ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went on ahead of the people.' 

Notice the words 'sanctify yourselves [for His purpose]' here? So, if you think you are purposeless and hopeless, the Lord is releasing a new purpose and a new hope to you right now! Your part is to embrace all that He wants to give to you. Amen!  

I want to pray for you right now. Let there be open heaven right now. Let there be a release of fresh anointing upon you right now. Let there be a release of new strength upon you right now. Let the glory of the Lord be upon you. And wherever you go, darkness has to flee. Because when the glory and the light comes, darkness has to flee. I also want to pray for you that wherever you go, there will be shalom peace, and the favor of the Lord is with you, just as what Joshua had experienced those days, in that time and season!

It's not too late yet for you to prepare yourself. Clear the clutter of your life. Clear whatever that needs to clear in your life. Clear whatever unwholesome things in your life. Let the blood of Jesus Christ wash you and cleanse you white as snow. And that's how you are being readied and prepared for the greater things that are coming your way!

Joshua 3:8 (NKJV) says, 'You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, "When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan."' 

Yes, many of God's people are at the crossroads in their lives right now. They are about to cross a certain threshold in their lives. And if that person is you, this is what you can do now: Continue to stand strong in the Word of God. Do not be swayed by the enemy or by all kinds of temptations of this world. But you stand! 

The word 'stand' here is 'aw-mad' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to continue, to abide, to remain, to be firm.' Yes, to be firm in all that the Lord has spoken to you in this new season of your life! And yes, to stand strong and to continue to abide in Him and in His Word! 

There will be some of you who are going to see your promotion in spite of the odds. There will be some of you who are going to see new open doors, when many others in the world are having 'closed doors'. There will be some of you who are going to see some pleasant surprises. And there will be some of you who are going to see restoration in certain relationships that have been broken, especially family relationships. Just keep looking to the Lord, and keep standing strong in His Word. Keep eating from the Word of God and drinking from the Spirit of God. Word and Spirit. Spirit and Word. Amen!

Joshua 3:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God." And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites."' 

In other words, the Lord your God is clearing the way for you! As you clear the clutter in your life, and as you clear what you need to clear in your life, the Lord will clear the way for you! The Lord will ward off every work of the enemy - north, south, east, west. The Lord will make the way clear for you. The Lord is going to even send His angels to prepare the way for you! 

As you take this step of faith, and as you heed what the Lord has spoken, Joshua 3:13 (NKJV) says: "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap." 

You see? The way had been made clear for Joshua and the people to cross over. They saw their first miracle, sign and wonder in the new season of their lives. And that's how they crossed over! And you know what? The rest is history. They saw many victories and breakthroughs that moment onwards. I want to believe the same for you. Yes, you too are going to see many victories and breakthroughs in your life, going forward! The best is yet to come! Amen!

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Prophetic words: A time to receive fresh anointing and new strength!

The Lord says: 

"The door that I've opened for you, no man can shut. The calling, vision and purpose that I've shown to you, no power of the enemy can take it away. So, fear not! Keep receiving My strength to run with My calling in your life! Keep looking to Me for My goodness and My victory in your life! Keep trusting in My name and My guidance for your life! The best is yet to come! You are entering a new season of breakthrough in your life! What I've spoken, no man or work of the enemy can reverse it!" 

The Lord says further: 

"This is the season I am releasing a fresh anointing and authority to you! There will be new assignments for you. There will be new surprises for you. There will be new doors of opportunity for you. Your part is to look to Me and receive by faith." 

Indeed, beloved of God, look not behind you, but look ahead of you. Look to the Lord. Because the Lord is about to show you His glory, His goodness, and His victory! This is your season for your breakthrough! Receive these words by faith!

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.' 

You may have read these verses many times in your life. But this is that time and season! This is the time and season that He is doing a new thing in your life! Don't miss this time and season! And when He opens the door for you, no man can shut! But you've got to do one thing. You've got to not look behind you. You've got to look ahead and look forward in your life. Yes, look forward to the many new things that He has in store for your life!

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT) says, 'But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.' 

Forget about those "trophies" or those "acclaims" of your past. You can cherish them of course, but do not just remain there. Instead, keep looking forward and keep running with the Lord's new assignments for your life. Why? Because greater things are in store for you. The best is yet to come! 

This is also the time to receive new strength from the Lord! Yes, this is the time to rise up and run with this new strength that the Lord is giving you!

Exodus 23:25-27 (NKJV) says, 'So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.'  

The Lord will ensure that you will not be barren. Your 'land' will be fertile and fruitful. You will be well provided for, and you will be well protected. Not only that, the Lord will give you long, full, and abundant life. That's what the Scripture says here. Believe for it! 

In fact, the enemy will be terrified, because the Lord is with you. They will flee from you, wherever the Lord leads you, and wherever the Lord puts you! As you walk hand in hand with the Lord, and as you obey His instructions every step of the way, the work of darkness will have to hands off you! This is the Lord's promise for you!

Exodus 23:28-30 (NKJV) says, 'And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you... Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.' 

Indeed, the 'land' and the 'ground' that the Lord has given to you, the Lord also says you shall see your increase! Whatever the Lord has given to you, no one can take it away! You will triumph! You will see your victory! So, in spite of the current situation that you may be facing, whatever 'doom' or 'gloom' that you may be facing at the moment, or if you are surrounded by the power of the enemy against you, fear not! Because the Lord has promised that you shall see your increase, and your path is going to shine brighter and brighter! 

As He leads, you follow. You will not go wrong if you follow Him. But one thing that you need to do is to continue to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Humility is always the precondition before great things happen. This is consistent in the whole Scripture. Humility always comes first, and then honor comes. The opposite is also true. With pride is downfall. 

Proverbs 18:12 (NKJV) says, 'Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.' 

The word 'humility' here is 'anawvaw' in Hebrew. It can mean 'a heart that is lowly and down-to-earth'. It can mean 'a heart that is not lifted up'. In the context of our lives before the Lord, 'a heart that is in full submission to the Lord'. It means when He says so, you say so; and when He says no, you say no. It means you walk in full obedience and submission to the Lord. This is humility before the Lord. And when there is humility, there will be honor.

Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV) says, 'A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.' 

Interestingly, this English word 'humble' comes from the Latin word 'humilis', which means 'lowly'. This word 'humilis' in turn comes from the word 'humus', which means 'ground'. In other words, 'to be humble' is 'to stay down-to-earth', or 'to stay grounded', no matter what. You may have heard the saying that goes 'honesty is the best policy'. Now of course, being honest is a good virtue. Keep it up. But I tell you what, in the spiritual world, in the spiritual realm, staying humble is an essential key to receiving honor. This is where Lucifer failed. So, it's not just 'honesty is the best policy', but 'humility is also the best policy', especially in the spiritual sense. Because with pride comes downfall. But with humility comes honor.

Let's get back to our prophetic words today. We go all the way to Joshua 1:1-3 now. These are familiar verses for many of us. But this is that time, this is that season for you to receive all that the Lord has spoken in Joshua 1! We've looked at what the Lord has spoken to Moses. But now, we shall look at what the Lord has spoken to Joshua. Indeed, after Moses, it's Joshua's time! And yes, your Joshua's time has come! It's a new beginning! I heard from the Lord that indeed many of God's people at this juncture of their lives, they are in this transition right now. They are in this transition from Moses' time to Joshua's time! 

Joshua 1:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them - the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."' 

Joshua 1:5-7 (NKJV) says, 'No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.' 

Indeed, do not turn to the left or to the right, but turn to the Lord! The Lord is giving you a new vision. The Lord is giving you a new purpose. The Lord is giving you a new assignment that's going to catapult you and propel you to greater heights and greater victories, both in the spiritual realm and also in the physical realm. Receive this by faith! 

So, what is the time and season for you right now? It's your 'Joshua' time! Just don't look back, but look ahead of you. Receive a fresh anointing from the Lord right now! Receive a new strength from the Lord right now! Receive the victory and breakthrough for your life right now! And begin to experience the goodness of God in your life like never before. Amen!

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