On the Difference Between Divine and "Pizza" Dreams

Okay...here goes.

First, it's a very biblical concept that God can and does speak to people through dreams. Then...it's obvious that not every dream we have is a divine communication. God forbid!

So here is my list of questions to ask whose affirmative answers might lead us to believe that a particular dream is from God. (Not that every dream has to have all of these elements to qualify...but if it has some of these, it may indeed be.)

Does it have biblical persons, images (such as an angel) or references within it?
Do you sense the presence of God about you during or after the dream?
Is the dream especially vivid and impacting on your heart, thoughts or emotions?
Is there a "voice" of intuition or a presence of a person interpreting symbolic images in the dream to you during or after the dream?
Does a "voice" speak to you in the dream and say the kinds of things to you that God Himself might say?
Does it have people in it who are servants of God in your view?
Do you have a sense that this dream is somehow important, but you're not sure why?
Have you ever had this same dream before?
Has this dream actually come to pass?
Are the actions in the dream the kinds of actions that the scripture calls us to perform as we obey God?
Have the symbolic images in the dream also occurred in other dreams that you've had?
Do the people you've shared the dream with have any kind of "inner witness" from God's Spirit that the dream is from the Lord?

If you can say "yes" to several of these questions, then I suggest that you be alerted that God may be speaking to you, write it down, pray about it, share it with a few trusted believing friends and ask God to somehow make clear to you that He is communicating to you through this dream.

Terri recently had a dream. We were able say "yes" to six of the above questions regarding this dream. It included some specific guidance for us and we immediately obeyed this counsel. Already we have had one clear event beyond our control take place that is a fulfillment of a promise from God embedded in the dream.

Almost two years ago, our son, Sam had a dream about a couple in leadership in our church. He shared it with them at the time and everyone kind of forgot about it. Suddenly in the last three months, three of the four specific elements about their lives in this dream have transpired without any attempt to make the dream come to pass. They have been truly encouraged in the Lord through this dream now and we are all the more alerted to Sam's prophetic gifts.