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George Hartwell M.Sc.


Dreams for Inner Healing

Learning from Dreams in the Bible


The bible says that God speaks to us in various ways; Job 33:15. Including dreams.

We can learn about how God acts from dream dialogue; Genesis 20: 3-7.

God appears in dreams and gives significant calls and warnings; Genesis 31:10.

Evidently people shared significant dreams with their family; Genesis 37:5. And the family took offense at the meaning of the dream. People could understand the meaning of the symbols in the dream. We learn about hate and envy in the family system.

Israel "keeps the saying in his mind." Genesis 37:11. Even though his feelings were hurt, Joseph's father remembered the message.

A wise man interprets dreams well, for he knows that "interpretations belong to God." Genesis 40:8. His stance to dream interpretation is humility, 41:16.

Yahweh explains how he speaks in "dark speech" to prophets in dreams and visions. This means that the meaning is obscure and indirect - as in Jesus' parables; it requires humble and wise interpretation. Numbers 12:1-13.

People evidently shared significant dreams with other. God used this simple act of sharing to encourage Gideon. Gideon heard the dream and the interpretation of the dream of an enemy - yet he was deeply encouraged by it. Obviously Gideon and his enemies had a deep and natural understanding and trust for God's speech through dreams.

Solomon and Yahweh have a long and significant dialogue in a dream. Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream. 1Kings 3:5-15.

Daniel, like Joseph, had messages from God and sought God in interpreting the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. He even told the king what his dream was - saving his life and that of his companions!

Lessons about dream interpretation from the Bible:

1.sometimes the meaning is obvious to those who have ears to hear,

2.dreams are an form of obscure speech - the meaning may not be clear,

3.interpretations are of God - we need humility,

4.sharing of dreams is wise,

5.be open to meeting God in our dreams,

6.not trusting in our own analytical interpretation, 

7.make the understanding of dreams a matter of prayer.

A Listening Prayer Therapy approach to Inner Healing from Dreams

Catch the dream:

Record your dream in writing as close to the time as possible. When working with your dream recover the experience of it by reviewing it in the present as if it were happening in the now. Include not just what happened but also how you are feeling as is happens. Underline the strongest feeling in the dream.



Listening Prayer Question #1:

The first thing we want to know is the specific memory that God wants to bring to recall to heal our life. Ask God: "What memory is connected to the strongest feeling in the dream?"



Listening Prayer Question #2:

The second Listening Prayer Therapy question invites God to show us what needs to be healed in the memory. Ask God about this memory: "What did I believe?"


Listening Prayer Question #3:

After discovering what we believed we now need to know God's healing truth. So the significant question to God is: "What is your truth?"


Working with Dreams - Sources:

I find Russ Parker's method of dealing with dreams to be inspired. His approach uses principles that I can endorse and that fit well with Listening Prayer Therapy. A review of his book on dreams is below:

Healing Dreams by Russ Parker

Their Power and Purpose in your Spiritual Life

by Russ Parker


Why do you dream? What effects do dreams have on your waking life? How can you interpret their meaning? Russ Parker's answers to those questions are based firmly on the Bible, and on his extensive experience as a Christian dream counsellor. Drawing on a wide variety of his own and other people's dreams, he shows that dreams are a doorway to a greater self-understanding, a rich resource for spiritual growth and vitality. Healing Dreams includes practical guidelines on praying with dreams, healing with dreams, and how understanding your dreams can deepen and enhance your relationships with those around you - whether in your family or in your church fellowship. In his final chapter, Russ Parker describes five basic types of dream, giving examples of each from scripture: reminder dreams, warning dreams, predictive dreams, recurring dreams and nightmares. He then outlines four 'dimensions' of dreaming, and offers advice on how to discern the difference between them. Is the dream simply a reaponse to everyday events in the outside world? Or does it result from your own inner world of thoughts and emotions? Does the dream convey a message from deep within your unconscious? Or could it even be a 'spiritual' dream - a dream from God? To help you answer those questions for yourself, Russ Parker has written this fascinating and uplifting book