Between your Pillow and the Prophetic: When Dreams Actually Mean Something
I had an interesting conversation this morning with one of my team leaders. He had a vivid dream and wanted to know whether it meant anything spiritually. It reminded me of one too many conversations I’ve had with fellow Nigerians about their dreams, the one where it goes: “Sir, I was flying in my dream… should I be worried? Is it witchcraft? Have they initiated me?”
Now, before you pack your bags for deliverance service or start blaming the dream on your father’s household, let’s pause for a moment.
Listen, not every dream is a divine message. Sometimes, it’s just your brain doing overnight laundry, sorting through the mess and emotions of your day. Dreams can be the mind’s way of processing stress, fatigue, conflict, or even that dangerously generous plate of amala you had at 10:30 p.m. on an empty stomach. Neurologically speaking, your brain stores memory in pictures, and dreams are the slideshow.
That’s what we call a DESCRIPTIVE dream.
It’s not telling you what to do, it’s just describing what’s going on under the hood. But then, there are those other types of dreams. The ones you don’t shake off, the ones that come with unusual clarity, emotion, and weight.
These are what we call PRESCRIPTIVE dreams.
These dreams are God’s way of conveying truths, burdens, or warnings you may not consciously perceive. We see this pattern all over Scripture. God speaks to Joseph in Genesis 37 through two dreams, affirming His call and future plan. Then in Daniel 2, God reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel to unlock divine mysteries for the sake of a whole kingdom.
So how do you know which kind of dream you just had? Here are three guidelines I’ve found helpful over the years (…and since my background is that of a good ol’ Baptist preacher baptized in the preaching-art of alliteration, they all start with “R”).
Full disclosure before you read: part of why I’m writing this is because my wife insists that I’m always chewing something in my dreams and wakes up asking me, “Who’s feeding you again?” So if you’re reading this and wondering whether your last dream was spiritual warfare or just spiritual swallow, this is for you… and for my dear wife, who has been on deliverance watch duty for years.
1. Repetition.
If the dream comes two or three times, or keeps returning in different variations about the same person or situation, God may be emphasizing something. Joseph’s two dreams in Genesis 37:5–10 came in succession. Later in Genesis 41:32, Pharaoh’s double dream is interpreted by Joseph as confirmation that “the matter has been firmly decided by God.” So pay attention to divine patterns.
2. Residue.
If you wake up and can’t shake it off, if it clings to your spirit long into the afternoon, burdening your heart, stirring your emotions, and refusing to be filed away as “just a dream”, then it might be God way of calling you to intercede in prayer. Not to post it, not to tweet it (or X it.. or whatever the kids are calling it these days). Pray it. Sometimes the dream isn’t even for you, it’s about someone you know. Sometimes, in God’s sovereignty, the person whose life it concerns is too overwhelmed to hear clearly, so He gives it to you. That’s what it means to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
3. Realness.
Some dreams are so vivid, so tangible, that you wake up still tasting the egusi in your mouth, or still sweating from the spiritual sprint you just finished. You blink a few times, check your room for demons or strange visitors, and realize you’re still home, not in some underground deliverance battle. That intensity can be a signal from the LORD: “Pay attention. I’m speaking.”
Here’s the key though: Whether prescriptive or descriptive, your first response should not be “Let me forward this dream to my pastor and ten WhatsApp groups.” Your first step should be intercession. Let God interpret what He initiates. Not all spiritual things are for public consumption.
So the next time you dream that someone tried to feed you warm plantain and egusi soup at 2 a.m., pause. Pray. Ask the Lord: “Is this a warning… or just my stomach acting dramatic again?” Sometimes, discernment is more important than drama. Yes, God still speaks through dreams, but He also speaks through peace, prayer, and wisdom. Let’s not turn every nap into a nightmare. Sometimes, it’s just sleep.
