5 Reasons Why You Need a Dream Journal

Do you want to get better at remembering your dreams and understand what God is saying to you at night? Find out how to writing a dream journal will help. 

God speaks to you through your dreams at night. He gives you guidance and direction, reveals things about your life that need to change, and warns you about danger. It’s important to pay attention to your dreams so you can hear what God is saying and apply his guidance to your life. One of the most crucial ways to do this is to write your dreams in a dream journal. Here are 5 reasons why you should start dream journaling today. 

“Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw.”

Daniel 7:1 NLT

1. It will help you remember your dreams

I’m sure you’ve woken up in the middle of the night after having a vivid dream. But you decide to go back to sleep instead of writing it down. Then you forget it when you wake up. Or you remember it in the morning, but the details fade away as the day goes on.

Dreams are very easy to forget. In fact, you forget about 80% of your dreams within the first minute of waking up. Even if you’re one of those fortunate people who can easily recall your dreams, it would be impossible to remember all of them in great detail, especially if you’re an avid dreamer. So, write down your dreams as soon as you wake up while the details are still fresh in your mind, even if that means getting up in the middle of the night!

Daniel was one of the most gifted dream interpreters in the Bible. He interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream when no one else could. But he still had to write his dreams down because God gave him many strange and complex dreams and visions.

Don’t dismiss a dream If you only remember fragments of it. Write down what you remember, even if it’s just a list of words or emotions. Those few details may be enough to give you a general idea of what the dream is about. 

2. God will give you more dreams 

Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given —and you will receive even more.”

Mark4:24NLT

When you take the time to remember your dreams and write them down, you’re showing God that you value your dream life and you have a desire to hear from Him. God will honor your dedication by giving you more frequent dreams and revealing deeper insights through them. You’ll also find that your dreams become easier to remember. God grows what you steward.

I found that the frequency and detail of my dreams increased when I started writing them down regularly. But if I get a bit lazy and stop making an effort to write them down, I tend to dream less frequently. 

There will be times when you dream less frequently, and it won’t necessarily be because you’re not paying enough attention to them. You need to be in REM sleep to dream. When you’re really tired, you spend less time in REM sleep and more of the night in a deeper sleep, where you don’t dream. Less REM sleep means fewer dreams. So don’t get discouraged if you go through periods when you dream less frequently. Just continue to spend time writing down the dreams you do remember. 

3. It will help you to interpret your dreams

You don’t need to wait until you know how to interpret your dreams to begin writing a dream journal. Just write down the dreams you remember in as much detail as possible—even the really crazy ones that make no sense! 

In time, you’ll learn to understand your dreams. The Holy Spirit can also reveal their meaning through prayer. When you’re ready, you can go back through your dream journal and start interpreting your dreams. Then, you’ll be able to respond to whatever God has revealed to you and apply it to your life. 

Don’t worry about missing out on what God is saying because you don’t understand you’re dreams right now. If there is something God really wants you to know, he’ll keep giving you dreams about it until you understand or he will find another way to reach you. The important thing is that you develop the habit of writing them down so you have a record of your dreams. 

4. Identify patterns and repeated themes

Keeping a record of your dreams, along with the dates and times they occur, will reveal patterns like reoccurring dreams, repeated themes, and symbols that keep showing up. God is trying to reveal something to you when certain things keep showing up in your dreams. There could be an issue or area of your life that needs attention. Pray and ask God to give you clarity. 

There was a year when I dreamt about being in school almost every month. When I looked back through my dream journal, I could spot this recurring theme. God gave me those dreams because he wanted me to go through a learning period so I could grow in spiritual maturity.

You may notice that you have certain dreams when you’ve been around specific people, visited certain places, or watched certain movies and TV shows. You could have specific dreams during particular events in your life. Or you may even dream about something that comes to pass. You’ll only discover these patterns and links when you keep a record of your dreams. 

There are some revelations and insights that God will reveal over time. This is particularly true of destiny and calling dreams. They’ll be like clues that you’ll need to piece together to get more understanding. Your dream journal will make them easier to spot. 

5. Discover your unique dream language

Dreams use symbols and metaphors to tell a story. When you pay attention to the images and symbols in your dreams, you’ll discover the unique way that God speaks to you.

Dream symbols don’t always mean the same things to everyone. Their meaning can be unique to you based on your life experience and cultural background. They can also indicate the area of your life your dream is focused on. 

When I dream about computers, I know it’s usually related to work since I’m a graphic designer. However, my mum has always been uncomfortable with computers and worries that she’ll do something wrong. A computer in her dream may represent a struggle she must overcome. Computers represent something different to both of us because of our experiences with them. 

Whenever I dream about being late for a train, forgetting my shoes, or stolen diamonds, I know that God is speaking to me about my purpose and destiny. I’ve learned to recognize what these symbols represent to me, so they’ve become part of my dream language. 

God will use symbols that are meaningful to you. When you look back through your dream journal, pay attention to the images and symbols that keep showing up and the context or situations in which they appear. Eventually, you’ll begin to recognize your dream language based on these images and symbols. This will help you identify what your dream is about. 

Final thoughts 

Dream journaling is crucial to nurturing your dream life and tracking what God is saying to you. You’ll remember your dreams in greater detail when you write them down and get better at recalling them. They’ll be ready for interpretation so you can understand what God is saying to you. You’ll also be able to identify your unique dream language, patterns, symbols, and recurring themes. God will reward the stewardship of your dreams by giving you even more and revealing deeper insights into your life. So start journaling your dream today. 

Other helpful resources

• How To Start A Dream Journal
• God Is Speaking To You Through Your Dreams. Learn How To Hear Him
• Powerful Christian Books To Understand Your Dreams

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