Lesson 8. What to Do with an Interpretation. A Father’s Blessing Church school in which Senior Pastor Dmitriy Leo revealed the characteristics of dreams and visions from God.
If you see visions, that is good. If you understand the meaning of the symbols, that is wonderful. Next, you need to learn what to do with what you have received.
On the one hand, you are not required to respond to every vision or dream, but on the other hand, if the Lord tells you to do something, you need to do it.
Always pray to understand exactly what you have received: is it merely information, or is it an instruction calling you to action?
Advice for Personal Use
So, you have received a message for yourself. What should you do?
1. Write the meaning of the dream or vision in a journal. This will help you preserve the minor details. It is especially important for messages intended for the future.
2. If you are unsure about the accuracy of the interpretation or need confirmation from a mature minister, tell them what you saw and how you interpreted it.
Seeking advice from the wise is important. However, you should seek advice only when the information you have received is very important. Otherwise, do not run to people for confirmation; it is not their responsibility.
3. If a vision or dream contains a call to take radical action, be sure to seek advice from your mentor, senior minister, or pastor.
What actions are considered radical?
- – Moving to a different place.
- – Getting married.
- – Ending a relationship or getting divorced.
- – Changing churches or ministries.
- – Taking action involving property or finances.
- – Refusing medical treatment.
- – Other…
Radical actions should be taken only when there is no doubt that they came from the Lord. Such actions can affect the future, so it is important not to make a mistake. The proverb “Measure seven times and cut once” is appropriate here.
4. If a vision or dream quickly “flew out” of your memory and you lost interest in it, it is no longer relevant, or it was not something important. Simply let it go.
5. If a vision or dream requires you to follow biblical commandments or instructions, this is not something to discuss with other people. You must carry it out as soon as possible.
6. When receiving visions and dreams, remember: this does not make you better or more spiritual than others. Never boast about it, do not mention it unnecessarily, do not place it above the Bible, and remain accountable to your elders. Choose the path of humility.
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your pastors. Yes, all of you, submit to one another and be clothed with humility, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Pride is the most common mistake that has caused many people to stop receiving messages from heaven.
Guidelines for Public Use
So, you have a message for others. What should you do?
1. Tell everything—both the symbols and the interpretation.
Experienced and mature ministers may share the interpretation immediately, but for most people, this involves great risk.
It is better to describe the picture you saw in symbols and then explain the interpretation of those symbols. This is especially important when the message is intended for another person.
Give the person the interpretation, and also provide the original so that they can participate in verifying the information they received.
I have heard many stories in which the person who received a vision interpreted it less accurately than the person to whom the vision was addressed.
A prayer minister approached a female minister to pray. During the prayer, he saw in a vision that she was holding a baby, but then handed it to another woman and left. The prayer minister said, “You need to raise your child yourself and not entrust it to someone else.” The minister asked the prayer minister what led him to that conclusion. He described the vision. The woman asked what the other woman, to whom she had handed the baby, looked like. After the prayer minister described her, the minister exclaimed, “This is confirmation. I have received my answer.” Earlier, the pastor had suggested that I hand over my newly established home group to my assistant, the sister you saw in the vision. I asked God to give me confirmation, and I have received it now.
There are many similar stories in which the interpretation does not correspond to what was conveyed through the symbols. To avoid this mistake, it is better to share both the symbols and the interpretation.
2. Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
People often want to give special weight to a revelation or vision they have received, so they present it as a word from the Lord Himself. They usually begin with the words: “Thus says the Lord!”
We strongly recommend not using this style. Jesus Christ and His disciples did not use it. This style was used only by the prophets in Old Testament times, when it was necessary to immediately identify whose prophet was speaking. Today, in most cases, there is no need to do this.
In general, it is permissible to say, “Thus says the Lord.” However, this should be done only when you are absolutely certain that everything you are about to say is the Lord’s word and contains nothing of your own.
The Bible contains examples of the Lord seriously warning that He would oppose people who misuse the authority of His name.
Jer. 23
28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell the dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word truthfully. What has straw in common with pure grain? says the Lord.
29 Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock?
30 Therefore, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal My words from one another.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their tongues and say, “He said.”
32 Behold, I am against the prophets of false dreams, says the Lord, who tell them and lead My people astray with their lies and boastfulness, although I did not send them or command them; they bring no benefit to this people, says the Lord.
Therefore, a dream should be presented as a dream. A vision should be presented as a vision. A word from the Lord should be presented as a word FROM THE LORD.
How Not to Become a Victim of Deception
The prophet Ezekiel warned that a vision may contain false information. The Lord is opposed to this.
Ezek. 13:8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you speak emptiness and see lies in visions, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.
For us, these are warnings to remain vigilant and carefully examine everything.
Many people make a common mistake: if they hear something negative, they reject it; if it is positive, they accept it. However, this proves nothing. Deception may be concealed behind positive content.
Even a message that your ministry will double in size next year may sound positive, but if it is not from the Lord, it can harm the ministry.
Seven Tips for Receiving from Others
1. If someone approaches you and says they have a word for you, ask how they received it. Was it a word from the Lord, a dream, or a vision?
2. If the person says it was a dream or vision, first ask them to describe the dream or vision. Do not listen to the interpretation right away, as this could distort your subsequent perception of the information.
3. Then ask the person why they decided that what they received was intended specifically for you and not someone else.
4. Next, ask what they think the dream or vision means. At the same time, you should listen not only to the person but also to the response in your heart or the confirmation from the Holy Spirit.
5. If you have a response in your heart or confirmation from the Holy Spirit that the message is correct and intended for you, thank the person and say that you will reflect on it.
6. If you have no response in your heart and the Holy Spirit tells you nothing, say so plainly: it does not resonate with you at this time, but you are nevertheless grateful and will reflect on it.
7. If you feel rejection in your heart or the Holy Spirit shows you that the information is not for you, is not about you, or has been interpreted incorrectly, tell the person.
In such situations, most people prefer to remain silent, diplomatically avoid answering, or pretend that everything is fine, but this is a major mistake.
In this way, you support the person in their error or incompetence. You encourage them to continue making mistakes. Moreover, such deception can damage your reputation.
Once, a prophetic person approached a pastor and said that he saw problems in the worship team that needed to be changed. According to this person, God had sent him to say this. He meant that instead of the current worship songs, songs of a particular style needed to be sung, and then the heavens would open and power would move mightily. The pastor listened silently and then went to prepare for the service. He did not immediately accept the message, knowing that this person had a poor reputation, but decided to remain silent so as not to upset him. A few days later, a post appeared on a large prophetic group on social media saying that through the prophet, God had rebuked the church for carnal worship. The pastor agreed and accepted the rebuke.
This is one of the negative examples of how one lie gives rise to another. That is why, if you disagree, you should tell the person immediately.
Of course, you should not be rude to the person or accuse them of lying. You should humbly and tactfully express your opinion… which you have every right to do.
We understand that people need to practice on someone and that they will make mistakes anyway. However, not every situation is the same.
If a person is learning and asks for our opinion, that is fine. But if someone presents us with a fait accompli and is not interested in our opinion, we have the right to correct such people and set boundaries with them.
Conclusions
You are not required to respond to every vision or dream, but if the Lord tells you to do something, you need to do it.
Always pray to understand exactly what you have received: is it merely information, or is it an instruction calling you to action?
The prophet Ezekiel warned that a vision may contain false information. This is a warning to us to remain vigilant and check everything carefully.
Many people make a common mistake: if they hear something negative, they reject it; if it is positive, they accept it. However, this proves nothing. Deception may be concealed behind positive content.
Even a message that your ministry will double in size next year may sound positive, but if it is not from the Lord, it can harm the ministry.
End of lesson.
Source: Father’s Blessing Church
Author: Dmitriy Leo
