10 Tips to Remember Your Dreams

You can remember your dreams and receive the revelation God is giving you!

Some people tell me that they do not hear from God in their lives—period. Others say they simply can’t remember their revelatory dream experiences. Still others seem to remember only a fragment or portions of scattered images, which at the time do not seem to make much sense to them.

Let’s set the record straight with five points of truth.

You were born for an interactive relationship with your Heavenly Father!
Your heart was created with a capacity to hear from God.
You were designed to be a dreamer of dreams.
You can receive and retain revelation.
You are a made to be a carrier and a dispenser of the revelation of God.

Everyone Dreams – That Includes You!

Sleep specialists tell us that everyone dreams for a period of time while in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. So, in reality, we all dream at some point every night.

The issue is not whether you dream—but rather that you learn some practical tips and how to rest under the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order to recall and remember your dreams.

Scripture speaks of the fleeting nature of dreams:

He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; even like a vision of the night he is chased away (Job 20:8).
Daniel 2:1-47 expresses the frustration that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, experienced as he received a detailed dream but could not recall it! The dream disturbed the king so much that he searched for relief and health! God heard his plea and sent Daniel who, after a season of seeking the face of God, related to the king not only his dream itself but also its interpretation. In reality, of course, it was God who revealed these things to Daniel. Daniel sought God’s face, and God gave him the spirit of understanding. If you seek God’s face the way Daniel did, God will help you interpret your dreams as well.

Just because dreams can be fleeting in nature, does not mean they need to remain that way! We are to receive and retain dream revelation from God. Frankly, more than that, we are to advance and grow from stage to stage and glory to glory in these dimensions as well!

Here are some simple, practical journaling tools to help you in your revelatory journey.

Of course, no commitment to journaling will do any good if you cannot remember your dreams. So I have also added a few practical tips for retaining dream revelation. These steps will enhance your ability to journal effectively and enable you to remember your dreams longer.

10 Tips to Remember Your Dreams

If possible, get rid of your loud alarm clock. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wake up. Try to establish the habit of getting up at a set time. This requires discipline and will naturally be harder for some than for others.
Many dreams come between four and five o’clock in the morning. Whenever you awaken, learn to linger for a few minutes in a place of rest, if possible.
Instead of an alarm, consider waking to a clock radio tuned to soothing music. This is what I did for years. I got rid of the blaring alarm and woke up to classical music, which doesn’t chase away dreams. Classical music actually helps create a soothing atmosphere conducive to dream retention. Worship music has the same effect, particularly the softer, more soaking, reflective styles.
Be prepared to record your revelations by observing a few practical tips:
- Keep a note pad and a pen by the bed so you won’t have to get up before you record your dream. A simple spiral notebook works fine.
- This is a personal journal. Grammar, neatness, and spelling are not critical issues. Content is crucial!
- Consider using a small tape recorder. Keep it by your bedside so that all you have to do is turn over and whisper into it.
- Later in the day or week, consider word-processing the scribbles you previously captured. Some people transfer their experiences to a more permanent “journal.” I have both a personal devotional journal and a ministry revelatory journal in my man bag at all times!
Develop your dream alphabet by keeping track of symbols. Ask, “What does this symbol mean to me?” and “Can I find it in Scripture?”
Make note of your feelings/emotions in the dream/revelation. When you summarize your dream, be sure to describe how you felt during the dream, even if you include only a few words.
Be still and try to recall one or two of the details, and then your memory will kick in (see Zechariah 4:1-2). Find one thread of the dream and then, in prayer, gently pull and more will appear on your screen.
Date all entries. This is important for many reasons, including keeping track of patterns or progressions that may occur in your dream journey.
If traveling, record your location at the time of your dream. This can be just as important as the date. The locale may prove to be highly significant to interpreting your dream.
Expect God’s love to be affirmed toward you. And then, as you receive it, expect the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be in operation.

Interpreting Your Dreams – Walk with Others!

Yes, walk with others. Remember, even God lives in community! So whenever possible, seek training and wise counsel from those more experienced and those gifted as interpreters of dreams. Walk with others. Pray with others. Learn from others.

Years ago I was in a small group under the direction of John Paul Jackson. We were given assignments of looking up key phrases and symbols in scripture and reporting back our findings. This was long before any seminars, classes, books or training was being done on this subject. We were experimenting together!

Not everyone will have this capacity as well developed as others. Even in Scripture, Daniel and Joseph are the only ones who are specifically mentioned as having this gift. Just as in the New Testament we have the gift of speaking in tongues, but corresponding to it we have the gift of interpretation of tongues.

Oh, and ask for the dream interpretation directly for yourself. You have not because you ask not! Just ask! You have the anointing from the Holy Spirit and He is a great teacher. The author of the revelation is also the chief interpreter of the revelation as well.

And write it down. Be a modern-day Scribe, one who receives and retains revelation by the rediscovered art of journaling. That’s the way it works with me and those around me!

Dreaming Together!

James W. Goll

If you want to learn to receive and retain more revelation from God in your life, you’ll love James W. Goll’s new The Best of The Scribe Bundle, which includes The Scribe book and The Best of The Scribe 4 MP3 Set. This powerful set will give you keys for growing in your relationship with God through journaling. Order your bundle today and start logging the revelation God is giving you today!