Hi Marsha!
My son (age 11) has recently had 3 dreams. One of which he has had several times now. I was wondering if you would mind helping me with interpretation. I have been able to get thoughts on the first 2, but the 3rd one is puzzling.
Dream #1
My son found himself in a room where he was given the ability to try “powers”. He said that when he tried them the power was poured over him. My son first tried fire, but he did not feel like that power fit him. The next power that he tried was water and he felt that “power” fit him much better. He stated that the “power” that he felt led to try next was flying. Then his dream ended.
Dream #2
In the next dream, my son found himself with a group of kids who had been given new “powers”. He said that none of these people knew how to use their powers yet either. My son kept trying to control his “water”, but it kept slipping out of his hand. He then encounters a girl who is teaching my son how to use his power. She first teaches him how to make a ball out of the water – showing him how to control it. She then teaches him how to breathe under the water. My son finds himself at great peace there- loves it- finds himself without fear. The two of them are then encountered by an enemy. The girl is able to use the water via her hand (Like a stream bouncing from the body of water to her hand then reflected out to the enemy) to push back the enemy until he disappears. My son tries, but his stream is tiny. My son is then reminded of breathing in the water and he goes under for a while breathing in the water. When he comes up, he tries his power (his stream is thicker and he can control it better, but it is still not as strong as the girl’s).
Dream #3
My son is fighting in a ring and has a wooden sword. He is fighting opponents and is winning. He wins against many, many opponents, but then fights a kid from school (I asked my son what this kid represented and he said that the kid is a “cool kid, very popular, very good looking with many friends”. The kid has a different sword. Fashioned out of metal with a glowing green core and a handle that was almost molten in the kid’s hand. My son wanted the kid’s sword. He asked his father for the sword and his dad brought it to him. When my son looked at the sword he saw black lines running through it and knew instantly that it was evil and he told his father “I cannot take it!”
The 3rd dream my son has had twice, about a 9 months to a year apart. I am having the most difficulty with this dream. I am feeling it may be significant as he has had it twice. I believe the first two speak to his gifting and the Holy Spirit and perhaps an authority in that area. “Breathing in the spirit referring to soaking in the Holy Spirit? Walking in that?
Would love to hear your thoughts. They will be a great encouragement to him as I have been trying to teach them that they can hear from God even as children.
J.O.
Hi J.O. Marsha here!
I love it when our kids get dreams. It is such a perfect way to start sow into them (as you are already doing) by teaching them they can hear from God, even as children.
Remind your son that Samuel was around 12 years old (according to the Jewish historian Josephus) when he heard the voice of God calling him. God definitely reaches out to our youngsters.
On this same note: there is a wonderful CD by Recie Saunders called “Dreams Children & the Night Season that is a guide to help parents deal with prophetically gifted children’s dreams. I met Recie at a John Paul Jackson class years ago (I doubt he would remember). He is extremely gifted. The CD is pretty basic, designed to help parents understand and nurture their children’s dreams. I believe you are already doing so with your son. But for those of you who want to get this, according to the back of the CD, it is available at www.itinerantministryteam.com.
Now, let’s look at your son’s dreams.
Dream #1
My son found himself in a room where he was given the ability to try “powers”. He said that when he tried them the power was poured over him. My son first tried fire, but he did not feel like that power fit him. The next power that he tried was water and he felt that “power” fit him much better. He stated that the “power” that he felt led to try next was flying. Then his dream ended
I’ve pulled out a few symbols to look at:
Powers =Gifts of the spirit
Fire = Gift of the God’s Word in the mouth that consumes (2Sam 22:9, Jer 23:29); evangelical gifting
Water = Pastoral gifting. Watering and cleansing the sheep (John 4:14, Ps 23:2, Lev 11:33, 1Sam 7:6, Ps 66:12, Mt 3:11)
Flying = Prophetic gifting of going high in the spirit [air] (Eph 2:2)
Inserting a variation of the symbols, the dream might be saying:
My son found himself in a place where he was given the ability to try out different spiritual gifts. He said that when he tried them the power was poured over him. My son first tried the fire of evangelical speaking, but he did not feel like that power fit him. The next power that he tried was a pastoral gifting where he is watering and cleansing the Lord’s sheep/people and he felt that “power” fit him much better. He stated that the “power” that he felt led to try next was the prophetic gifting of going high in spiritual things. Then his dream ended
Wow! I love it.
This dream closely follows the verse of Mt 13:11: The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. Whoever has, will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Your son found that when he stepped into the gifting, more was given “the power was poured over him.” This is awesome.
I believe this dream is saying your son has a pastoral and prophetic gifting that he is learning about and experimenting with.
Dream #2
In the next dream, my son found himself with a group of kids who had been given new “powers”. He said that none of these people knew how to use their powers yet either. My son kept trying to control his “water”, but it kept slipping out of his hand. He then encounters a girl who is teaching my son how to use his power. She first teaches him how to make a ball out of the water – showing him how to control it. She then teaches him how to breathe under the water. My son finds himself at great peace there- loves it- finds himself without fear. The two of them are then encountered by an enemy. The girl is able to use the water via her hand (Like a stream bouncing from the body of water to her hand then reflected out to the enemy) to push back the enemy until he disappears. My son tries, but his stream is tiny. My son is then reminded of breathing in the water and he goes under for a while breathing in the water. When he comes up, he tries his power (his stream is thicker and he can control it better, but it is still not as strong as the girl’s).
Powers = spiritual giftings
Group of kids who had been given new powers = others who are immature in their giftings
Hand = works
A girl who is teaching my son how to use his power = someone who is teaching son how to use his gifting (especially as it relates to the pastoral [water])
Make a ball out of the water = a tool full of the Holy Spirit (air) to use in the game of life (playing with self or others)
Breathe = ability to pull in spiritual things [air] (Ps 39:5)
Breath = spiritual things (Ps 39:5), Holy Spirit (Is 40:7, Ezk 37:9-10, John 20:22)
Breathe under the water = ability to pull from the Holy Spirit while in his pastoral gifting
Enemy = devil (Mt 13:25-28, Lk 10:19, Acts 13:10); or those who oppose (Exo 15:9, 1Sam 24:19)
Stream = ministry; life filled with God (Ps 23:2, 65:9)
Body of water = Word of God (Neh 9:15, Ps 73:10, Is 55:1, John 4:10-15)
Stream bouncing from the body of water to her hand = ministry filled with God coming from the Word of God into her works
Rewrite of dream with symbol meanings:
In the next dream, my son found himself with others who are immature in their giftings. He said that none of these people knew how to use their spiritual giftings yet either. My son kept trying to control his pastoral gift, but it kept slipping out during his works. He then encounters a girl who is teaching my son how to use his pastoral gifting. She first teaches him how to make a tool full of the Holy Spirit to use in his interaction with his pastoral gifting – showing him how to keep it pure and of God. She then teaches him how to pull in spiritual things while doing his pastoral gifting. My son finds himself at great peace there- loves it- finds himself without fear. The two of them are then encountered by one who is not of God (an attack of a devil or an attack from one who is opposed to what he is doing.) The girl is able to use the Word of God in her works (a ministry filled with God coming from the Word of God into her works) then reflected out to the enemy) to push back the enemy until he disappears. My son tries, but his use of the Word of God in his works is tiny. My son is then reminded of using the Holy Spirit to get the Word of God and he goes under for a while using the Holy Spirit to receive the Word of God. When he comes up, he tries his gifting (his ability and control is better, but it is still not as strong as the girl’s).
To paraphrase this: Your son, along with others, are learning how to apply the Word of God through the Holy Spirit in their spiritual giftings. Your son gets better with time and practice. Someone (probably a girl/woman) will come along in his life and help guide him.
Dream #3
My son is fighting in a ring and has a wooden sword. He is fighting opponents and is winning. He wins against many, many opponents, but then fights a kid from school (I asked my son what this kid represented and he said that the kid is a “cool kid, very popular, very good looking with many friends”. The kid has a different sword. Fashioned out of metal with a glowing green core and a handle that was almost molten in the kid’s hand. My son wanted the kid’s sword. He asked his father for the sword and his dad brought it to him. When my son looked at the sword he saw black lines running through it and knew instantly that it was evil and he told his father “I cannot take it!”
Fighting = dealing with issues of life (1Tim 1:18, 6:12, 2Tim 4:7)
Ring = place where adversaries are met face to face
Sword = words (Is 49:2, Ps 57:4, 59:7, 64:3, Prov 12:18)
Wooden sword = natural words of man (Dt 28:64, Jer 2:27, 5:14, 2Tim 2:20-21)
A kid from school who is cool, popular, good looking, with lots of friends = peers who “are looked up to by others”
Sword of metal = words of man molded to be strong and powerful (Jer 6:27); test of strength
Glowing green core = the core or foundation is pride/envy/jealousy & spreads destruction (Lev 13:49, 14:37)
Handle molten in the hand = manipulation – ability to use it is appropriate (handle molten) to the result or work (hand) he wants done
Father = Father God
Black = evil (Is 59:9, 2Pet 2:17)
My son is face to face dealing with issues of life and is using natural words of man in his battling. He is fighting opponents and is winning. He wins against many, many opponents, but then fights peers who are looked up to by others. The kid has a different way of speaking. Fashioned out of words of man molded to be strong and powerful. But its foundation is pride/envy/jealousy and spreads destruction. The kid uses it to manipulate others. My son wanted the kid’s way of speaking. He asked God for the ability to speak that way and God gave it to him. When my son looked at it he saw evil lines coming off of it and knew instantly that it was evil and he told God “I cannot take it!”
To paraphrase the third dream:
While dealing with face-to-face conflict with peers, your son naturally does pretty well on his own and uses words in an effective way. However, he did (or will) go through a phase where he might want (for his reasons) decides to mimic someone else’s manipulation tactics. This is someone who is looked up to by peers. Your son will see it’s wrong and go back to God’s way of doing things.
J.O., to summarize all of this, I think you are raising an amazing 11 year-old boy. He is going through the proper training of learning of his gifts and learning how to grow in favor with God and man. He will make some mistakes, as we all do, but he will come through it well.
I know from what else was said in your email that he is “under attack” right now from the enemy. I will, and I encourage all readers out there…..to pick this up and pray safety for him. And, pray that any plans of the enemy be thwarted by our loving Father God.
God bless you and your son
Marsha