5 Reasons People Have Trouble Identifying Their Dreams

Did you know that God wants you to dream? Something tells me that you found your way here because you know deep down, He does!

God absolutely loves when His children dream, and more than that, He loves participating in those dreams. Psalm 37:4 (NRSV) tells us: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” The Hebrew verb ענג “take delight” means “to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in” and the Hebrew noun מִשְׁאָלָה “desires” means “requests, petitions.”

So, when we read Psalm 37:4, we simply need to understand that if, as children of God, we take great pleasure or mental satisfaction in our Abba Father, He in turn will give us the requests that we make of Him –aka, our dreams!

Now, don’t get me wrong. God is not Santa Claus. That’s not what this verse implies at all! What it does imply is that when we have a deep relationship with God, depending on Him for the joy, wisdom, and guidance only He can give, our dreams are that much more possible.

Now, don’t hold it against Him if the dream doesn’t unfold exactly as you have planned it. God is the ultimate dreamer. I mean, He dreamt of you, didn’t He? (Jeremiah 1:5). God’s delivery on your dream will always be more than you could have ever hoped for and will almost certainly be bigger than you dreamt of.

So why do so many people struggle with identifying their dreams? Five huge reasons!

They have been discouraged from dreaming by others. Case in point –Joseph. Genesis 37 tells us that Joseph at seventeen had two dreams, neither of which thrilled his ten older brothers. Even his father Jacob was skeptical, saying of Joseph’s second dream: “What kind of dream is that?” (Genesis 37:10 NLT).

Can you relate? Have you ever had a dream that was so exciting that you just had to tell someone, but their response was less than stellar? It happens to the best of us world changers!

Don’t be discouraged. Learn two things from it. One, you can’t tell everyone your dream. Yep, I said it. Not everyone is supposed to know what God has laid on your heart or know the exact details of your dream. Two, there will always be haters.

Friend, take the dream that you have and guard it. Discuss it only with a select group of people. And, at the end of the day, believe that if God has given you a dream, it’s your dream and you don’t have to surrender it for anyone.

They refuse to allow themselves to dream due to a past disappointment. I think we would all agree, disappointment hurts! Just ask the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. Though we know from the scriptures that she was married and wealthy, she was also childless. Barrenness in Biblical days was extremely distressing for the women who experienced it.

After showering Elisha, the current prophet of the day, with outrageous hospitality, he decides to do something good for her. After inquiring a bit, Elisha identifies the one thing that could change this woman’s life forever –a child. But wait for it!

After Elisha prophesied to the Shunammite woman that she would give birth to a son, we see her recoiling at the thought of dreaming for a child after so long. She responds: “No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant” (2 Kings 4:16 NRSV). In other words, “Do not play with my heart, I have given up on that dream.”

All of us have experienced disappointment. Some of us have experienced it more deeply than others. Today, I pray you have worked past your prior disappointments and that you allow yourself to dream big and crazy dreams again.

If, however, you have been able to move past your past, I must give you fair warning. Chasing your dream doesn’t mean that you will never face another disappointment. All world changers must learn to pivot when life disappoints us. What it does mean is that you are stronger than you’ve probably given yourself credit for and you have what it takes to keep stepping forward no matter what!

They have settled for less than what God wants for them. Listen, dreams come in all shapes and sizes. We are not all destined to stand on stage in huge arenas or travel the world year after year. But no matter the shape and size of your dream, it is still important! What’s heartbreaking is to see people settle for less than they could have had out of a need to be “safe and secure” in their designated comfort zone.

I often think of the lame man that laid by the pool of Bethzatha. He had been there for thirty-eight years. Let me say that one more time, he had been there thirty-eight years! There is no doubt that his dream of being healed was slowly beaten out of him day after day. But here is where he went wrong. He got comfortable there by the pool. I don’t mean physically comfortable, I mean mentally, emotionally, and spiritually comfortable.

I am not implying that his disability was not a challenge, but I am calling out the fact that he had choices. Follow me for a second.

This man was not born by the pool so at some point he made the decision to have someone carry him to the pool and leave him there. He then, sadly, made the decision to never leave. He settled. This is why Jesus asked him in John 5:6 (NRSV): “Do you want to be made well?” He had to choose to dream again.

Friend, God doesn’t want you to settle. You should know that Bethzatha in Greek means “house of grace.” Just like the lame man, Jesus will meet you where you are, offer you His grace, and help you to dream again! Jesus gave His life for you. Don’t ever settle for less than what God wants for you.

They lack confidence to chase their dream. Lack of confidence is a dream killer! World changer, there’s no way around it. If you want to build up your confidence, you’ll have to be brave enough to try and try again when it comes to building your dream.

Though there are many persons we could point to in the Bible that lacked confidence, let’s chat about one in particular –Gideon. Before Gideon (which means “mighty warrior” in Hebrew) made it into the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, he was first found by God hiding out in a wine press from the Midianites. See the irony there!

In this encounter, Gideon is called by God to deliver Israel from their enemy. And what does this man who will later be known as one of the greatest judges of Israel say? You have to read this exchange to believe it!

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:14-15 NRSV

Ummm… wrong answer Gideon!

God in His graciousness tells Gideon what I want you to hear Him saying to you: “But I will be with you” (Judges 6:16 NRSV). World changer, God will be with you! That ought to stir up your confidence more than anything else. Don’t let a lack of confidence steal, kill, or destroy your dream. God will be with you.

They lack imagination. Have you ever had that friend that was so logical and analytical that you just wanted to shake them? I’m thinking Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory. Yes, that friend. These are the type of people we just have to love for their specific gifting. Unfortunately, imagination isn’t necessarily one of their gifts.

However, to say that you or I have never struggled with a lack of imagination would be untruthful. There are times in life when we are so overwhelmed, exhausted, or just simply in crisis that we shut down and shut off our imagination.

Can you imagine (see what I did there?) what it must have been like to walk and talk with Jesus? The disciples must have been exhilarated in one moment and completely overwhelmed in others. The things that they heard and saw for three and a half years were incredible! And yet, the Kingdom of God in all its glory was something they really couldn’t completely imagine.

We beat up one of the twelve, Thomas, for not believing that the other disciples had seen the risen Jesus (John 20), but we forget the stress and strain Jesus’ followers were under during his death, burial, and resurrection. In the overwhelm of having just lost Jesus to a brutal execution and feeling that all may be lost, Thomas just couldn’t get his head around the possibility that Jesus was alive. In other words, he lacked the imagination (and belief) that it could be real.

Friend, if you are struggling a bit with imagination, take a breather! Maybe, just maybe, you need a little downtime to relax and regroup. Let God refresh your mind and your soul. Your imagination will be back in action before you know it and your dream will be back in motion.

So, what will you choose? To dream or not to dream.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV) states: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

This is your time world changer! Let nothing stop you from dreaming.