The Narrow Path Ministries

I was listening to the "Way of the Master" radio show today and Todd was talking with a man who was struggling with pornography. The caller on the show said that he was fighting temptations associated with this sin but he was still having dreams that were troubling him. Todd told him to read his Bible at night before bed and pray for the Lord to give him clean and pure dreams (which I agree with), but then he told him that if he had these dreams he should confess his sin and move on.

My question is, do impure dreams constitute sin, and should we feel guilty for these types of dreams?

I tend to define sin as willful, so I woudn't call impure dreams sinful. But they are almost certainly evidence of remaining impurity in our mind. To repent means to 'turn around' or 'change', but one can't necessarily change what we dream. Instead of repenting, I'd continue to ask God for help in giving me a pure mind and heart.

excellent question-

I believe that Satan attacks in our dreams; my wife had a horrible nightmare about a year ago that about scared ME to death-- earlier that day she had done a very nice thing for a co-worker who was in need (she bought her a pair of shoes because her co-worker's were falling apart); no one knew except my wife and her co-worker. it also gave my wife a chance to talk to her about Jesus.

Well, that night, my wife was obviously having a horrible nightmare (i could tell).. i woke her up because i thought she was going to have a heart attack and she was EXTREMELY upset. she said she would not tell me what she dreamed, but that it was as evil as one could imagine. she still has not not told me the content of her dream. but as she was coming out of her dream (as i was waking her) she heard a voice telling her: "that's what you get for buying those f-ing shoes." the only way she was able to get to sleep that night was by thinking of Christmas carols, for some reason.

like Matt, i dont believe that we can "sin" in our dreams because they are unconcious. however, an impure dream, as Matt said, may be a symptom. Or, as i and my wife believe in her dream, an outright attack.

TK

Thanks for your responses. I was listening to Steve's show a couple weeks ago and he told a caller that if Satan can not get you to give into temptation than he will attempt to make to feel guilty for having the thoughts alone even without the act of sin. He applied this to dreams as well.

TK, I am sorry to hear about what your wife went through. It seems that our dreams can effect us in a very real way, and I am sure this was very concerning to you and your wife. It sounds like she had a up front encounter with our adversary. Though she may be past this now I will pray for her.

Robin

Hi, guys,

For what it's worth, I think sometimes we might be able to make choices in our dreams. In those cases we might be accountable for the choices we make, even though they are made in the context of a dreamed illusion.

Shalom,
Emmet

Intresting thought Emmet. I wonder if this is something that a person could try and then remember afterwards whether they were able to make choices or not. I will let you know if it works for me, but I don't remeber my dreams very clear ly so I probly will never know for sure.

some people claim the ability to dream "lucidly", i.e. be aware that they are dreaming and even manipulate what happens in their dream. this concerns me because it rings of "astral projection" and the like. but i suppose if person is aware they are dreaming and chooses to commit a sinful act in their dream, it may be an actual sin.

interesting point, emmett!

TK

I have asked myself the same question before. It does seem like you can kind of make desicions in your dreams, but somehow... it seems like your desicions are a bit more involuntary. For example, when I was dreaming I did something I would never have done in real life, but in the dream I felt so convicted. When I woke up I knew that it was just a dream, and that I would never do anything like that.

I think you've all hit the balance between demons influencing dreams and our own impurtity. Many thoughts can be put in our minds thoughout the day that end up in a dream.

May I share one experience I had.

One time I was dreaming that I was lying on a bed and then a woman walked into the room to seduce me. In my dream I said the words "In the name of Jesus, go". I instantly woke up and found myself praying in tongues (I very rarely have ever prayed in tounges but this was one time).

It seemed at the time that the Spirit was helping me to pray, like it says in Romans 8:26.

This is the only time anything like that has ever happened to me.

Steve

Hi, guys,

For what it's worth, I think sometimes we might be able to make choices in our dreams. In those cases we might be accountable for the choices we make, even though they are made in the context of a dreamed illusion.

Shalom,
Emmet

I am 100% in agreement with you and was going to say the same thing in my own way. I was going to say that dreams can be to us a seperate possible reality beyond reality itself, where we can be in situations we currently are not likely to be in. I think these show us things in our hearts, but even in these we must use discerment and be led by the Spirit to process these things.

TK

some people claim the ability to dream "lucidly", i.e. be aware that they are dreaming and even manipulate what happens in their dream. this concerns me because it rings of "astral projection" and the like. but i suppose if person is aware they are dreaming and chooses to commit a sinful act in their dream, it may be an actual sin.

Yes, this is a form of sorcery, and I used to play with this here and there before I came to know and follow Jesus. It isn't exactly astral projection, but it is closely related as astral projection is like the next steps beyond this.