Places are important in dreams. Maybe it’s the name or the fact that it’s an old place, a new place, part of a house, a church, a hotel…you get the point. Dreams take place somewhere, and what might those places mean? Here are some thoughts.
Churches
In my blog, “Four Tools for Dream Interpretation,” I used a village as an example. Because of that, I won’t delve into cities or villages. I’ll begin with churches, even if you’ve never been to one.
I’ve had a number of dreams about churches, many of which I’ve never been in. I remember having a dream about an old, glistening white church. It was beautiful, the kind that postcards are made out of. It was also full of people who were quite nasty and expected anyone who came in to conform exactly to their ways in the manner of dress and their legalist and unbiblical rules. When I woke up, the first thing that came to me was Matthew 23: 27-28:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (WEB)
God was speaking to me about the state of some churches so I could pray for them. It is important to note that the church I saw in the dream did not look like any church I had ever been in.
Roads
I have had many dreams about being on roads, streets, freeways, dirt roads, detours, you name it. But a dead end is one of the symbols used every time I am headed in the wrong direction. It’s pretty self-explanatory.
Dirt roads are often roads that are less traveled. It doesn’t mean they are bad. Sometimes, more people need to take that road as it leads to a new adventure. If enough people use it, the road will get paved. Then again, maybe it’s an old road, and you must determine whether it is good or bad.
Always pay attention to the names of the streets you are on (if you know it). I have had several dreams about being on the Thruway, which runs across New York State. The Thruway is a way to get through something. My issue is that I’m usually headed to a specific city, and I’m never quite sure why the city is important. Something else to discover!
Rooms in a House or Apartment
One of the most common places in dreams is houses or apartments. It may be your current residence, past places, parents, grandparents, or no place you’ve ever lived! Within houses and apartments are rooms the dream takes place in. Each room has different meanings, starting from the bottom up.
In the area I live in, almost all houses have basements. If you don’t have a basement, you have some type of slab the structure sits on, which is the foundation. Think about that. It is the first thing put in place to hold the rest of the house or apartment up. What does the foundation look like? Is it clean, moldy, cracked, or in good condition? What is God saying to you about your foundation or the foundation of things you are involved in?
Are you in a family room? That seems self-explanatory. It has to do with family, whether it is natural family or those you consider family.
What about the kitchen? Think about what takes place there. Food preparation, storage, and cooking come to mind. Very often, it is a place to learn or prepare food. Food is usually a metaphor for the scriptures. In Matthew 4, Jesus is tested for forty days and forty nights.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’” (Matt 4:1-4 WEB)
Next is the dining room, where people gather to eat the prepared food. Is the food good or bad, and who are you eating with? Perhaps you are being prepared to teach God’s word. You never know!
I’ve also had several dreams about bathrooms. What do you do in the bathroom? Washing and cleaning up, eliminating waste, brushing teeth, and shaving are good places to start. Is the bathroom clean or dirty? Maybe specific areas are the focus, such as a clean sink but a filthy toilet. What in your life do you need to flush?
Then there’s the bedrooms. Bedrooms are a place for sleep, rest, intimacy, and, sadly, abuse. Have you been “asleep” too long? What is your intimate relationship with God like? Is it a place of fear due to past abuse?
Stores
The last place I’m going to discuss is stores. I’ve had dreams about grocery stores, which are places to pick up food. They may be synonymous with a church or ministry you attend. I worked in a grocery store when I was young, and sometimes, it had a different, more personal meaning.
I have had dreams that took place in Kohl’s. If you are unfamiliar with Kohl’s, it is a department store located in the U.S. In those dreams, I pay attention to the department locations: men’s, young men’s, women’s, misses, housewares, shoes, etc. I also realized this store was a play on words: instead of Kohl’s, it was coals. Sometimes, it meant a situation had burning coals that needed to be built into a fire. Other times, it was something bad that I thought was over and dealt with, but the Lord told me that burning embers still needed to be extinguished.
Whatever place you find yourself in in your dreams, I hope these examples will help you pick them apart and gain understanding. Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
