God Told Me When to Propose to My Girlfriend

I know what you’re already thinking from the title: “Really? God…talked to you?”

The short answer is: “Yes!” While the long, awkward answer is: “Well, He didn’t audibly talk to me, as in I couldn’t hear him. But it was in a dream, and I’m sure it was a message from God.”

And I think there’s a chance God wants to talk to you in this way too.

It Is Crazy, but That’s the Point

In my dream, I saw my calendar with a date in focus and highlighted. Then it transitioned to show me down on one knee, surrounded by lights and flowers, as my girlfriend approached me. It was the most vivid, unforgettable scene I’ve ever seen or thought of. Something about it was just indescribably unique.

Then I woke up - with the most serene, understanding peace I’ve ever had, paired with an unprecedented joy for the future. God finally got back to me, I thought to myself.

If Jesus can die in the most publicly-humiliating fashion and come back to life, God can surely impart an idea in my head.

God Can (Sometimes) Talk to Us in Our Dreams

In the entire Bible, there are 21 recorded instances of divine dreams. With 10 of these occurring in the book of Genesis, we can recognize that dreams are typically associated with divine revelations.

While most of the Biblical dreams are visions for interpretation (such as Genesis 37:1-10 and Genesis 40), others include a warning from God (Genesis 31:24) or advice from an angel (Matthew 1:18-24).

The reality is that God wants to be with us at all times (Joshua 1:9). As our Father, He’s constantly present and guiding us as we navigate the challenges of this world.

But the unfortunate truth is that we’re not always listening to and taking His advice.

That’s what makes sleep the perfect opportunity. What better time to speak to us than when we’re unconscious, still, and fully immersed in what we’re doing? There’s arguably no other moment when our minds are 100% focused on the task at hand, like sleeping.

So, in scripture, we see how God uses that to his advantage and occasionally implants some messages during people’s sleep. In Numbers 12:6, God tells Aaron and Miriam (siblings of Moses) to “hear my words: if there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.”

I think God wants to craft us as his prophets by communicating with us uniquely and effectively: through visions in our dreams.

How to Know When Hearing From God in a Dream

I believe that just like a recurring nightmare isn’t a vision from God, not every positive dream is a vision from God. Similarly, not even every waking thought in our minds is the voice of God.

A few people might tell you they’ve audibly heard from God, but that isn’t the case for most of us. “Hearing” from God can just mean having a thought you normally wouldn’t have had on your own that won’t necessarily bring pain or suffering to others but can bring something good.

It’s a mental prompting—a nudge—to get you somewhere better. This definition also applies to having a divine dream.

Is the Dream Relevant?

I believe God has a purpose for my life and wants to help me fulfill it. So, He encourages me along the way, especially at crucial points. Everything He tells me is worthwhile, relevant advice (I believe this to be the case for everyone, too).

But remember that not every dream has to mean something from God, and that’s okay. Chances are you’ve had some seemingly random dreams (maybe it’s a recurring nightmare where you’re back in the 5th grade taking a science test only to realize you forgot your clothes at home and you’re in front of your class in your underwear—just, you know, for example).

The scriptures don’t speak to every dream scenario, but I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. God can speak to us in dreams, as we’ve seen in scripture, but He will make it clear if He does, as we’ve also seen in scripture.

As one medium of communication, dreams are a way for God to talk to you in addition to scripture, prayer, community, and more. So, a divine dream will be part of your ongoing conversation with God. Often, this is always leading toward our next step.

For me, I had been having several prayer and reflection sessions with God about when to propose to my girlfriend. I hadn’t “heard” the answer for a few months, and when I least suspected, He told me a date in my dream.

Are There Any Supernatural Signs or Divine Wisdom?

And that leads me to the next point: is there any divine wisdom or supernatural sign in your dream? Because let’s face it: virtually all of our dreams can be aimless. People float in and out, there’s no concept of time, and details can be sort of blurry.

But a divine dream is different. Purpose, colors, and people are clear—almost vivid—and something is prophesied.

For Jacob, it was that his brothers would bow to him (Genesis 37:5-8), while Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone crushing a statue, representing future empires crumbling (Daniel 2).

How Do You Feel When You Wake Up?

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face was literally shining (yes, literally) just because he had been talking with God (Exodus 34:29). This transcendent communication changes us for the better and makes us and God happy.

And when we please God, he grants us “wisdom, knowledge, and happiness” that can’t be taken away (Ecclesiastes 2:26).

That’s the power of a divine dream. It’s (unintentionally) being still and offering God a chance to respond in our continuous conversation with Him. It can bring us closer to Him.

Is there any dream you’ve recently had that’s relevant to your future? Maybe it contained some prophetic wisdom and made you feel uncharacteristically happier?

If so, who knows? That could be God giving you a nudge toward His plan for you.

Hitting the Hay

If I (and my lovely now fiancée) can be any testament to this, I encourage you to listen. Life-changing things can be on the other side of His prompts.

Because God has a plan for where He wants us to go, but it’s on us to take that first step.

I’ve learned to ask God to speak to me in dreams. You could do the same.

The next move after that? Let your head hit the pillow!