Ant Attack – A Dream Interpreted

Now that we are familiar with the DAESI Dream Work Method © let’s apply it to a real life dream. The following night vision is from Kathy and illustrates many key principles of interpretation including one of the most important: how the dreamer herself is the most qualified person to interpret the dream’s message. Below is Kathy’s dream work in her own words.

Ant Attack

Dream – I was in my kitchen and noticed a carpenter ant walking across the floor. As I was about to crush it with my foot, I noticed that it was growing before my eyes. Its head was about the size of my heel and I attempted to crush its head but it did not “die”, it just continued to grow to be the size of a small dog. I called my husband to help me and he came in with a towel, wrapped it around the thing and took it away.

Action – Struggling

Emotion – Confusion and frustration, but not fear

Setting – I have been trusting the Lord for healing of a medical condition; praying very often for almost a year.

Interpretation – KATHY: When I asked the Lord about this, I believe He said ‘You are trying to destroy what YOU in your own strength cannot do. You do not battle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of darkness. Put on the whole armor of God and persevere in MY strength to overcome! You will have the victory! I have already paid the price and with My stripes you are healed. Trust in Me alone. Do not focus on anything but my word; that is your healing balm. You have the victory in My name for My glory!’

CHARITY: Amen! So God is saying that even though this condition has been “bugging” you (ie, ant) for a year, He’s going to take care of it. God sees your confusion and frustration that it’s taking so long to have victory, but He’s so proud of you for your trust in Him and not being fearful even in the midst of the struggle.

He is your Husband and He is your Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). He told you to put on the whole armor of God and it is peace that covers your feet (Eph. 6:15) and the God of Peace that crushes the enemy beneath your feet (Rom. 16:20) – just like you were trying to do in your dream. What an encouraging message!

Unpacking the Symbolism

Kitchen – I asked Kathy why she thought God had the dream take place in a kitchen and offered her a few ideas. My suggestions didn’t land though, because I didn’t know Kathy or her line of work. She knew better than anyone why the Lord used this particular symbol.

Kathy revealed, “I am a health coach so I use food and supplements to help with my medical condition. I believe that’s why I’m in the kitchen.”

Of course! That made perfect sense.

Ant – I wondered why the symbol of a bug would be used, and that specific kind of bug. I asked her if the medical condition was a hereditary issue that her mom or “aunt” had also struggled with.

Kathy confirmed that was why God used that specific symbol: “Many in my family, including my ‘aunt’ and ‘great-aunt’ have had this medical issue.”

So it was a play on words, which God often does in our dreams. So far, so good.

Husband – Kathy understood her husband in the dream to represent God as He is the one who is saving and healing her, and I shared a confirming Scripture: “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth” (Isa. 54:5).

Ant growing bigger – The last thing I suggested to Kathy was that she may be praying with an idol in her heart (as explained in the 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice teaching). That is, that she’s made the medical condition bigger than Jesus in her heart. This was her response:

“I am praising and thanking our wonderful Lord for bringing you in my life! I appreciate being reminded of praying with an idol in my heart! It seems like that is the case! Realizing that and repenting and focusing on Jesus alone even over the past day has made an incredible difference in my emotions and peace. I have always walked in God’s peace over this matter since first told last October. But realizing I am striving to do everything I can to “assist” God in this healing, there was only confusion and much money, time and effort spent on this endeavor.

“I reread my journal entries from the past and found that the Lord repeatedly said for me to stop striving, stop trying to control all aspects of this and rely, trust on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide. I also had to repent of my pride, which is the root of this controlling spirit within me.

“I have to say that I feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted. There is so much more I can add to this but I don’t want to keep you. Thank you so very much for your Spirit-led thoughts! I am so very blessed to have you in my life!!!”

Matching It Up

Praise God! He is so good.

So now we understand how our DAESI dream method works. We match up the action in the dream with a similar action in waking life (ie, struggling). We match up the emotion in the dream with how we’re feeling in waking life (ie, confused and frustrated). And that shows us to which area of our life the dream is speaking.

We also see how God used tailor-made symbols that Kathy would understand. Obviously Kathy knew she was a health coach and handling her condition with nutrition and proper eating (pictured by the kitchen). Kathy knew that her aunt and great aunt had struggled with the same issue (ie, ant). These are things that I was not aware of, but she was. This demonstrates how the dreamer is always the ideal person to work with their dream.

You, the dreamer, are the best person to understand the personalized messages God is speaking to you at night!

Lastly, we see how if God can’t get the message through to us in our journaling in waking life, He will “shout” the message loud and clear through a dramatic vision of the night. It turns out that God had been encouraging and reminding Kathy to surrender this issue to Him, but it took a dream experience at night to really get her attention.

Pictures evoke emotion, and emotion moves us to action. The Lord uses dreams to highlight His instruction so we don’t miss out on the guidance and revelation He has for us. Thank You, God, for never giving up on us. Thank You for Your contingency plan of dreams!

© Charity Kayembe / Glory Waves Ministries