Show Notes
God’s most common way of speaking in biblical history is through dreams and visions. But today many of us are more likely to dismiss our visionary experiences as the product of a spicy meal rather than a potential message from God. But could we be missing out on the voice we so long to hear? Today’s show is a different one where we flip the roles around on the show! Hosted by one of our volunteer God Conversations team members, Ali Kennedy, we hear from Tania Harris, Director of God Conversations and the author of the brand new book, God Dreams: How to Hear God’s Voice in Dreams and Visions. You’ll get a taster of what the new book is all about, plus a peak behind the scenes of the writing process. You’ll hear about: Tania’s motivation for writing the book… 25 years in the making, the book began with a personal journey when Tania first heard God speak in a dream. The problem was she had never heard teaching on the topic and when she sought to seek understanding from others, she encountered skepticism, misunderstanding and even mockery.
I told my friends about my God dream and they thought I was strange. I told my pastor and he said I was strange. Then I read my Bible and I realised they were strange too, because they heard from God in dream-visions all the time! Why the topic of dreams and visions is so neglected in the church – even when it makes up an enormous proportion of the biblical material. Tania explains the reasons for this “blind spot” in the Western church.
Some of the most pivotal points in biblical history happened while someone was sleeping. Why God might favour dreams and visions as a form of communication above other means. Tania reflects on the insights of neuroscience and why they point to our masterful communicator who knows the best way to get the message across.
A picture really does tell a thousand words! The difference between a dream and a vision. Tania’s greatest challenge in writing the book – exploring John’s visions of Revelation, our best example of a visual God conversation in the early church. Tania joined a Revelation scholars group to ensure her interpretations had solid grounding in church tradition and biblical exegesis! Tania explains that John’s visions are not difficult to understand once you know how to interpret the language of symbolism.
Next Steps Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day God Conversations devotional today! Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! Become a partner today. Equip your church to hear God’s voice. Join our community of ministry leaders for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.
Inspired by the interview? Check out God Dreams the book!
More from God Conversations with Tania Harris
You open your Bible. You read a passage you've read a hundred times before. Nothing happens. Sound familiar?
A prophetic minister told a young couple they were "a match made in heaven." She saw red flags but married him anyway. The marriage turned abusive and the "prophet" was later discovered to have been mining personal data to make his words sound accurate. On this episode, I sit down with prophetic minister David Balestri to talk about what's broken in prophetic ministry right now, and what it would take to build something healthier.
Can God really speak through animals? I know – it sounds a little out there. But what if the Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, uses all of creation to bring healing, joy and peace? In this week’s God Conversations podcast, I sit down with Dr Daniela Rizzo, a theologian who explores how God may speak through animals – and why so many of us have quietly experienced this without knowing how to explain it. From grief, to theology, to the big question “will our pets be in heaven?” – this conversation is tender, challenging and biblical. If you love animals and wonder if God might be speaking in more ways than we’ve been taught… this one’s for you!
What if God is already speaking – long before we arrive with answers? In this episode of God Conversations, Tania Harris sits down with hospital chaplain Matt Sanders to explore what it really means to listen for God in the lives of everyday people. Not in church pews. Not in polished testimonies. But in hospital rooms, juvenile detention centres, moments of grief, fear, and profound vulnerability. Matt has spent decades at the coalface of human suffering – first as a chaplain in juvenile hall, and more recently in hospital and hospice settings. What he’s learned overturns one of our most common assumptions: that spiritual conversations require religious language, right beliefs, or even a belief in God at all. Instead, Matt describes chaplaincy as a ministry of presence – the disciplined art of showing up, slowing down, and truly listening.
What if God doesn’t need us to bring answers – but to pay attention? In this episode of God Conversations, Tania Harris speaks with Rev Dr Ash Barker, whose life and ministry have been shaped by listening for God among the urban poor. From Springvale in Melbourne, to Bangkok’s largest slum, and now inner‑city Birmingham, Ash has spent decades learning one core truth: God is already at work. Our role is to notice and join in.