Dreams & Visions: The Kitchen Is Like The Heart

"‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams."

Joel 2:28-29

Dreaming About Certain Places In A House

One element that the Lord has given me revelation into is when we're dreaming about certain parts of a house, and how that correlates to our waking life.

Because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, often the Lord will show us things about our lives by having us dream about certain rooms in the house. He hides messages for us in symbols, in parable form, to give us instruction about certain parts of our life that He's highlighting for us to work through with Him.

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you,

Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own."

-1 Corinthians 6:19

Each room in a house represents a different part of our life, relationships, family, and areas God is highlighting to bring us into greater freedom with Him. Sometimes He shows us specific details if we're seeking greater clarity or asking Him for help in some area. If we get stuck, He often gives us dreams to show us where we're stuck, and how to become unstuck and move forward in our faith.

When You Dream About Being In A Kitchen...

So what does it mean when you dream of being in a kitchen, either in your house, or in someone else's "house"?

The kitchen is the heart of the home- and that's exactly what it means when you dream about being in a kitchen, you are seeing into your own heart in your spiritual "home" (The Holy Spirit's temple). The Lord will often reveal to you what's sitting in your heart, or what is affecting your heart, by way of it showing up in the "kitchen".

He can show you the spiritual state of your heart (is it cluttered, is it clean?), the problems in your heart (what's in your kitchen space with you?), the people who have access to your heart and how you feel about it. In all these cases, He's highlighting something to you.

Another element that's very common is dreaming about being in someone else's "kitchen" space. That is God revealing to you what is in their heart, hidden in their spiritual home. The Lord might show you this to be aware of someone's heart posture toward you, or to be aware of how they feel or think about you. What He shows you will reveal what might impact your relationship with them.

The Lord could also be showing you someone else's heart space (being in their kitchen) so that you have an understanding about how to pray for them, how to guard and protect yourself from them, or how to walk with them in relationship. (Or the reasons why you can't be in a relationship...)

When you draw near to the Lord, He will draw very near to you and show you things you do not know, to protect you and align you with His will. Pay attention to what He says about those who are around you!

Below I outlined a few dreams I have had, and then how the Holy Spirit interpreted those for me. In this way, I hope to share with you how the Lord reveals what's in your own heart, and in the hearts of those around you.

Example 1 - Friendships

I once had a dream in which I stood with another friend in a kitchen space. This friendship was new to me and just beginning to blossom. I had been praying for a few weeks asking the Lord if she would be a safe person for me to share my heart with, and then the Lord gave me this dream.

In the dream, I didn't recognize this kitchen, and everything was unfamiliar to me. Nothing about this space felt like my "home", which is how I knew the Holy Spirit was revealing to me that this was "her home," and more specifically, her heart. We were chatting at the kitchen counter and spending time together.

So what was the Lord showing me? I knew immediately that this was about my friend's heart posture toward me and not a revelation about my heart. Because the Lord was overhauling many friendships in my life at the time of this dream, I had become very aware that He wanted to be present in every relationship. I was learning to take direction from Him for every friendship, only allowing people in that He pre-approved. This dream was an answer to prayer for me- showing me the condition of her heart.

We were standing at the counter. A kitchen counter in a dream speaks of a few things: something on offer (something on the table, can be good or bad). If something is under the counter then it's likely a deceitful deal or bribe that's happening (and who it's happening with). That was not present in this dream.

A counter can represent the pulpit or the place in which we are fed. It's also (if it's in a kitchen), the place where we are served or receive nourishment and food. (Bible references: Acts 24:26, John 12:2, Ps 26:10 (bribery), Prov 21:14, Matt 15:22-28, John 6:67-68)

In this case, being at the counter with this friend was the Lord showing me that her heart was offering friendship and nourishment to my heart, and that I could offer her the same in return.

The Lord gave me this dream to show me that we will mutually edify and strengthen one another with nourishment (being at the counter together), and that I don't have to be cautious in a relationship with this person. This person's heart isn't turned against me and there aren't any hidden agendas or feelings that would be a source of confusion later on.

Often we can get into a friendship or relationship and become entangled in their web of emotions that aren't of the Lord - be ready to heed God's voice if He reveals something about someone's heart that is against you! It doesn't usually end up getting better without divine intervention.

Example 2 - What's Cooking

The kitchen is primarily used for cooking, and this will be a common theme within dreams as well. If you see someone cooking in your dream or you yourself are cooking, it's almost always a strong warning from the Lord. The only time it wouldn't be considered a very strong rebuke or warning from Him is if He tells you otherwise.

The first time we see cooking in scripture is when Jacob is preparing a stew in Genesis 25. Within this chapter, Jacob manipulate his twin brother into selling his birthright to him for some food. The next time we see cooking within the scriptures is when Rebekah advises her son to cook some food and give it to Isaac to thwart Isaac from blessing Esau as the firstborn. In both instances, we see treachery and manipulation involved with the cooking of a meal.

The word used in the Hebrew for Jacob cooking a stew is zûḏ - which means to deal proudly, to act presumptuously, presume, to deal arrogantly, to defy proudly, to boil or to seethe.

The same can be applied if we see it within our dreams. Now why is this such a strong warning from God? Because Jacob couldn't trust God to bring about His promises to him. Jacob didn't trust that the prophesy, which was spoken about him from birth (Gen 25:23), would come to pass by God's hand. He arrogantly assumed that God needed help in "getting the job done." Jacob acted presumptuously toward the Lord's plans by manipulating his family and the situation to get what he wanted.

If we receive a dream from the Lord and we are cooking something, God is warning us to stop trying to manipulate situations or people to get the outcome we desire! He won't stand for it! And He will end up disciplining us for it.

Jacob had to serve Laban, a man more manipulative and treacherous than himself. Jacob was disciplined for 20 years under Laban's hand of manipulation before he decided to move on from that place. God will teach you His ways and plans whether you like it or not. It's better to just wait on Him to orchestrate the circumstances to your advantage, than to manipulate the pieces yourself.

If you see someone cooking in a dream - this is a strong word of caution regarding that person's heart. This means that they are manipulating you, or they might speak well to you, but their heart is secretly against you. Spend time in prayer as to what the Lord would like you to do. Because one of the meanings of the word zûḏ is to boil or seethe in anger toward someone...be very prayerful about what God shows you.

I once had a dream in which I saw someone cooking in a kitchen and I passed by them and up a staircase to the attic. In this instance, the Lord was showing me that their manipulative actions and words had poisoned my heart (me passing them cooking in the kitchen), and that I needed to ascend higher with the Lord (up the staircase) by forgiving them and renewing my mind (attic) from their words and actions.

God often uses dreams to show us what He needs us to do in order to be truly free from the past. In this case, He was revealing to me who I needed to forgive and how to renew my mind from what was said and done against me. It didn't make their actions right, but it gave me freedom.

The most expensive commodity in the Bible is freedom. Jesus paid His life for it - to set us free from the wages of sin and death. If the Lord reveals what will set you free from the entanglement of sin and death, or other people's sin, heed His voice! Forgive! Move carefully! And spend time in prayer with Him when He reveals things to you.

Bible references: Gen 25:29-34, 2 Kings 4:39-40

Example 2 - Is Someone Baking?

Baking is similar to cooking - but with a slight twist. We are first introduced to a baker in Genesis 40, when Joseph interprets his dream and then it comes to pass. There's a really cool principle to see within the two interpretations of these dreams in this chapter.

Let's take a look at the cup-bearer and baker - both of whom were put in prison when they offended Pharoah.

In the first dream, the cup-bearer says this, "“In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me. The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”  “This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer." (Gen 40:9-13)

The baker then gives Joseph his dream, "“I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.”  “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days. Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.” (Gen 40:16-19)

The same amount of time was given to each man for the dream to come to pass, with differing results. Why? (This is also a parallel to Jesus being raised up in 3 days - and the devil being cast down in the same 3 days!)

The reason we see the cup-bearer and baker together is because it's an example of the wine and bread brought together - it's communion. This is a principle of partaking of the blood and body of Christ to forgive us of our sins. But the interpretation of these dreams shows us the difference between being attached to the vine, and what happens when we let go of the promises of God. Let me explain.

With the cup-bearer, this is the principle God is relaying. This servant takes ahold of the grapes and squeezes the juice into the cup for Pharaoh - the Lord is saying that those who take hold of the blood of Jesus (He is the vine, His blood the grapes), who truly grasp and apply what His blood did for us on the cross, will receive grace for their offences. Just as the cup-bearer was a servant of the king, so are we today. We can't add to what He did, we just grab hold of it and allow it to permeate our whole being- squeezing everything we can from His Word and applying it to our lives.

However, the baker represents the man who hears the truth (that Jesus is the Bread of Life), but allows the birds of the air (the devil) to steal the truth God has imparted to him. The devil attacks our minds - that's what he did to Jesus in the wilderness, using scripture as his basis for trying to get Jesus to sin against God. And it's what he did to Eve in the garden, lying to her so she would question God's voice. Satan hasn't changed. He comes in speaking deceit, and he's hoping you believe it.

When the Lord imparts His Word to us, the devil comes immediately to snatch it away. The Parable of The Sower in Matthew 13 speaks to exactly this: "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up."

When the truth is imparted to us, we have to learn to seek the Lord if we don't understand it. If we doubt in our heart, that's the moment to cry out to the Lord to forgive us of our unbelief and to ask Him for help to believe His Word! It's only the Lord's wisdom and knowledge revealed to us that will help us understand what He had written. The devil tries to get in right away and steal that word of truth He gives. If we let the devil succeed, we will lose out on walking in that truth.

That's why this story about the baker and cup-bearer is so important. The cup-bearer takes hold of the promises of God, and squeezes them for all their worth, truly grasping onto God's Word with his hands. The baker on the other hand, allows the devil steal the word of God from his mind. Joseph is showing that if we let that happen, it will eventually lead to death in our lives.

Example 3 - Who Else (Or What Else) Is Present?

The main context of the dream will be centered around who else is present. If no one else is there, then the Lord is highlighting something that is within your own heart. What you're doing in the kitchen, is very likely the subject God is drawing your attention to.

Is this your kitchen now? Then He's showing you something in the present. Is this an apartment type of kitchen? Then this is likely about a particular time, or about a particular issue, and perhaps who was around you during that season of life. Is this a kitchen you don't recognize but has identifiable features?

Something that pops up for me frequently is a cabin-style kitchen. Cabin's are generally places we rest in during our wilderness seasons. Think about what a cabin is, it's a getaway location that you *sometimes* own where you spend a weekend or week. Cabins aren't your main home, but can be a home-away-from-home to spend some time during the summer or winter months. So if you see a cabin-style kitchen, perhaps the Lord is showing you this is a short resting place on your journey to where you're going.

I once was in a cabin, in the kitchen, and the Lord highlighted a specific area to me within the kitchen that He wanted me to focus on and nourish. I knew this was the focus I needed to have in my faith walk with Him over the next few weeks. The cabin can often represent a stop on our wilderness journey - it's not where we're headed, but it's a place to rest along the way.

Are you in the kitchen and passing through into another room? Then the Holy Spirit is drawing your attention to what is passing through your heart or is affecting your heart. (See my other dream articles for specific rooms and information about those rooms).

If someone else is present, then He is highlighting a specific relationship aspect. As I mentioned in the beginning, if it's someone else's kitchen, then this is their heart posture toward you. (The Lord might also give you a dream of someone else's kitchen if you will play a role in their life...see the dream below) If it's your kitchen, then this pertains to your heart posture toward them.

Dreaming Of Being In Someone Else's Kitchen (Heart)

I once had a dream in which I was standing in someone else's kitchen. The kitchen had commercial grade appliances and cupboards, suggesting that this wasn't a warm heart but rather a business as usual heart. Then I watched as an army came in, dressed in dark blue. They began to rip up the flooring, at the directive of a Man that very clearly was revealed to be the Holy Spirit. They replaced all of the flooring, and then the Holy Spirit came to me with a massive baby- I sank to the floor under the weight of the baby when He put it in my arms. I then got up and carried the baby to the bathroom, where I saw whose heart this belonged to. This person was in the bathroom, crying. I gently handed them the baby.

The army was God's army, or angel army. The commercial grade kitchen represents a business-like heart, one that is in the business of serving the Lord, but not in communion with the Lord. Think Mary and Martha - Martha was busy serving Jesus, and not learning how to enjoy the presence of Jesus. Mary understood and knew that there was nothing she could offer Him except herself. That's what the Lord was revealing to me about this person's heart. They are so busy serving Him, but they aren't enjoying Him.

But then, an army comes in (God's angel army), and they rip up the flooring - ripping apart the foundation of business-like religion. It's showing this person that serving, while it has it's place, isn't our main focus under the gospel of Jesus. Being in an intimate relationship with Him is the main priority.

The foundation is replaced, meaning the Holy Spirit will do a new work in this person's heart- laying a new foundation of understanding. The Holy Spirit will teach them how to simply be with Jesus and partake of His goodness.

The Spirit hands me a baby (a representation of a promise from God, a brand new way of thinking, something new being birthed in the Spirit). This means I will likely be present for the birth of the promise, or have a role of some kind. It might also mean that my role is simply to pray and intercede on behalf of this person - to pray for the things the Lord showed me in the dream to come to pass.

I then bring this promise to the person who is in a bathroom, which is how I suddenly realized whose heart this was and what God was doing. Being in the bathroom is an indication of a deep spiritual cleansing work and renewal of the mind (and clearly, the heart). When I handed her the baby, that was the end of the dream.

In this case I was able to see that the foundation of someone else's heart needed to be redone and the Holy Spirit would oversee the work. This process will change the commercial grade kitchen (being busy serving God), into a homey kitchen that welcomes the presence of Jesus and enjoys what He's done. This new heart will become a resting place for Jesus, doing His will no matter what.

The Heart Of The Matter

Whatever the Lord is showing you, it's to bring you into greater freedom. I think one of the hardest things to do is forgive someone who has wronged us. It's also tough to receive a message about someone we love who doesn't love us back in the same way, or has ill intentions toward us.

The Lord will often give me warnings of someone's repressed jealousy, manipulation or unresolved triggers by showing me what's in their kitchen (heart). While the information stings, the consequences of ignoring it tend to be much worse. It's better to pull back and allow time and prayer to do the heavy lifting, than to end up stabbed in the back by a friend or family member later down the line.

And when the Lord shows you what's in your heart, do the hard heart work and forgive, let go, renounce the wrong feelings or emotions, and leave it all at the foot of the cross.

I know forgiving seems hard because you were wronged, but forgiveness isn't reconciliation- it's not always what God is asking you to do. He's just asking you to let Him have it, and to let go of it. And if a reunion is meant to happen in the future, He'll let you know and lead you there.

Sometimes He shows us what we cook up, what we're busy baking, and He's asking us to let Him work the situation out on our behalf. Maybe He reveals how "commercial" our kitchen is, and He's saying it's time to sit down at His feet and stop serving up what He never asked us to. The Man who multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish doesn't need us to serve Him dinner! He just asks us to enjoy the one He served up. His invitation is to sit down, eat of His Word and enjoy what He did - all of it. He did all of it. Every single thing you can think of was nailed to that cross - so receive it.

Writing to you with joy,

Jessica