How to interpret pictures and unlock mysteries

You are excited because you read the blog entry that God will answer your questions and you want to try it. But when you close your eyes and listen, instead of getting a clear answer in the form of a sentence, you see a picture. And it's a picture that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the question you asked.Welcome to communication with God. You communicate in a way that is clear and direct and he answers back with a strange image.These are the ways of God. Jesus said that he communicated in parables so that those who have a certain level of revelation will be given more. His secrets, or the interpretation of parables, were given to his friends. There is something about interpreting parable/images that implies friendship with God. It is perhaps because the process of communication is more important than the information that we receive. He enjoys when He speaks to us and we listen to Him.When I was twenty years old, I was on a long van ride to the Gulf Coast of Florida for a mission trip. When everyone was asleep, I began to see a stream of images in my imagination. I opened up my Bible to a random page and read Joel 2, where it described young men seeing visions. I knew that God was speaking to me. One of the images was of a man walking with a funny gait. The next day, I was sitting on a balcony, reading my Bible, and I saw a man walk by who had the same funny gait. I ran downstairs, introduced myself to him, shared the gospel with him, and easily led him to Christ.I was amazed at the power of a picture from God.I started to see lots of pictures. But I found that interpreting pictures can be challenging. I have spent the past 20 years or so learning how to understand pictures. Here are a few helpful hints:

1. Write down all the parts of the picture. Sometimes God speaks through obscure details in an image. You might notice something that sticks out more than other things. Write down all of these parts. Make a list.
2. Take each part of the picture and, if you can, find an example of that image in Scripture. Sometimes I will do a search for an image in the Bible with my Bible app. See if the Scripture speaks at all into the question that you were asking when you saw the image.
3. Identify symbols that have specific meaning to you. God knows your language, and he will use images that have meaning for you. Write down what the image means for you.
4. Wait and ask God more questions about confusing images that don't make sense. Daniel pondered the "horns" in his vision, meaning that he noticed them and wondered what they meant. As he pondered the horn, the horn began to speak. God can give you deeper insight into a part of a picture as you ponder its meaning.
5. Be okay if you can't understand all of the images. Be willing to talk your picture over with friends and see if they have insight.

You can actually practice interpreting pictures by doing it more. You can ask God a question and say, "God, please give me a picture about this situation." As you develop your ability to see pictures and interpret pictures, your skill in hearing God through pictures will increase.If you want to go deeper in understanding how to interpret pictures, I would recommend this online course by John Paul Jackson. It is very comprehensive and covers all aspects of interpreting what God has to say through pictures.Do you have any other tips for interpreting pictures?