Getting good, sound sleep is one of the foundations of our health and wellness. If you struggle with sleep issues, from the odd bad night to regular sleeplessness, use this prayer for sleep to aid you.
If we’re feeling stressed or anxious it tends to manifest in our sleep life. It’s easy to suppress those feelings by day, by keeping busy or staying distracted but, come bedtime, the truth of how we’re doing gets harder to ignore.
God cares about every part of your life, including your sleep. Make sure you take the time to pray about your sleep issues and ask others to do the same.
The Bible contains many compelling reasons for us to prioritize getting good sleep. And, for us to feel confident to voice prayers for sleep.
There’s a whole host of Bible verses revealing God’s heart for us all to have good, peaceful sleep.
Psalm 4: 8 is a brilliant Bible verse to learn and meditate on.
It says: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
This passage reminds us why we can lie down, in peace and sleep well. It’s because we trust in God for our safety. This simple truth can have a radical effect on your thought life, helping to reveal a path out of anxiety towards trust.
If we trust in God for our safety, not in money, nor relationships, nor position, all of the worries and cares we carry suddenly seem to lose their weight.
Trying lying in bed and using this Psalm as a short prayer. Repeat it a few times, breathing slowly and deeply as you do. Let the truth of God’s sovereignty wash over you, banishing any fears or worries you’re holding onto.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone God, make me dwell in safety.
You alone, Lord, are my safe refuge.
I trust you with every part of my life.
Amen.
When you’re praying for your sleep remember how invested God is in your dream life. The Bible is filled with incredible stories of God speaking to people through their dreams.
Think of the story of Joseph and how his, and other people’s, dreams played a huge part in him realizing his destiny.
God is with us and for us, in every single part of our lives. Ongoing sleep issues can rob us of another rich and fruitful way to encounter God: through incredible dreams.
Dear God,
I would love to dream with you. Please bless me with deep, sound sleep and fill my nights with your presence.
Show me your heart and your hopes through my dream life.
Amen.
Sometimes a bad night’s sleep is more than just the odd night, it can become a chronic issue. When sleep is an ongoing problem is can be hard to hold onto hope. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion can make it hard to think, or even pray, clearly.
Use this prayer to restore hope during long periods of sleeplessness.
Jesus,
It’s been so long since I’ve slept well, I’m starting to lose hope that it will ever happen again.
I am so tired and so exhausted by the nightly battle to get some rest.
Prince of peace please come and bring order to my sleep life, please restore my rest, and please help me to stay hopeful in the nights to come.
Amen
Sometimes we go through a season of life that leads to very broken sleep. Parenthood is one of those seasons. It can take years for babies to settle into a good sleep routine and until then the parents are left with broken sleep and an incredibly full plate in the day.
In these trying times it’s important to let God strengthen you and lighten your load. And to remember, it won’t last forever.
Dear God,
Thank you for the blessing of becoming a parent. I am so thankful for my children but God I am so very tired too.
Being a parent has been more exhausting than I could ever imagine and I don’t know when I’ll get good sleep again.
Please strengthen me, God. Pour out your grace on me and increase my capacity so I can still be a patient and present parent during times of bad rest.
Please help my little one to find their rhythms of rest soon, so this season of sleeplessness can draw to a close.
Amen
Committing to a few gentle spiritual disciplines can be a hugely positive step in establishing good sleep.
Sometimes sleep issues are connected to a physical ailment, pain perhaps. But so often disturbed sleep is rooted in an anxious thought life or feelings of stress and overwhelm.
Scripture is clear, we are to renew our minds, yielding our stresses and worries to God and welcoming His peace in exchange.
This lifting up of our minds and deliberate effort to fill our brains with thoughts rooted in the Word, in hope and in God’s goodness helps to lead us out of fear and into freedom.
Let these healthy spiritual habits take you on a positive journey of embracing God’s peace and experiencing good sleep.
This is so simple but so powerful. The key to renewing your mind is to fill it with God’s word and God’s thoughts. The Bible is a vast, rich, resource for wisdom and encouragement. It’s amazing how one short verse from the Bible can bring such warmth and love, overwhelming worried thoughts and fears. Think of it as feeding your mind with the most nourishing food available.
Try working your way through the book of Psalms, reading one every morning.
Before you attempt to drift off to sleep, make time for a short mediation. Focus on two things: your breathing and the presence of God. You could play some verses from an audio Bible or listen to a sleep story. As you do be mindful of your breathing, focusing on slow ins and outs. Imagine, as you exhale, that you are releasing all your stress and all your worry to God. As you breathe in imagine His peace and loving presence surrounding you.
Starting, and ending, you day with a moment of intentional connection with God via the Glorify App can unlock such healing and hope in your life.
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