Sleep
1. SLEEP CONSIDERED A BLESSING:
A. Trust in God to bless you with sleep:
Psalm 3:5 I laid me down and slept; for the Lord sustained me
Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep
Psalm 127:2 He giveth his beloved sleep
Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet
Jeremiah 31:26 I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me
B. God gives freedom from fear and sweet sleep:
Psalm 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night
Proverbs 3:24 Not be afraid … shalt lie down, and thy sleep be sweet
Acts 12:6 [Peter able to sleep in prison] bound with two chains
C. Rest in God and sleep through anything:
Ezekiel 34:25 Dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods
Matthew 8:24 Tempest … ship covered with waves: but he was asleep
2. IF YOU CAN’T SLEEP, PRAY:
Psalm 42:8 In the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer
Psalm 63:5–6 When I … meditate on thee in the night watches
Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night
Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night … pour out thine heart
(See also Psalm 4:4; 119:55.)
3. SOME REASONS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP:
A. When God wants to speak to you:
1 Samuel 3:3–10 Samuel was laid down to sleep … the Lord called
Job 4:12–17 In the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, a spirit passed before my face … I heard a voice
B. Sometimes God allows it to work out His will:
Esther 6:1–3 On that night could not the king [Ahasuerus] sleep
C. When worried or troubled:
Psalm 77:3–4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled
Ecclesiastes 2:23 His days are sorrows … taketh not rest in the night
Ecclesiastes 5:12 Abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep
Daniel 6:14–18 [King Darius passed the night fasting, unable to sleep]
(See also Psalm 6:6.)
D. Because of unusual dreams:
Job 7:13–14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and visions
Daniel 2:1 His spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him
E. When God is testing you, as He did Job:
Job 7:3–4 Wearisome nights are appointed unto me … I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day
F. Punishment for disobeying God:
Deuteronomy 28:58, 66–67 If thou wilt not observe … thou shalt fear day and night … shalt say, “Would God it were morning”
G. Be considerate of those who are sleeping:
Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early … it shall be counted a curse to him
Song of Solomon 2:7 Stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please
4. GOOD REASONS FOR MISSING SLEEP:
A. To pray fervently:
1 Samuel 15:11 It grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night
Luke 6:12 [Jesus] continued all night in prayer to God
1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly [to] see your face
B. To rise early and pray:
1 Samuel 1:19 They rose up in the morning early, and worshipped
Psalm 57:8–9 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord
Psalm 119:147 I prevented [was up before] the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word
Mark 1:35 Rising up a great while before day … Jesus prayed
C. To do your job:
Genesis 31:38–40 [Jacob frequently sacrificed sleep for 20 years because of diligent shepherding]
D. Caution about getting overtired:
Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late … for so he giveth his beloved sleep
Acts 20:7–9 Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep … fell down
5. WHEN IT IS NOT GOOD TO SLEEP:
A. Don’t oversleep when you should be working:
Proverbs 6:9–11 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? … a little sleep, a little slumber … so shall thy poverty come (See also Proverbs 24:33–34.)
Proverbs 10:5 He that sleepeth in harvest … son that causeth shame
Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty
Proverbs 26:14 As the door turneth upon hinges, so doth the slothful
B. Times to rise and pray:
Jonah 1:4–6 O sleeper … arise, call upon thy God
Mark 14:37–41 Sleepest thou? Couldst thou not watch one hour?
Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation
Luke 22:46 Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter temptation
C. When something important needs to be done first:
Psalm 132:3–5 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, until I find
Proverbs 6:1–4 Do this now … give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber
D. Oversleeping can be caused by laziness or unconcern for others:
Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep
Isaiah 56:10–11 Watchmen are blind … sleeping, loving to slumber
E. Sleep can symbolise spiritual insensitivity:
Romans 13:11–12 Knowing the time … now it is high time to awake
Ephesians 5:14 Awake thou that sleepest … Christ shall give thee light
1 Thessalonians 5:4–8 Let us not sleep … let us watch and be sober
6. TRUSTING GOD TO AWAKEN YOU:
A. When you’ve slept enough and need to rise:
Isaiah 50:4 [God] wakeneth [me] morning by morning … to hear
Zechariah 4:1 And the angel that talked with me … walked me
B. To flee danger:
Matthew 2:13–14 Angel … appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise … flee. He arose … by night, and [left with Jesus and Mary]
Acts 12:4–7 Peter [slept] … angel of the Lord … smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly
C. To give you something you need:
1 Kings 19:5–7 [Angel woke Elijah up twice to give him food and water]
D. God can awaken you after giving you an important message:
Matthew 1:24 Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel … had bidden