Editor’s Notice: Our Might 2025 mini-series on the BCC Grace and Reality weblog addresses the subject of sleep and insomnia. On this second article, Caroline Newheiser affords ideas from the Psalter relating to sleep. In different contributions to the sequence, Betty-Anne Van Rees shares biblical knowledge for setting ourselves up for good sleep, and Pleasure Forrest discusses God’s function in our sleeplessness.
Our fragile our bodies have primary wants: meals, water, and sleep. The biblical counselor serves the non secular wants of their counselees, but ought to pay attention to their bodily elements. Our counseling division makes use of consumption kinds that embrace bodily features of our counselees’ lives. For instance, typical questions collect details about: total well being, the date of your final medical examination, any present medicines, and sleep habits. This text will deal with sleep. Counselors ought to perceive what the Bible teaches about sleep, the feelings of those that have sleep deficiencies, and the best way to deal with insomnia. Sleeplessness may not be a presenting drawback, however it can undoubtedly have an effect on one who suffers from continual ache or the younger lady who wastes time on her cellphone on the expense of a wholesome night time’s sleep. Often, insomnia can have a extreme affect on a counselee’s life and turn out to be the presenting drawback.
Beneath are some ideas from the Psalter with reference to sleep. I’ll supply biblical considering to assist the one who isn’t blessed with the flexibility to serenely drop off to sleep every night time. She might go to sleep, however struggles to fall again asleep as soon as woke up. The sensible biblical counselor asks questions on sleep habits and caffeine consumption and affords sensible assist. We needs to be prepared to supply non secular assist relating to sleep when applicable. Contemplate the three rules beneath.
1) Peaceable Sleep Is a Reward from God
Out of the primary 4 psalms within the Psalter, two check with sleep. In Psalm 3:5, we learn, “I lay down and slept; I woke once more, for the Lord sustained me.” In Psalm 4:8, David hyperlinks his belief and pleasure within the Lord with the peace he experiences at night time: “In peace I’ll each lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in security.” Right here, peace is linked to sleep; restful, renewing sleep is linked to peace. This sleep is the expression of belief as a result of the Lord is a defend who sustains. Standard knowledge teaches that good sleep hygiene contains considering “pleased ideas” earlier than drifting off. Psalm 3:8 provides an instance of simply such a nice thought: “Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be in your folks!” Ponder God’s steadfast love always of the day and throughout the night time. Peace will finally substitute concern. Discover how the psalmist turns to the Lord throughout the night time. He remembers the Lord’s tune and prays (Ps. 42:8).
2) Lack of Sleep Brings Struggling
The reverse can be true. Struggling brings a scarcity of sleep. The superscript above Psalm 102 is, “A prayer of 1 stricken, when he’s faint and pours out his criticism earlier than the Lord.” The distressed author pours out his coronary heart in verses 1-11. Inside the description of his struggling is the phrase, “I lie awake.” Many counselors and counselees relate to the connection between worrisome ideas and insomnia. David provides us an instance from his personal life. He writes, “I’m weary with my moaning; each night time I flood my mattress with tears; I drench my sofa with my weeping” (Ps. 6:6). A lot of my counselees agree with my expertise that emotional and bodily ache enhance throughout the night time. One thing about being quiet with no distractions exacerbates what’s hiding within the background throughout the day. “Weeping might endure for the night time…” (Ps. 30:5c, KJV). The phrases “endure,” “tarry,” “keep,” and “final” all categorical the fact of sleepless nights crammed with darkish ideas. The distinction between daytime ideas and nighttime despair is evident in Psalm 77:1-2, 4. We learn, “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he’ll hear me. Within the day of my hassle I search the Lord; within the night time my hand is stretched out with out wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted…You maintain my eyelids open; I’m so troubled that I can’t converse” (emphasis mine).
3) Scripture Guides the Sufferer Throughout Wakeful Nights
Let’s look once more on the troubled psalmist in chapter 77. Right here he seems to speak to himself, maybe throughout the loneliness and quiet of the night time. He writes, “I stated, ‘Let me keep in mind my tune within the night time; let me meditate in my coronary heart.’” We would expertise the identical scenario. We lie awake for hours. Finally, the Holy Spirit prompts us to meditate on the truths about God’s character, which we discover within the Bible. We ask these questions: “Will the Lord spurn ceaselessly, and by no means once more be favorable? Has His steadfast love ceaselessly ceased? Are His guarantees at an finish forever? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?” The reply to all these questions is a powerful “NO!” All these fears are primarily based on the lie that the Lord has modified His nature and can now not preserve His guarantees. The reality within the Phrase brings solace. Notice verses 10-12: “Then I stated, I’ll enchantment to this…I’ll keep in mind the deeds of the LORD; sure, I’ll keep in mind your wonders of outdated. I’ll ponder all of your work, and meditate in your mighty deeds.” We’re advised in Psalm 4:4 to “…ponder in your personal hearts in your beds, and be silent.” The following verse places David again on strong floor. “Provide proper sacrifices, and put your belief within the LORD” (Ps. 4:5).
For these of us who are suffering with insomnia as a consequence of emotional and non secular misery, allow us to train ourselves the phrases of Psalm 16:7: “I bless the LORD who provides me counsel; within the night time additionally my coronary heart instructs me.” Listening to God’s counsel and the instruction of the Holy Spirit will convey stability, peace, and even pleasure. The very subsequent verses inform us this: “I’ve set the LORD at all times earlier than me; as a result of he’s at my proper hand, I shall not be shaken. Subsequently my coronary heart is glad, and my entire being rejoices; my flesh additionally dwells safe” (Ps. 16:8-9). The guts can turn out to be glad, the entire self may be crammed with pleasure, and the bodily physique can reside in security. Might the Lord assist us in our time of want in order that we’re higher geared up to assist counselees who wrestle with sleeplessness.
Questions for Reflection
- Which features of this text will show you how to when you could have insomnia? Private software precedes instruction, bringing a private contact to counseling.
- Consider some methods (which don’t contain a cellphone) to convey the Bible to thoughts in occasions of wakefulness, comparable to studying Scripture songs and reminiscence verses.
