SLEEP
1. Sleep considered a blessing:
A. Trust in God to bless you with sleep:
Psalms 3:5 I laid me down & slept; for the Lord sustained me
Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, & sleep
Psalms 127:2b He giveth His beloved sleep
Ecclesiastes 5:12a The sleep of a labouring man is sweet
Jeremiah 31:26 I awaked, & beheld; & my sleep was sweet unto me
B. God gives freedom from fear & sweet sleep:
Psalms 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night
Proverbs 3:24 Not be afraid…shalt lie down, & thy sleep be sweet
Acts 12:6 [Peter able to sleep in prison] bound with two chains
C. The Lord can miraculously give you deep sleep:
Genesis 2:21 The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam
1 Samuel 26:12 A deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them
D. Rest in the Lord & sleep through anything:
Ezekiel 34:25 Dwell safely in the wilderness, & sleep in the woods
Matthew 8:24 Tempest ..ship covered with waves: but He was asleep
2. If you can’t sleep, pray:
Psalms 42:8 In the night His song shall be with me, & my prayer
Psalms 63:5,6 When I…meditate on Thee in the night watches
Isaiah 26:9a 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 Psalms 4:4; 119:55)
3. Some reasons for not being able to sleep:
A. When the Lord 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:
Psalms 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 5:12b 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 Psalms 6:6)
D. Because of unusual dreams:
Daniel 2:1 His spirit was troubled, & his sleep brake from him
Job 7:13,14 Then Thou scarest me with dreams, & visions
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 & 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 & 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 2:7 Stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please
4. Good reasons for missing sleep:
A. To pray desperately:
1 Samuel 15:11 It grieved Samuel; & he cried unto the Lord all night
Luke 6:12 (Jesus) continued all night in prayer to God
1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night & day praying exceedingly (to) see your face
B. To rise early & pray:
1 Samuel 1:19 They rose up in the morning early, & worshipped
Mark 1:35 Rising up a great while before day…Jesus prayed
Psalms 57:8,9 Awake, psaltery & harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise Thee, O Lord
Psalms 119:147 I prevented (was up before) the dawning of the morning, & cried: I hoped in Thy Word
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:
Psalms 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 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When arise…?
Proverbs 6:10,11 A little sleep, a little slumber…folding of hands: so shall thy poverty come (See also Proverbs 24:33,34)
Proverbs 10:5 He that sleepeth in harvestr ..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 & 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 & pray, lest ye enter into temptation
Luke 22:46 Why sleep ye? Rise & pray, lest ye enter temptation
C. When something important needs to be done first:
Psalms 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 & be sober
6. Trusting the Lord to awaken you:
A. When you’ve slept enough & need to rise:
Isaiah 50:4 (God) wakeneth (me) morning by morning…to hear
Zechariah 4:1 And the angel that talked with me…waked me
B. To flee danger:
Matthew 2:13,14 Angel…appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise… flee. He arose…by night, & [left with Jesus & Mary]
Acts 12:4-7 Peter (slept)…angel of the Lord…smote Peter on the side, & 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 & water]
D. He awakens you after giving you an important message:
Matthew 1:24 Joseph being raised from sleep did as angel had bidden
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