After enduring the daily hustle and bustle and strenuous activities that characterised the day, every person expects to enjoy a good night’s rest. Because not only does this help reenergise one for the activities that lie ahead, it also helps create a mental balance that affects productivity positively.
However, this isn’t so for many people. Many people continue to swallow loads of sleeping and painkiller pills just to be able to close their eyes at night, yet can’t seem to enjoy a sound sleep without having disruptions. This is where faith and belief in God becomes a privilege and advantage.
How can faith help one get a good night’s sleep?
The Christian life is a wholesome one that impacts every area of our lives. When we let Christ in and let Him walk through us, we will be amazed at the quality of life we will lead and how gloriously enviable our lives will become. Faith in God can help overcome anxiety and bouts of panic attacks that might impede us from maximising through sleeplessness.
These aren’t just bogus claims; they are backed up by facts and research. Studies have shown that those involved in a religion sleep better than those who aren’t religious. Specifically, research carried out by the Department of Sociology, the University of Texas, among adults in different age groups and religions revealed that those who had spiritual salvation have better chances of overcoming sleeplessness than those who don’t. Here are some of the ways this can be possible.
Fixing our gaze on the things that are above.
It is true that the world is full of twists and turns that make life not so pleasant. Overwhelming challenges and seemingly endless problems that refuse to unburden themselves from our fragile shoulders make us want to sit up all night and wallow in our thoughts. However, if we fix our gaze on the one who can proffer solutions to our worries and make things beautiful in their time, we will be assured that whatever has befallen us is in the control of our God.
This unshaken assurance gives us the inner peace we need to carry on with our lives without dwelling on the negatives. The book of Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to continue to fix our gaze on the one that is above-Jesus, who bore our grief and endured the shame of the cross for our sake.
1 Peter 7 & 10 tell us:
7: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
10: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.”
Brethren, there is no greater assurance than this.
Letting go of our baggage.
Because we want to always be in charge of how we feel and what we feel, it makes it difficult for us to let go, sometimes. We want to wallow in those dark thoughts that keep coming back to haunt us and make us restless.
If only we would let go and commit our greatest fears unto the one who can take care of them, our lives will become more peaceful. No one can proffer all the solutions we need or give all the answers we seek. Not the professionals, experts, or specialists who give scholarly advice. Some answers are only found in God. Unburden, step out and see Him show up for you in ways unimaginable.
Faith in God gives rest.
Contrary to the arguments of most non-believing people, faith in God isn’t the absence of fear or problems; rather, it is the inherent assurance that we have and know that no matter what happens, He will come through for us. The knowledge of this eliminates anxieties and dark thoughts that make sleeplessness erode one’s well-being.
Psalms 4:8: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Prayer
“Why worry when you can pray?” This particular phrase has helped me, personally, surmount many hurdles and brought me out of the dark trajectories the devil once tossed me into. The devil is a rogue and a trickster. He knows full well the extent of the damage being done to his kingdom when the weakest Christian goes on their knees to pray.
He knows that when we pray, we break free from oppression and shackles that he uses to hold us bound. Neither worries, insomnia, nor anxieties solve any challenges we face; they only contribute their own quota by negatively impacting our health. Don’t worry, pray. Don’t stay up late to cry or brood about the horrible state of things in your life, pray. Lift your voice to the hills and call on the divine.
Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Asides from many other attributive factors that aid insomnia: health, stress, noise, an uncomfortable bed, or diet, there are many more factors that transcend the ones that come in handy. After taking care of the natural causes of sleeplessness, and we still can’t sleep, we should employ supernatural help.
Where sleeping pills prove inefficient, the power of God will come through for us. The devil might want to weaken us by introducing different tactics and mechanisms to make us weary and faint, but we shouldn’t let him triumph.
Casting our cares and depending solely on God for deliverance gives us rest and peace. On our own, we can’t make it. How about letting God take care of that problem? How about accepting that you have gotten to the end of ourselves and letting God take it up from there?
Let those things that keep you wide awake at night and make you soak your pillow with secret tears be taken care of by Christ Jesus. Faith in Him eliminates fear and give a happy life. Let your faith in Him liberate from the yoke and affliction of the devil. He can help you. Just let Him help you.