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Sleep

1. SLEEP CONSIDERED A BLESSING:

A. Trust in God to bless you with sleep:

Psa.3:5 – I laid me down & slept; for the Lord sustained me
Psa.4:8 – I will both lay me down in peace, & sleep
Psa.127:2b – He giveth His beloved sleep
Eccl.5:12a – The sleep of a labouring man is sweet
Jer.31:26 – I awaked, & beheld; & my sleep was sweet unto me

B. God gives freedom from fear & sweet sleep:

Psa.91:5 – Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night
Pro.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:

Gen.2:21 – The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam
1Sam.26:12 – A deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them

D. Rest in the Lord & sleep through anything:

Ezk.34:25 – Dwell safely in the wilderness, & sleep in the woods
Mat.8:24 – Tempest…ship covered with waves: but He was asleep

2. IF YOU CAN’T SLEEP, PRAY:

Psa.42:8 – In the night His song shall be with me, & my prayer
Psa.63:5,6 – When I…meditate on Thee in the night watches
Isa.26:9a – With my soul have I desired Thee in the night
Lam.2:19 – Arise, cry out in the night…pour out thine heart
(See also Psa.4:4; 119:55.)

3. SOME REASONS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP:

A. When the Lord wants to speak to you:

1Sam.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:

Est.6:1-3 – On that night could not the king (Ahasuerus) sleep

C. When worried or troubled:

Psa.77:3,4 – Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled
Eccl.2:23 – His days are sorrows…taketh not rest in the night
Eccl.5:12b – Abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep
Dan.6:14-18 – [King Darius passed the night fasting, unable to sleep]
(See also Psa.6:6)

D. Because of unusual dreams:

Dan.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:

Deut.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:

Pro.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:

1Sam.15:11 – It grieved Samuel; & he cried unto the Lord all night
Lk.6:12 – (Jesus) continued all night in prayer to God
1Thes.3:10 – Night & day praying exceedingly (to) see your face

B. To rise early & pray:

1Sam.1:19 – They rose up in the morning early, & worshipped
Mk.1:35 – Rising up a great while before day…Jesus prayed
Psa.57:8,9 – Awake, psaltery & harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise Thee, O Lord
Psa.119:147 – I prevented (was up before) the dawning of the morning, & cried: I hoped in Thy Word

C. To do your job:

Gen.31:38-40 – [Jacob frequently sacrificed sleep for 20 years because of diligent shepherding]

D. Caution about getting overtired:

Psa.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:

Pro.6:9 – How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When arise…?
Pro.6:10,11 – A little sleep, a little slumber…folding of hands: so shall thy poverty come (See also Pro.24:33,34)
Pro.10:5 – He that sleepeth in harvest…son that causeth shame
Pro.20:13 – Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty
Pro.26:14 – As the door turneth upon hinges, so doth the slothful

B. Times to rise & pray:

Jon.1:4-6 – O sleeper…arise, call upon thy God
Mk.14:37-41 – Sleepest thou? Couldst thou not watch one hour? Watch ye & pray, lest ye enter into temptation
Lk.22:46 – Why sleep ye? Rise & pray, lest ye enter temptation

C. When something important needs to be done first:

Psa.132:3-5 – I will not give sleep to mine eyes, until I find
Pro.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:

Pro.19:15 – Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep
Isa.56:10,11 – Watchmen are blind…sleeping, loving to slumber

E. Sleep can symbolise spiritual insensitivity:

Rom.13:11,12 – Knowing the time…now it is high time to awake
Eph.5:14 – Awake thou that sleepest…Christ shall give thee light
1Thes.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:

Isa.50:4 – (God) wakeneth (me) morning by morning…to hear
Zech.4:1 – And the angel that talked with me…waked me

B. To flee danger:

Mat.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:

1Ki.19:5-7 – [Angel woke Elijah up twice to give him food & water]

D. He awakens you after giving you an important message:

Mat.1:24 – Joseph being raised from sleep did as angel had bidden