The importance of sleep

Sometimes the most ‘spiritual’ thing you can do is get to bed earlier and wake up refreshed so you’re ready to fulfil God’s purposes for the day. When you constantly run on low battery power, it shows up in your attitudes, your relationships, your performance, and your health. That’s why the Bible talks about the importance of sleep: 1) ‘It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones’ (Psalm 127:2 NLT). 2) ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe’ (Psalm 4:8 NLT). Sleep is an act of trust: when you go to sleep, you acknowledge that the world is in God’s hands, not yours. And it will get along very well, even if you’re not awake to control things. And when you awaken tomorrow morning, just like God giving Israel fresh manna, He will give you what you need for the day. Jeremiah said, ‘I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.’ Have you ever tried to pray when you were suffering from a sleep deficit? It’s hard to do. Before Elijah was able to spend prolonged time in prayer, the angel of the Lord made him take not one, but two long naps. Contrast that with the disciples in Gethsemane who couldn’t pray because they kept falling asleep. It’s hard to think, feel, and act like Jesus when you lack sleep. That’s why the Bible says, ‘God gives rest to his loved ones’ (Psalm 127:2 NLT).