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