My favorite time of the day is at its end — when I crawl into bed, pet the cat, pull the covers over me, and say my last prayer of the day. Just before sleep claims me, I practice the spiritual discipline of Examen — to examine the events of the day and offer them to God’s anointing grace.
I begin with gratitude for all the people I met that day and the opportunities that were offered to make an impact in someone’s life:
- For the work of the day
- For the conversations of the day
- For the play that day
- For the prayers offered for each person
- For God being present throughout the entire day
Then I review my responses and thoughts of that day. Were there places and times when my mind was not being transformed into the image of Christ? Were there words spoken for which I now repent? Were there thoughts and secrets that did not exalt the name of Jesus? I confess those moments. Then I end with a Bible verse I am currently memorizing. And I breathe deeply, grateful for the gift of sleep.
During certain times of illness or spiritual struggle, insomnia claims that gift. Sometimes it is the result of letting worry cloud my mind and heart. Sometimes I ate supper too late, so the process of digestion keeps me awake. Certain medications can cause insomnia. Sometimes I am so deeply troubled for someone that I cannot sleep and end up on my knees. And scrolling through electronics too late in the day can disrupt our sleep rhythms.
Those are times I begin with the alphabet and pray for everyone I know whose name begins with ‘A’, then ‘B’, and so on. Usually, by the time I hit ‘J’, I am asleep. The next night, I start with ‘Z’ and work backwards.
No matter what sleeping patterns we use, we can rely on the sustaining power of Christ to keep us. Either to give us strength after a night without sleep or to give wisdom for any decisions that are keeping us from complete rest.
While King David was fleeing from the betrayal of his son, Absalom, he penned Psalm Three. In verse five, David attributes the calmness of his sleep to the sustaining power of God, “I lie down and sleep. I wake again because the Lord sustains me.” (NIV).
If David could feel secure during his fearful journey, so can we. If he could sleep when every muscle was tensed to hear approaching danger, can we not also rest in peace with the safety of God’s care?
“God gives to his beloved in their sleep.” (Psalm 127:2 NIV). Sleep is a gift, presented to us from the Giver of all good things.
©2026 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: KAVOWO / Pixabay
Check out more ideas about God’s sustaining power: Sustain Us, Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard.