The Beautiful Truth that God Never Sleeps

I’ve never been a good sleeper, and that must have been annoying to my poor mother, who just wanted a few minutes’ peace. It’s annoying to me now, in the third 3rd of a busy life in which I could benefit from a catnap now and then. Thankfully, I’m no longer sleepless because of fear, but I can remember analyzing every creak and whoosh and scrutinizing every dark shadow as a child.

There’s a good reason why the ancient prayer practices of the church have provided lyrics for nighttime prayer. This is a favorite from the Collect at Evening Prayer:

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord;
and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.”

Then, there’s the prayer known as “Compline,” part of nighttime services in liturgical traditions:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake.
Amen”

God Never Sleeps

Of course, the reason these prayers have offered such solace over the centuries is the stunning truth that God is always on hand to listen to them. He never sleeps! I wish someone had read Psalm 121 to my sister and me in our rickety bunk beds.

My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:2-4 ESV)

The writer is emphatic. “He who keeps you will not slumber,” and—in case you missed it the first time—”He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Consciously turning to nighttime prayer reminds our hearts that the same God who was in charge during the daylight hours has not nodded off or left his post. Because he is sleepless, you can sleep.

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Trusting God When You’re Afraid of the Dark

Charlie has acquired expert-level stalling techniques and manipulation strategies for delaying bedtime. Nonetheless, bedtime arrives every night, and with it the dark bedroom, with its “creaky, whirring, whispery sounds” that could be a robber, a werewolf, or a potential disaster in the making. Then, one night, Charlie’s parents read from the Bible the reassuring truth that “while you sleep, God is awake, watching over you. That means you are never alone.”

Welcher’s good work provides a script for parents and other caregivers to vulnerably share that they also need to keep handing over their own fears to the God who never sleeps. Meeting our children’s fears with both sensitivity and good theology sets the stage for future conversations when bigger fears and more consequential issues are at stake.

Consciously turning to nighttime prayer reminds our hearts that the same God who was in charge during the daylight hours has not nodded off or left his post. Because he is sleepless, you can sleep.

In partnership with illustrator @breezytulip, @racheljwelcher has created Charlie Can’t Sleep, with the reassuring message that God sees us and hears our prayers even in the dark. @IvpKids

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Holding You in the Light,

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A New YouVersion Devotional!

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