Dream Fearlessly in God’s Perfect Peace
Your Nightly Prayer for Dec. 18, 2024
by Candice Lucey
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” - Isaiah 26:3
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Have you ever been afraid to go to sleep at night because you would have bad dreams? I suspect the baker in Pharaoh’s court had a sleepless night after his bad dream was interpreted by Joseph: “In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.” (Genesis 40:19) In his case, a dream became a horrific reality. But is this typical?
Many bad dreams involve fiction: someone is chasing us, or we killed someone, or we fell from a terrible height, or drove over a cliff. The cause of these dreams can involve hormonal disturbance (as in the case of postpartum intrusive thoughts) or a cycle of obsessive thinking, especially if the dream mimics our feared reality.
But the truth is, most of our bad dreams never come true. Consider for a moment: when have you ever killed anyone or approached the edge of the roof of a 40-storey building? Common sense guards us against such foolishness. So, what guards us against terrifying dreams when we are at our most vulnerable - during sleep?
While no one can guarantee you a dreamless slumber, or that your nighttime imaginings will take you somewhere peaceful, we can guard our minds for the dark hours by fixing our eyes on Christ through the day. How we focus our thoughts when we are conscious will help us to fill up on the peace, power, and presence of Christ when we are vulnerable.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” - Psalm 4:8
Heath Lambert explains that “our dreams—whether pleasant or nightmarish—are thoughts that we have while we are sleeping. Those thoughts come from our hearts (Mark 7:21), and our hearts can be shaped and guarded (Proverbs 4:23).” We can train ourselves to sleep better and fend off bad dreams, simply by doing what we are called to do anyway: follow Christ, both to stay the course in our waking hours and to ease our minds when we turn the lights out for sleep.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
Tonight, we pray for restful sleep. Please protect our dreams as our minds relax for the day. Help us to hand all of our worries over to You because, as Scripture proclaims, You care for us. Bless our minds to dream fearlessly, knowing we abide in the presence of Your perfect peace. Guard our minds as we drift through the night, Father.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Dream Themes.
Is there a recurring theme that exposes a waking fear you have not acknowledged? Ask God to search your heart (Psalm 139:23) and convict you if you are clinging to something instead of someone, namely Christ. On the other hand, If the themes in your nightmares pertain to unresolved issues in your past, consider talking to a counselor (in the morning).
2. God is Sovereign.
Matthew 8:24 tells us that Jesus was asleep while the waters rocked the disciples’ boat. He trusted the Father not to make life easy but to give him rest in the middle of chaos. Remember that you cannot force your loved ones to stop doing drugs, to leave a toxic partner, to walk with the Lord: He is in control of those situations, not you. If you think “sleep” means you are leaving your post, you have overestimated your power, underestimated the Lord’s power, and deprived yourself of rest.
3. Sleep Hygiene.
“Test everything; hold fast to what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Examine your routine, and perhaps you will stop watching the news or forensic crime dramas before bed. If you like playing video games, turn the screen off at least two hours before you slip under the covers, and maybe switch from violent games to more creative ones. Avoid snacks late at night (the mind-food connection is real!) Read something airy, such as a comedic memoir or light fiction. Resolve tensions with family members during your waking hours instead of processing them at night.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Aja Koska
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