Good Sleep and Hearing From God

The correlations between getting good sleep and hearing from God are surprising. In the Bible God spoke the most often to people while they were asleep, whether through dreams or through night visions. Here are a few of those correlations…

Keys for Good Sleep

1. A safe, comfortable place

For starters, if you want good sleep then you need to be resting in a safe place. Personally I’ve slept in some odd places in different countries and my sleep wasn’t good at all. But when I know I’m in a safe, comfortable place, I sleep much better.

Hearing from God is similar. I’ve attended churches and stayed in places where gossip, sin, and division were major issues. It made the atmosphere tense and it was much more difficult to feel the Spirit and to see Him move. But when I’m with people who genuinely love the Lord and are moving in His grace, hearing from the Lord is so much easier.

2. A good blanket/sheets

Good covers make a huge difference, especially after you get used to them. One of the best feelings in the world is getting under the covers at night.

Covering is also crucial for hearing from God. I preached on this recently (“The Need for Covering”). You can listen to that here. It’s worth the listen! You can also find it on iTunes via podcast at New Philadelphia Church.

3. No distractions

Cell phones, TV’s, laptops and other distracting objects should be kept away from your bed or at least turned off before you get into the bed. Worrying about plans or stressing over different things will often lead to a long, restless night. It’s best to stop working at least 30 minutes before bedtime and let your body wind down.

In the same way you will not hear from God is you’re surrounded by distractions. Satan will try and do anything to keep you from listening. The moment you try and silence yourself to listen he will often remind you of random things to do or try and distract you with random thoughts. Quieting your soul requires practice and self control. The more you can tune out distractions, the more you will hear from God.

4. Keeping to a schedule

Your body will be out of wack if you sleep at 10pm one night and then 2am the next night and then 8pm the next night. Your body responds best to a consistent sleep schedule. Putting yourself into a routine of getting ready for bed at a certain hour and waking up at a certain hour makes for quality sleep.

In the Bible Daniel was one of the greatest prophets. He had a consistent schedule of spending time with God in the morning, afternoon, and evening. We don’t know the exact times or for how long, but God blessed Daniel’s consistency and gave him some of the clearest prophecies of Jesus and of the end times. Moses and Aaron were also instructed to be very timely in their offerings and when they would pray. Just as friends and loved ones are blessed when we are consistent and on time when we meet them, so is God blessed and honored when we are consistent and on time to be with Him. Figure out when the best time is for you to pray and connect with God and try to make it a point to meet with God at that time for as many days in a week as possible.

5. Comfortable sleep clothes

No one wears jeans and a stiff button down shirt to sleep. Putting on comfortable sleep clothes (pajamas) prepares your body for sleep. The more relaxed you feel, the better.

Isaiah 61:10 describes how God clothes us with righteousness and with salvation. In Revelation 3:18 we’re encouraged to clothe ourselves with white garments from God. These garments represent grace. The more we meditate on God’s grace and depend on His grace rather than our own works, the more we will hear from Him. Adam and Eve tried to clothe themselves with fig leaves (which represent works) but still felt naked and ashamed. God had to clothe them. The more we lean on His grace the more we will hear His voice. Grace leads to peace and a calm spirit, which are perfect conditions for hearing from God.

 

There are definitely more correlations, but I’ll stop with those five. Rest well! And may you hear from the Lord this year more than you ever have before!

Psalm 4:8 – In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Numbers 12:6 – “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.”