Having trouble catching some quality zzz’s? Improve your sleep with gratitude and Scripture through our prayers for sleeplessness and our gratitude sleep meditations.
Wondering what the Bible says about insomnia? Well, the answer is that God gives His beloved sleep! And guess what…you are His beloved! Restful sleep was always the intention of our thoughtful Creator. From the dawn of history to our current times, we were meant to work, enjoy life to the fullest, and also rest. However, our modern era is quick to idolize work, which creates a stressful environment. The hustle of today’s world can overwhelm our peace and damage our sleep.
Thankfully, there’s a way out of this cycle. It’s as simple as gratitude, reading the Scriptures, and engaging the Lord in prayer. Through our gratitude sleep meditations and prayer for sleeplessness, you can find rest in the night.
How Does Gratitude Improve Sleep?
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18
Science is catching up to the Bible on the power of thanksgiving, gratitude, meditation for your sleep. According to Research.com, gratitude “wires and fires new neural connections, enhances dopamine and serotonin – the neurotransmitters responsible for happiness, and reduces fear and anxiety by regulating stress hormones.” Incredible! The simple act of gratitude is responsible for so much good! By giving thanks to God with a simple gratitude meditation before sleep, you could be catching zzz’s faster than you’ve ever known.
Some easy ways to practice a gratitude sleep meditation are by:
- keeping a journal
- saying out loud what you’re thankful for
- reminding others of the good they are doing and thanking them for being kind
Developing a habit of gratitude, especially a habit of gratitude meditations before you sleep, is an easy way to provide rest for your mind and help you recover better at night.
How Does Scripture Improve Sleep?
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2
The Bible is able to comfort, console, and calm our minds in every season, at any time. Reading scripture reminds us of our identity, enables us to cast our cares on God (1 Peter 5:7), and empowers us to trust in our heavenly Father. When we remind ourselves that we are in God’s loving care, we can be at rest.
New to the Bible? Check out our article: How to Study the Bible for Beginners to learn more about the Word of God!
A Bedtime Routine to Improve Your Sleep
Besides limiting screen time and any other bedtime routines you have developed, try adding the following steps to your daily habits. Below is our gratitude sleep meditation examples and prayers for sleeplessness:
Honor the Lord by giving thanks.
Here’s an example of a prayer for sleeplessness that’s focused on thanksgiving. Take time to add anything you are grateful for:
“Thank You, Father, for today! Thank You for waking me up this morning and keeping me safe throughout the day. Thank You for my room, my bed, and my home. Thank You for good food, good friends, and good family. Thank You in advance for giving me a good night’s rest. Thank You for who You are and all You do!”
Read and speak the Bible.
Not sure where to start? Cultivate a gratitude sleep meditation before bed by reading, speaking, or singing the Bible! Here are some Bible Verses to foster thanksgiving and gratitude as you’re getting ready to sleep:
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever! - 1 Chronicles 16:34
This gratitude sleep meditation is a great scripture to pray and speak as you’re heading to bed. Think about all the generations who have prayed to the Lord for rest. Think about all of the people who have been healed through prayers for insomnia. Thank God in advance for the breakthrough of rest. His steadfast love will come to heal you!
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. - Psalm 103:1-4
Sometimes prayer for sleeplessness is as simple as praying the Bible. When we “forget not all His benefits” and thank God out loud for what we’re grateful for, our mind shifts from a state of anxiety to a state of calm. Thank God for being the one who heals all your diseases and even redeems you from dark times.
Our team at Ask About My Faith is praying for your night time to be full of rest and calm! Knowing that God is a God who is faithful, we are praying Psalm 103:1-4 as a prayer for sleeplessness over all those who are reading.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. - Psalm 91:11
Psalm 91 is one of the best Bible verses to read as a gratitude sleep meditation. In this Psalm, the author is recalling all the miraculous ways God protects His people. Memorizing this psalm and praying it before bed is a powerful prayer for sleeplessness. One way to do this easily is to record yourself saying (or singing) this Psalm and playing it each night as a gratitude sleep meditation before sleep.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. - Philippians 4:8
Believe it or not, when we think about good things (even if it feels inauthentic) it causes a shift in
our minds. Try thinking about a happy elephant dancing in a tutu on a medicine ball and try not to smile. It’s basically impossible! As we recall the good things, the lovely things, and the pure things about God and our lives, we are praying against sleeplessness by reminding our souls that we are okay.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. - Isaiah 26: 3-4
Another gratitude sleep meditation is this Bible verse for peace in Isaiah 26:3-4. When our mind is fixed on God, we can experience a supernatural peace that is unexplainable.
As a child of God, you can find rest that is restorative and calm. God loves you and wants to lift your burdens so that you can have rest. He wants you to have a relationship with Him that is full of hope and thanksgiving!
Faith-Based Stress Management Techniques for Insomnia Relief
Still finding yourself tossing and turning at night? You're not alone! According to the Cleveland Clinic, “1 in 3 adults worldwide have insomnia symptoms”.
Chronic stress can really interfere with a good night's sleep. But where does faith come in to reduce stress? Well, what the Bible says about insomnia may surprise you: God actually promises us sleep! Even in the beginning of creation, God – who needs no rest – wrote in a day of rest into our weekly calendars called the sabbath.
By giving our cares to God and practicing gratitude, we can experience a powerful path to relaxation and rest. The Bible often speaks of peace and trust in God, which can soothe anxious minds. Here are four faith-based techniques for insomnia relief:
- Practice a Weekly Sabbath: Sometimes we’re overwhelmed because we’re not taking a day each week to rest. When God created the heavens and the earth, He rested on the seventh day. God gave us a great example of choosing to rest even when it feels counterintuitive! By practicing a weekly sabbath where you put your phone away, read, pray, go for walks, and intentionally do the things that bring you joy, you can experience more rest during the night time.
- Record Bible Verses on Your Voice Memos: Get your phone out! Reading is good, but speaking and listening to the Bible is sometimes even better. Scroll up to the “Read & Speak the Bible” section in this blog and record those Bible verses and prayers into the voice memos app on your phone. By listening to this each night before bed, you will renew your mind by hearing the prayers for insomnia in the Bible!
- Invite Others to Pray For You: You were never meant to walk alone. If you’re experiencing chronic or acute insomnia, be sure to let others into your journey of healing and freedom. Sometimes being the only one whose praying against insomnia can be exhausting. Ask your friends, family, pastors, or worship leaders to pray for you to experience rest in the night.
- Seek Professional Help: Sometimes as Christians, we’re afraid to ask for help, but there is no shame in seeking counseling or medical care for chronic insomnia. God uses doctors and therapists to help get to the root issues of insomnia. Call your local health provider or the Project Sleep Helpline for more information.
Conclusion
As a child of God, it is your inheritance to experience rest that is restorative and calm. God loves you and wants to lift your burdens so that you can have rest. He wants you to have a relationship with Him that is full of hope and thanksgiving! Use our gratitude sleep meditations and prayers for sleeplessness to calm your body and renew your mind tonight.
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