Is Sleep a Battle for You?

Does sleep feel like a battle?  Changing some of your habits may make a difference.  But it might also be a spiritual battle that you can learn to fight.  If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it may be difficult to spend time reading your Bible and praying.  It might even be difficult to make it to church.  And it makes getting through your day with alertness and focus a challenge.

Here is a free Guide to habits you can develop to help you sleep well.  I have used some of these techniques and plan to use more of them.
Click to open this pdf.  You may download it for free.
Better Sleep Guide

My Spiritual Battle for Sleep

For many years, I struggled with difficulty sleeping.  It wasn’t unusual to get only three or four hours of sleep some nights. Sometimes I couldn’t fall asleep for hours, and sometimes I woke up way too early. I knew that my sleep problems were a spiritual battle.  I tried to fight the battle with the name of Jesus against sleeplessness. Sometimes I had people pray for me.  Prayer helped for a time, but then the battle resumed because I wasn’t receiving continual prayer about my sleep.  I noticed that the worst nights were often the nights before church, leading a Bible study, or attending a morning prayer meeting.

As much as I enjoy writing, I became so tired and unable to focus that I couldn’t concentrate on it.  I often dozed off in my recliner when I tried to read.  God was faithful to help me with many of my responsibilities in spite of the lack of sleep.  But the sleep problem was wearing me down.  Through these difficulties, I was able to grow my prayer life.  If I couldn’t sleep in the night, I could use some of that time for prayer.

I had not realized that I could ask God to send angels to battle for me.  I praise the Lord that I recently came across a video by the late Kenneth Hagin that taught me to do this! I learned that speaking out some of the following verses, prayers, and declarations each night helps me sleep.  Why?  Because when we speak words of faith from God’s Word, it releases God’s promises.  Some of God’s promises involve God sending angels to minister to us and guard us.  They battle spiritual forces of darkness that come to bring restlessness or nights of little sleep.

Now each night I choose to speak some of these verses, prayers, and declarations out loud in faith before turning out my light.  I have struggled with little sleep for years, but since I started doing this, I have slept much better most nights.  What a blessing!

You Can Speak These Words to Help You Sleep!

Speak them with faith that God is working as you call upon Him.

Verses

Hebrews 1:14  “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

Psalm 34:7  “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 103:20 “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.”

Psalm 91:11  “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

Psalm 4:8  “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep.  For you alone, Oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Proverbs 3:24  “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Prayers

Father, your word says angels are ministering spirits sent to serve me because I am an heir of salvation. Please assign angels to this household to guard at every door. Send them to patrol the perimeter of this property and drive out every dark influence. Guard my health. Guard my family. Guard my sleep.

Father, I thank you that angels protect me tonight. I thank you that healing flows through my body. I thank you that every scheme of the enemy has already failed. I thank you that I sleep in peace, and I rise in victory. I thank you that tonight is not an accident. Tonight is alignment with You and Your will.

Father, I thank You that Your Word is alive. I thank You that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I thank You that You give Your beloved sleep.  I receive that sleep tonight, peaceful, protected, and full of rest.

Thank you, Lord. Your angels are guarding me. Your blood is over me. Your word is in me. No fear can stay. No sickness can remain. No spirit of torment can cross this line. I sleep in peace. I wake up in healing. I pray in Jesus’ name and give You praise.

In order to have a peaceful heart before sleep, pray this:
Father, I release every person who has hurt me. I choose to forgive. I choose to walk in love. I choose to obey the Word. I hold no offense. I bless those who curse me. I let it go in Jesus’ name.

Declarations

Enough is enough!  In Jesus’ name, I’m taking back my peace, my health, my home, my sleep, and my future.

I am above attacks on my sleep. I am not beneath. I am seated in authority through Jesus Christ. My position through Jesus is victory, power over the enemy, and peace.

God’s angels hearken to the word of God. They excel in strength. They go forth and fulfill God’s assignments for healing, provision, protection, and deliverance.

God has given his angels charge over me. They keep me. They protect me. I sleep in peace. My body is healed. My soul is quiet. My home is surrounded by ministering spirits. In Jesus’ name, I rest.

No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

God,You are my Shield against the attacks of the enemy.

Don’t Give Up!

You can’t do this once or twice and then give up, saying, “This doesn’t work.”  As you do this night after night, your faith will grow, and you will see God transforming your sleep.

Every night is not perfect.  Sometimes God wants me to be awake to pray and listen for His voice. Overall, I am seeing steady improvement.

Do this nightly for a couple of weeks, and then come back and comment to share your sleep battle experience.

Verses quoted above are from the New King James Version of the Bible.