There are things each of us may have gone through at some point in life that leave us thinking, I never want to go through that again. For me, one of those things was growing up as an insomniac.
I believe my lifelong struggle with sleep contributed to my addiction to alcohol and drugs before I gave my life to the Lord at the age of twenty-four. I drank to pass out—just so I could sleep. Of course, that only traded one set of problems for another.
After I gave my heart to the Lord, not only was I delivered from drugs and alcohol, but I was also delivered from insomnia. I began reading my Bible every chance I got and ended every day in the Word. One verse in particular stood out to me:
Proverbs 3:24 (NIV) “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
I took that as God’s promise to me. I memorized it. I thanked God for it. And every night, I fell asleep thanking Him for it.
The Lord taught me that I needed to pay attention not only to the promise “your sleep will be sweet,” but also to the condition “you will not be afraid.” There were times when fear would try to creep in—fear of not sleeping, fear of insomnia returning. God showed me that fear, whose source is Satan, operates much like faith.
Faith is fueled by belief and trust in God’s promises. Fear is fueled by believing what Satan might—or will—do wrong in your life. Whatever you have feared in the past or future is often the very fear the enemy tries to present to you today.
One promise that became my sword against fear came from this verse:
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Whenever fear tried to return—fear of sleeplessness or fear of insomnia—I rebuked it and called it out for what it was: a lie. I would literally speak God’s promises out loud. Peace would come. Calm would return. And I would continue thanking God for the truth of His Word.
Over time, the Lord also revealed that some sleep issues were self-inflicted. The Holy Spirit taught me not to drink caffeinated coffee past noon—it was keeping me awake. He showed me that eating late at night caused my digestive system to work overtime, disrupting my sleep. Sugary nighttime snacks and drinks like orange or cranberry juice had the same effect.
I had to pay attention. I had to listen to the Holy Spirit as He helped me discern what needed to change. When I did my part—being mindful of what I consumed in the evening—and refused to allow fear to settle in my mind, my sleep remained sweet. And as a bonus, I lost weight.
I know it may sound like all of this happened quickly and easily. Trust me—it didn’t. These were lessons learned over time, taught by the Holy Spirit through prayer and time in the Word.
God’s promises always prevail in our lives when we take hold of them by faith and stand on them until they are fully manifested. And when they are, we thank Him again and again—forever.
2 Samuel 22:31 (NLT) “God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.”
