Nurturing Your Spiritual Garden: Scriptures for Restful Sleep

Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? Download Abide for Christian sleep meditations that use calming techniques and Scripture verses framed in soothing stories to lull you into a peaceful slumber.

What’s growing in your spiritual garden? Jesus often used nature to represent our inner lives: seeds falling on different soils, a fig tree with no fruit, branches abiding in the vine, a fruit tree bearing good fruit. And in the Psalms we have a tree planted by streams of water, a green olive tree in the house of God, and the palm tree that flourishes. All these images can help you rest at night when you consider what helps your spiritual garden grow. Let’s spend some time looking at some useful nature Scriptures for restful sleep.

Inner Life Like a Tree

Psalm 1

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:4

When you do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or sit in the seat of scoffers, or do the things that sinners perpetually do, you can be like this tree. When you delight yourself in God’s Word, you can be firmly planted. Your roots will go deep as you get your nourishment from the Living Water.

Psalm 52

But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.

Psalm 52:8

Doeg the Edomite had just revealed David’s location to King Saul, who pursued David in order to take David’s life. David called Doeg a “mighty man,” but one who depended on his own strength instead of God’s. Olive trees can live a very long time and be productive throughout. Being planted in the house of God can bring the abundant life Jesus offers.

Psalm 92

The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:12-13

In the same way that you can flourish even when an “enemy”—like pride, difficult circumstances, or even people—tries to derail you, rooting yourself in God will help you grow strong like a cedar tree and flourish like a palm. Even in hurricanes, palm trees rarely topple. You can declare with David, “[God] is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Bearing Good Fruit

Matthew 7

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 7:17-20

There’s a saying that aligns with this: beauty is as beauty does. And James, the brother of Jesus, knew the same truth: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:17-18, ESV).

But just as you, as a gardener, cannot make the fruit grow, you, as a follower of Jesus, must trust Him to bring about the growth in your life. Trust Him to work in and through you as you reflect on these Scriptures for restful sleep.

John 15

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

John 15:4

So often we try to do things by ourselves. We even try to make ourselves sleep. But God calls us to just … be. To abide in Him and let Him be our comfort and rest, “our very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Let go of your concerns and let God carry them.

Now listen to a short snippet of a sleep story from Abide based on John 15:5. Experience how calming Scriptures for restful sleep can be. Try to stay awake as you listen!

As you search for restful sleep, let Abide help you. We have more than 400 Bible-based sleep stories written and narrated to help you experience the peace of Christ. Join the thousands of people across the globe who have found these Scripture for restful sleep to be beneficial both physically and spiritually. Use this link for 25% off a premium subscription.

Stephanie Reeves is the senior editor for Abide. She lives in Orlando, Fla., along with her husband, 3 adult kids, and 1 adorable grandson.