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Most people know a good night’s sleep can have numerous health benefits. Whether you are sick, trying to avoid getting sick, feeling overwhelmed or overworked, or anything in-between, rest plays an integral factor in carrying away some of that weight. However, the benefits of sleep go beyond just your physical and even mental wellbeing. The spiritual benefits of sleep prove equally important.
Sleep’s Spiritual Benefits
When looking to strengthen your connection with God and improve your spiritual health, sleeping may not come first to mind. More often, it may go to prayer, reading Scripture, worship, spending time in Christian community, and helping those in the world around you. All of these things are incredibly important and are indeed vital to strengthening your relationship with Christ and His Church. However, none of these things can be done well when your mind and body are bogged down by exhaustion.
The Benefit of a Clearer Mind
This is where the physical and mental benefits of sleep stand hand-in-hand with the spiritual ones. With good sleep—good rest—comes a clearer mind with which to read Scripture and spend time in God’s Word. With good rest comes a better attitude. With a better attitude, you can connect with the Lord through prayer and hear what He is saying to you. With good rest comes more energy to be with other people and share in the community God has given you. The spiritual benefits of sleep are tied to the physical and mental benefits of sleep. They are all so, so important to strengthening your relationship and connection with the Lord.
Good Sleep Can Bring Peace
Another vital ingredient in stronger spiritual health that a good night’s sleep brings is peace. When we’re tired, when we’re worn, our peace can feel so fragile, and our ability to find stillness and connection becomes a strenuous task.
With rest comes peace from the world’s noise, the weight of the day, the demands of life, and all the other distractions that work to pull our attention away from the Lord. With this peace, you can feel freer to hand your burdens, your fears, your worries and concerns to the Lord, and place your trust in Him. Without peace, it can be even harder to experience that good night’s sleep. Then it’s just a cycle of never being able to feel fully rested not only in your body, but in your spirit as well.
Strength to Fight Spiritual Battles
Finally, a spiritual benefit of sleep some may not often think about is the mental fortitude to wear and bear the armor of God so the enemy’s forces cannot sway you. When your mind and body are exhausted, thoughts and feelings that are not from God can gain a foothold in your heart.
The vulnerability of fatigue brings emotional danger, making it that much harder to raise the shield and sword, take refuge in the cover of the helm, the protection of the breastplate, the belt, and the shoes, and stand firm against your enemy. It may seem like something as seemingly insignificant as a good night’s sleep won’t do much against the darkness. But resting your mind and body is the best way to fortify them enough so when they are pushed against, they do not crumble.
Tools for Better Sleep
Listen to a short segment of this Abide meditation I wrote based on Ephesians 6:16 about the shield of faith. Let God speak to your weary heart about how your faith protects you.
Now listen to a short portion of an Abide sleep story that I wrote based on Jeremiah 29:13. Sleep stories like this can help you experience better sleep and the benefits that brings to your body, mind, and spirit.
Consider now taking a moment to pray:
Lord, please help me get the good night’s sleep I need. I want to wake with the readiness of mind, body, and spirit to face whatever hardships may come. Help me hold fast to You and find rest so I can be ready to face anything the enemy throws my way. Bring me peace so I can sleep and bring an even deeper peace from that sleep. Thank You for always looking out for me, for preparing me with Your Word. Help me get the sleep I need to do whatever it is You have planned for me to do. Thank You. Amen.
Let Abide be your daily companion as you seek to experience the spiritual benefits of sleep. Our more than 400 Bible-based sleep stories all exist to help you sleep better and grow closer to God. Download the app and start a premium subscription to gain access to our entire library of content. Use this link for 25% off.
Morgan is a junior at the University of Central Florida where she is majoring in Creative Writing. She lives in Florida with her family and their two cats, Stella and Luna.
