Can’t Sleep – How to Rest in God ((FREE Printable!))

David needed God to care for Him. He knew that God would. People were coming to kill him, thousands were chasing him as he hid, and yet he laid down and went to sleep.

Scripture’s Answer to Your Sleep Problem

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” King David penned these words in Psalm 3:5 as he fled from his son Absalom who was coming to kill him. Those who wanted to overtake him seemed to be everywhere. The situation was dire.

But God. God was acting as David’s shield and the lifter of his head. God was hearing David’s cries (Psalm 3:3-4).

Scripture Shaped Response to Sleep Struggle

When darkness seemed that it would overtake him, David looked to the God he knew he could trust. His theology became deeply practical when he laid his head down that night to go to sleep.

And suddenly all those tales about God’s historical provision for the people of Israel and those truths that had been instilled in his heart from a young age as Deuteronomy 6 commanded become incredibly real and necessary.

He needed God to care for Him. He knew that God would. People were coming to kill him, thousands were chasing him as he hid, and yet he laid down and went to sleep.

Flowing through his mind were probably the stories of God’s provision for Noah and his family as they escaped the worldwide flood. He probably thought of Abraham and Sarah and how God kept His promise to them of a son. The people of Israel escaping the Egyptian army after the plagues with incredible bounty were probably recalled. Along with the many battles the small nation had overwhelmingly won because God was on their side. Perhaps he even thought of his own lineage as God provided for his great grandmother Ruth.

He probably also remembered the song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 where he proclaimed, “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity.”

Perhaps he hoped like Joseph that what was his son Absalom meant for evil God would use for good.

Maybe he was thinking of how God had provided for his own needs over the years, allowing him to slay the bear and the lion and the giant.

We don’t know what exactly filled David’s mind as his enemies drew near. All we know is that his attention was on the Lord and that the knowledge of God’s character gave him the peace to lay down with a calm spirit and rest.

Why Do I Struggle To Sleep?

Reading that verse makes me feel so foolish. I have so much more Scripture than David did. I don’t look ahead to a promised Messiah, I look back with a full Scriptural account of Who my Savior is. On top of all that, I have the Holy Spirit inside of me to walk with me in every moment.

My son often keeps me awake at night but only because he is a terrible sleeper, not because he is trying to kill me.

And yet I still lay awake at night. I worry about interpersonal struggles and fret over a never ending to-do list. I imagine all the things I would like to do or have. Worries about finances, my children, my family, my church seem to surround me.

And it is here that my theology hits real life. Scripture shows me who God is. It reveals His plan for all of human history. It even promises that He will work all things together for my good.

And I worry and can’t go to sleep.

I need to be reminded about Who God is and I need to know Christ. I need to understand His character and reflect on the promises of Scripture. Remembering the many many times He has provided for my needs and met me in my circumstances is a necessity.

In order to help myself do this I made a simple printable that I hope you will find helpful too.

Things I need to remember in order to truly rest in God.

1. God’s character

This section gives just a small glimpse into Who we serve. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness, love, and mercy. God has told us about Himself in His Word. This is meant to remind you of that.

2. God’s promises

What did God say He would do for His children anyway? So often we hear the lies of Satan which echo in our hearts the way they did for our mother Eve, “Did God really say ….?” Be encouraged through this and reminded that God makes promises to His children and He always keeps His promises.

3. God’s faithfulness in Scripture

Here you will find quick thoughts about Adam and Eve and God’s faithfulness to them despite their outrageous sin, God’s protection of the people of Israel when the Egyptians were close at hand, David’s miraculous slaying of the giant, and even the provision for the newly formed church in the New Testament.

4. God’s faithfulness in my life

This is the place you can write brief reminders of God’s provision for you and your family. Several things from the last year immediately come to my mind – God’s provision of a set of snow tires we desperately needed. God protecting my son when he fell into a pool this summer. The grace to continue to function through sleepless nights and Crohn’s disease. The list can go on and on. Write your own stories of God’s protection and provision in your life. He does not change. It doesn’t mean you will always be safe and happy but the same God who has met your needs a million times before is still able to meet your needs today.

I hope you will move forward in your trust of Christ along with me. We must know our God in order to be able to rest in Him when the world around us seems to be falling apart. He is the same God he was in the Scriptures. He continues to be faithful to His people. We can trust Him. We don’t have to accomplish anything on our own. God is on the throne. We can, like David, “lay down and [sleep]”.

**Please note, I am not a medical doctor and this help is meant to be strictly of spiritual encouragement. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition associated with lack of sleep**

For more encouragement on resting in Christ check out A Call To Rest In the Presence of God

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