When I was a kid, I hated taking naps. One day, when I was four years old, my mom told me to nap. I adamantly stomped my foot and said NO. She picked me up and, with me kicking and screaming, put me in bed. Eventually, I fell asleep and had a good nap. As an early riser, I couldn't wait for 7:00 a.m. to arrive each morning to get up, have my favorite breakfast cereal, and start my day.
Things have changed as an adult. Some days, I can't wait for my workday to be over so I can climb into bed for a good power nap. As I've matured, I’ve realized I don't get as much good sleep at night as I should. I often toss and turn for one to two hours per night. Although I do take sleep aids and other supplements to help give me a good night's rest, sometimes it's not enough.
Instead of getting frustrated with being unable to sleep, however, I have learned to use that time to pray. As someone who also struggles with anxiety, I sometimes wake up feeling nervous. Sometimes, it's due to an overwhelming schedule. Other times, it's due to different physical ailments that may be plaguing me at the time. However, with ingenuity, I can use my awake time to enhance my sleep life. Here are nighttime prayers to pray if you're tossing and turning:
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1. Lord, Help Me
1. Lord, Help Me
This is the first prayer I pray. Because sometimes I can fall back asleep, I want to give God everything that's burdening me. My mind often races with things to do or other emotions I'm processing. Because I'm not taking in other stimuli or crowding out God's voice with different things throughout my day, this is the time when the Holy Spirit shows me things that he wants me to work on in my spiritual life. Sometimes, I must forgive people who have hurt me. Other times, I work out a situation where I'm unsure of the outcome. Other times, it is me confessing my sins to God.
Once that's done, I then launch into things that are on my mind I want God to help me. This can be anything from a want I have to help with any problems I have. This is when I ask God anything that comes to my mind. No matter how frivolous or tempted I am to believe he would say no to my request, I still use that time to ask anyway. It is when I feel the freest because I'm alone and do not need to use my time for any other purpose except to talk to God.
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2. Lord, Help Them
2. Lord, Help Them
Next, I choose to use the time to ask God to help those who I believe are in trouble. These can be people I know who are not walking with the Lord. These can also be people I have observed acting hypocritically. These are the people that I know need God's help, but I'm unsure if they have the spiritual connection or discernment to ask for help. Therefore, I intercede on their behalf, asking for his help. Sometimes, I ask him to reveal something in their hearts or minds preventing them from living a life of freedom. I ask God to free them from that.
Other times, I speak to him about unconfessed sin in their lives. Whatever it may be, I choose to use that time to intercede on behalf of those I know are in trouble. These can be people who have shared spiritual needs with me, or those I've just observed are not living the best Christian life.
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3. Lord, Be with Me
3. Lord, Be with Me
I then ask for the Lord to be with me always. Sometimes, it is most comforting to cry out and ask God to make his presence known to me. I often make many decisions on my own. It isn't easy to navigate life with very little support. Therefore, I need God's help anytime I can get it. I ask him for his wisdom and discernment in different situations. Sometimes, he will wake me up with a word from his spirit. Sometimes, these are things he wants me to know about others that prohibit them from knowing him intimately. When those words arise, I will also ask the Lord to be with them.
God's Word promises we are never alone. Christ promises he will be with us every step of the way, even through the most challenging trial. However, it is easy to lose sight of that if we don't know the Lord intimately. By asking the Lord to be with me, he is reassuring me that I am in his presence with me and that because of Him, I can do everything.
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4. Lord, Be with Them
4. Lord, Be with Them
Then, I pray and ask God for his intercession, healing, presence, or comfort for those I know are suffering. These can be people who have received health diagnoses like cancer or are dealing with other hardships in life with which they need intercession. Sometimes, I ask God to bless them abundantly, especially for those I know have endured unspeakable suffering and trial.
I ask the Lord to make his blessings abundant to them both here and in heaven. God promises their treasure will be great in heaven, but I also ask if he would multiply that blessing on earth. I ask him to bless their careers, families, relationships, and marriages.
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5. Lord, Be the Center
5. Lord, Be the Center
If I'm still awake, I ask the Lord to be the center of my life. I often think about the verse in John 5 that says, “I am the vine, you are the branches… apart from me you can do nothing.” Without God at the center of my life, it is difficult for me to do anything. I will become more distracted, less tolerant of other people's idiosyncrasies, and exude the opposite of the fruits of the spirit. Sometimes, I need to remind myself that if God is not the center, he needs to become the center. If God has not already revealed anything that may be blocking me from a right relationship with him, I confess those sins at that point. I then ask him to guide and direct me as I get up the next day. I may also ask him for extra energy and sustenance as I navigate daily with less sleep than I would like.
Last, I thank God for all that he has done. I exercise gratitude whenever possible in my spiritual life. Because God is the vine, he is my life's ultimate source of growth. Without him, I would be a wilted branch, dead and ready to be chopped off. I ask God for his renewal in my life if any areas are wilting and need to be pruned. If you only have time to do one thing, it would be to thank God for his goodness in your life. Practicing gratitude every evening while awake will give you a better perspective for the morning.
Prayer can be challenging to practice during the day. However, if you are getting poor-quality sleep, use your time to pray instead. Not only will it help give you a more positive perspective and help you express gratitude, confess sins, and allow those prayers to grow you in your spiritual life.
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Originally published March 04, 2025.
