Everyone, at some point in their lives, has spent a night staring at the ceiling in the darkness of a sleepless night. Some of us are awoken by worries of tomorrow or regrets of days past, others are kept up by pain or illness, while many of us are simply caught in up in the tempest of our own thoughts. Whether our tossing and turning comes rarely, or is the product of persistent insomnia, it is always an unwelcome nuisance that can leave us feeling exhausted and unsettled. When we find ourselves once again wide awake in the heaviness of night, envious of all the people out there sleeping while we fidget with the blankets, take a moment to notice how silent it is at this time. Every thought can begin to snowball into worries, and every noise is magnified in the stillness of night. If we quiet our minds, we can hear the calling of our Father. Reaching out to the Lord in prayer, we begin to feel His presence and appreciate the opportunity we have before us. While we have been fussing in bed, He has been patiently waiting for us to notice Him and take the time to talk to Him. He may be the only one awake in the room right now, and He is always excited to listen to us, no matter what time it is. He eagerly attends to us, listening to our problems with concern, comforting us with warm love, and guiding us if we will only ask and listen as best as we can. We realize that some of our best conversations with Him can happen in the middle of a sleepless night if we will only get out of our own thoughts and do our best to look to the Lord. Not only are thoughts and sounds magnified in the dark and silence of night, but so too is His voice if we can prevent it from being drowned out by our racing thoughts. He takes immense joy in our praise, delights in our prayers no matter how silly they may seem, and adores our conversations with Him. True love and affection is never far from us in our beds, and will gently sooth our restless souls and listen to us all night without hesitation. As we meditate on His promise and unconditional love, appreciating the abundant blessings we have in Him, we can grow closer to God in a sleepless night.

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”  – Luke 6:12 esv

“At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.”  – Psalms 119:62 esv

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.”  – Psalms 119:148 esv

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night”  – Psalms 63:5-6 esv