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Can’t Sleep? | Making A Difference
Categories: Devotions

Can’t Sleep?

Today’s Passage – Psalm 61 – 68

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. (Psalm 63:6)

Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night?  It is a huge problem for many people.  They toss and turn all night, thinking and worrying about all sorts of things.  Thankfully, since my time in Bible college, I can honestly say that it is a very rare occasion when I don’t go right to sleep after hitting the pillow; and usually I sleep like a rock all through the night.  However, every once in a while I do have some pressing issue in my mind that keeps sleep from me.  I have discovered that prayer is a wonderful help during those difficult nights.  I have learned that praying about these rest-robbing problems will cause me to feel more at ease about them, and will allow me to have enough peace to get some rest.

Recently I have taken this a step further.  Now when I go to sleep I start praising God for who He is, and for all of the wonderful blessings He has given to me and my family.  It is usually not long before I am sleeping peacefully with the last thought of the day being about our wonderful Lord.  As a preacher, I often tell our people to give the first part of the day to God; but how glorious it is to finish the day with my last conscious thoughts about Him.

Tonight when you go to bed, why not try to spend those last moments praising the Lord for His goodness.  I bet it will help you sleep better.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)


Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married for 34 years, and have four children and eight grandchildren. His oldest son, Phil Jr., and wife, Katelyn, are serving the Lord at a church in Paradise, TX. His oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in South Carolina. Samantha, his third child is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord here at the church in Galloway. Hannah is the youngest and is a sophomore at Vision Baptist College while also serving the Lord at Jersey Shore Baptist Church.

View Comments

  • WOW Preacher! As it happens I have been having a great deal of trouble sleeping the past couple of nights. I have been taking all kinds of pills and drinks to sedate my body but my mind keeps going a hundred miles an hour. The message you preached on Paul singing and praising the Lord in the jail at the midnight hour really convicted me. I promise it will become my new nightly ritual. THANK YOU!

  • Excellent thought! Thanks for the daily encouragement and insight from God's Word!

  • Usually I would pray for the person on my mind or think of someone to pray for. Sometimes that would help get me to sleep, but others times it doesn't. Thanks for your suggestion, from now on I'll definitly Praise God for who he is, it sure beats worrying about the person on my mind!

  • Oh yes! Many nights have I spent praying myself to sleep. Ever since a major anxiety attach many years ago , night time has been very hard for me because thats when it happened, at night.The only way I could get to sleep was by reading my bible and praying, and I did that for a year straight. Well since I thought I had it under control I figured that I didn't need to read or pray anymore at night. Boy was I wrong ! Now I admit, I don't read my bible every night to get to sleep any more , which I should because its always a comfort, but I do pray everynight. Why is it, that it's not until something happens in our life weather it is health , tragedy ,financial, or what ever, we think we can do it on our own ? Lord forgive me for being guilty of this. The Lord is ,or should be our life so we should be giving him the first and last part of our day , and then we should have NO problems getting to sleep.Thank you honey , for passage and thought. Love you!!

  • Enjoyed the message. Since I been saved, I find myself praying before I go to bed. I feel that connection with God before resting is vital for me and truly helps put me to sleep and unburden my mind.

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Phil Erickson

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