(June 12, 2021) Maureen McQuillan responds to a distressed lady …

Dear Pastor Maureen
I know God will help us sleep but I still have great difficulty falling asleep. Any suggestions? Carolina.

Dear Carolina

Yes, there are comforting scriptures such as Psalm 3:5, ‘I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me’ and Psalm 127:2, ‘he (the Lord) grants sleep to those he loves.’

But, I’m wondering, Caroline, is there something you’re anxious about and dwelling on. Maybe you need to change your outlook.

Let me share my simple ‘5-step secret’ if I can’t sleep…

1. First and most importantly, I acknowledge God by quoting scripture verses, especially about trusting the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5), and my favourite about hope: Romans 15:13.
2. Naturally, I don’t count fluffy sheep like we did as children😊, but I ‘count’ (that is I pray for) ‘God’s sheep’, friends who have blessed me. Or people in general that I know or have heard about (even ‘lost sheep’ and nonChristians). My prayer is that God will minister to them and meet their needs, either what I know about, or, assured that the Lord will know, whatever their needs may be.
3. Often, I’ll recall kindnesses certain people have shown Robert and I, but deliberately don’t try to go over whatever they did (that would overact the mind and really keep me awake). I simply say a brief ‘Thank you Lord for (whoever) for their kindnesses. I ask you to bless them richly, especially meeting whatever need they may have.’
4. Others I’ll pray for in general terms without going into deep details… after all, the Lord knows all about them.
5. In imagining such a list I have found I don’t even get covering everybody … after a few minutes I’ve fallen asleep, into a beautiful, reinvigorating rest. In the morning I feel very refreshed.

Trust this helps you, Carolina… one other things is this: 1 Peter 5:7NLT, ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.’  

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Got a question for either Pr Maureen or Dr Robert McQuillan? Email to OnlinerConnect@gmail.com
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