Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” (Psalm 116:3-4, NLT)
Nighttime can be a time of spiritual warfare for me.
I wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep. Something or many things are bothering me, and my mind spins around from one topic to another. It might take hours to sleep again.
But sometimes I don’t fall asleep. The Bible warns that sleep can be a battleground in our spirit. There are night battles to be won.
The Psalms describe…
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side (Psalm 3:5).
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe (Psalm 4:8).
When I can’t sleep at night and move away from wondering what’s wrong with me and begin praying in the Spirit for every thought, person, event, and feeling that rotates through my mind, I often go back to sleep.
Let’s remember that praying in the Spirit allows the Spirit to speak His unutterable and powerful words to the attacks against us at night.
The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words (Romans 8:26).
There are different reasons for sleeplessness. I’m not trying to give a medical or psychological diagnosis in this Interruption, but I’ve begun to consider myself a middle-of-the-night prayer warrior.
If the evil one afflicts me at night, I will pray in the Spirit against his wiles.
According to Jewish tradition, Moses wrote Psalm 91, and reading this Psalm reveals that Moses was also a nighttime prayer warrior.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night (Psalm 91:4-5).
And we see warfare against rest as a continuing theme in other Psalms…
The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again (Psalm 116:6).
I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me (Psalm 16:7-8).
A caution with night battles: the purpose of the night is sleep. Before I sleep, I review my day, cast my failures and anxieties on the Lord, and ask for His blessings.
However, when sleep turns into night battles, in the name of Jesus, we can find victory!