Weariness is certainly no stranger to a parent whose child is wide-awake in the middle of the night. That is why the book, Go the ____ to Sleep, has been such an instant retail success. It is currently number two on the Amazon best-selling book list. For a Christian, however, recognizing weariness should bring great hope. Why? Because Jesus says “Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Sleep
18 posts
We have been discussing how to respond to children who are awake in the middle of the night. One important consideration is to be clear that the behavioral issues with our children are always connected to hearts—their hearts and our hearts. In other words, all the behaviors occurring throughout the day are not random, disconnected events. They all have to do with God—and with your heart. The upset your son had with his little sister in the morning is somehow connected with anger at the dog in the afternoon. It may even impact his ability to get to sleep that night. This is even more to the point if you are unaware of the problems with his sister or the […]
It is 3 a.m. You finally got your three-year-old to sleep at 2 a.m. Now you are awakened once again by the call of a wide-awake child. You can’t believe it! What do you say or do? This brings us to the second principle concerning children going to sleep—which is that all of your words are to acknowledge the commands of God that these instructions are to be deeply impressed on your heart so that you can speak about them to your children. Some of you are probably thinking I need a reality check. Just let the baby cry!!! But before we see how this command applies at 3 a.m., let’s take a few steps back in time to 9 […]
First of all, thanks to all of you for your comments. Thanks, too, to Laney for raising her concern. As you can tell from the comments received here, and from the popularity of the book referred to in the original post, the topic of infants and children going to sleep is on peoples’ minds!
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11 Our children need to be protected by God’s word when they sleep. We know this, at least in part, because Scripture promises it will offer protection while one is sleeping. By implication, those who do not seek the protection the Scriptures offer are vulnerable to spiritual attack during sleep. The question at the end of the last post was How do children acquire this protection? The verses above, from Psalm […]
When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. Proverbs 6:22 On average we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. Sleep refreshes our bodies. A good friend of mine, a pediatrician, tells me that when we sleep our metabolism slows down so the maintenance functions of the body can be accomplished. Cell and tissue repair occur during this down time, rather than when the body is active and needing energy to do other things. Sleep is an amazing component of God’s creation of man. It is a daily reminder of our finiteness as creatures. God, our Creator, has no need of sleep and thus is able […]
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:21-24 Let’s review this prayer for going to sleep.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. Psalm 3:5 O Lord God, who has given man the night for rest, as you have created a day in which he may employ himself in labor, grant, I pray, that my body may so rest during this night that my mind cease not to be awake to you, nor my heart faint or be overcome with apathy, preventing it from adhering steadfastly to the love of you. While laying aside my cares to relax and relieve my mind, may I not, in the meanwhile, forget you, nor may the remembrance of your goodness and grace, which ought always to be deeply engraved on […]