Sleep?

It seems sleep is escaping me. There are those times when my mind will not shut down long enough to actually rest. Did that ever happen to you? As I get older, it's more intense, this inability to sleep. I used to hear grandparents and then my own parents complain about not being able to sleep and wondered about their problem because sleep was something I did well. Now, it's almost happenchance to get a good nights' sleep. But, sometimes the wonderings in my mind border on torment. I realized when getting up this morning at 4AM, after about four hours sleep, I had better get control of this thing before it completely controls me!! The basis of the problem is not that I'm not sleepy, it's the interruption of sleep generated by the unseen enemy of our faith, the devil. What happens to cause this? I'd say, it's becoming too comfortable in my walk with the Lord that I don't take my place of authority and do battle with the enemy.

I don't know what happened with aging grandparents or parents, they never talked about why they couldn't sleep, so I'm talking about it. The reason I can't sleep is that questions bombard me. Questions as to whether my kids are going to make it in these trying times keep coming and coming and coming. Where is my head? I have a covenant with God and in that covenant, He assures me my adult children will make it. For years I prayed for their salvation. Today hey are all saved, Praise the Lord. During those years, I trusted what I prayed would come to pass. My children are taught of the Lord, great is their peace, fear and oppression are far from them. I'd bind the enemy, come against alcohol, drugs, music, fornication, all of it, then laid down to sleep knowing God was working in their lives. Now they are all serving God and I'm allowing torment over whether they'll make it or not? That can only be a huge attack and my answer is to do battle using the Word of God for their lives and for my peace of mind.

We have authority over the enemy by the Blood of Jesus. We don't have to put up with the attacks he brings. If he can get our minds off the Word of God on to worry, anxiety, fear, he wins the battle because there is absolutely no faith in God if we are fretting and worrying about something, particularly, when that worry is over whether our children are going to make it or not. We have too many promises to combat those lies he's telling. And, we are told to go to war against him. 2 Corinthians 3-7a says this in the NKJ: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments (imaginations) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?

Those scriptures say it all in how to get rid of tormenting spirits that come to steal the Word of God and cause one to lose sleep! When I can't sleep, I need the Word of God! God, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, is always right there to bring the very Word which will set me free from the enemy. We need to remember this:

First of all, we have an enemy; secondly, we have authority over him; and we have a covenant with Almighty God that says our kids are going to make it whether they are still in the world and especially if they are saved because they have a covenant, the Word, the authority and power over the enemy and are covered with the Blood of Jesus.

It's settled in me and in heaven. No more sleepless nights for me, no matter how old I get. I'm breaking the cycle and the power of the words heard from grandparents and parents. Remember the prayer you were taught as a child? Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, Halleluia, Lord, my soul you'll take!!

This will be a good year because we serve the Living God. We win in 2010!!!

Have a blessed day and a night filled with rest for your souls. Carolyn