In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:8 (NLT)

I’ve never been a great one when it comes to sleep. Since I was a child I would lie awake for hours staring at the ceiling, making up stories, quietly playing with my toys. Then as I got older, I would fill the sleep (less) hours with cleaning, books, and movies.

My mind never stops… it's constant. There’s always something floating, running, jumping around in there. And it’s the constant processing, my thoughts running down rabbit holes, that steal my slumber the most.

Countless nights I’ve lost sleep to fear and worry. I would be on the edge of wakefulness when a new scenario would pop into my mind, and it would take all my energy not to think my way around it. I know many of you can relate. Your head hits the pillow; you take one look at the ceiling and the thoughts flood in – What if? How come? Why is that? How can I? How could he? What if she? The stillness of the night only gives these thoughts more room to grow.

Phil 4:6-7 says,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

There is peace we can experience that ‘exceeds anything we can understand.’ The NIV says this peace “transcends.” Transcendent peace. It goes beyond the ordinary limits of our capacity and understanding. Meaning that we don’t have to have peaceful circumstances to experience this peace that abides beyond the realm of our circumstantial reality. It can live in our hearts regardless of the turmoil that surrounds us.

The Message Bible says in Phil 4:6, “Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” A prayerful life is one that is open to God. I’m learning to shut off my worry so that I can open my heart to God. Worry keeps me from Him. It keeps my vision limited down to what only I can do, to what I can see, what can I make happen in and of myself. But prayer opens up all kinds of possibilities. And this reaching out to God keeps my heart safe from the corrosive effect of worry and the painful jolts of fear.

I still don’t sleep well. But as I lay awake at night I am training my heart to pray, my thoughts to drift towards the transcendent peace of Christ, turning my worries into thankyou’s and my doubts into praises. My sleepless hours are not so full of darkness these days. My soul rests in His peace whether I lie awake or in solid slumber.

[vcex_image_grid columns=”3″ pagination=”false” thumbnail_link=”custom_link” link_title_tag=”true” custom_links_target=”_blank” overlay_style=”title-category-visible” columns_gap=”5″ img_hover_style=”fade-out” image_ids=”20934,20935,20937″ custom_links=”https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1239768002?pt=118656308&ct=blog%20footer&mt=8,https://www.pktfuel.com/dailyemail,https://www.pktfuel.com/support” img_height=”350″]