A Biblical Process for Managing Anxiety that Disrupts Sleep

I sat up in bed and pulled out my phone, navigating to the Kindle app and the latest book I was reading. It was the fourth time I had tried to sleep without success. Over and over, I would read until my eyes got heavy, but as soon as I put the phone away, the worry would return.

Several problems loomed large that night when the world quieted and the daily distractions were removed. I prayed over these concerns off and on throughout the day, but at night they just seemed to grow and take on a life of their own. I couldn’t seem to shake off the feeling of dread and fear of what the future might hold.

Reading seemed to steer my thoughts away from the worry, but sleep still eluded me. Finally, after my fourth attempt to reach la-la land, I had an epiphany. I thought about a previous experience of sleeplessness resulting from anxiety. And I remembered that my worries at that time had all been resolved. I had lost much sleep, but eventually, the situation had worked out for good.

In Psalm 4, David also was distressed and cried out to God. His process of dealing with anxiety gives us a pattern when our anxious thoughts disturb our sleep.

1. He prayed for relief and mercy from God (v. 1).

2. He guarded himself from the lies and deception of the enemy (v. 2).

3. He meditated on God’s character, knowing that God would answer his cries (v. 3).

4. He searched his own heart for any sin that could be causing his anxiety (v. 4).

5. He put his trust in the Lord (v. 5).

6. He recalled God’s favor, blessing, and deliverance in the past (v. 6). The words “let the light of your face shine upon us” were a common expression for God’s favor, taken from the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6.

7. He focused on God’s provision in the past, filling him with great joy even in the midst of distress (v. 7).

Because David turned his heart to the Lord, recalling God’s character and His faithfulness, he was able to say in the last verse, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (v. 8, NIV).

That night as I thought about former causes of anxiety and fear that God had eventually resolved, I actually felt the apprehension leave as His peace took over.

I was reminded of Philippians 4:7.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The issues of concern were still there, but so was God. Instead of wasting time worrying over everything that could go wrong, I put my concerns in the hands of the only One who had the power to change them. And off to sleep I went.

Scripture for meditation

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8, NIV).

Discussion & journal prompts

Are your worries and concerns about things over which you have no control? If so, what are some practical ways you can give them to God and trust Him with them?

Write out Psalm 4:8 in your journal. Then meditate on each word of that verse, journaling your thoughts as you go.

Try writing out your anxious thoughts on a piece of paper, fold them up, and place them in your Bible as a symbol that you are leaving them with God.

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