In Peace I Will Lie Down
Scripture Focus “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (Psalm 4:8).
Preparation
As this program is on sleep, make the environment calm and comfortable. Use comfy chairs, blankets, pillows, and dim the lights. Have a lullaby playing as the women enter the room. Invite the women to dress in their pajamas/robes. The purpose is to create an atmosphere of rest and sleep.
Program Ideas
Open the program by talking about the importance of good quality sleep. Ask the women about their sleep schedule. Are they struggling to get a quality night sleep. We all struggle with sleep deprivation at one time or another. Whether it’s the young mothers who are sleep deprived because of babies, older women whose hormones are fluctuating and going through menopause, or simply because of stressful issues in life that keep us tossing and turning. Listed below are i several links that share sleep facts.
Did You Know? Fun facts about sleep to read out loud and discuss:
63 Eye-Opening Sleep Facts and Trivia | Fact Retriever
- Sleep facts from the CDC: About Sleep | Sleep | CDC
- Sleep as self care: Why Women Need More Sleep Than Men: The Science, Emotional Energy, and Societal Impact – Get Mindful Now
- Healthy Sleep (handout) healthy-sleep-in-adults.pdf
- Do five minutes of quiet meditation to relax the body: Youtube – Meditative Sleep Music Instant Calm, Beautiful Relaxing Sleep Music, Dream Music (Nature Energy Healing, Quiet Ocean) ★11
- Group Discussion: Invite the women to share their own sleep struggles.
Craft
Design your own eye masks Amazon.com: 10 Pieces White Eye Sleep Coverings Sublimation Blank Silk Eye Coverings Soft Eye Covering Shade Blindfold with Adjustable Strap for Sleeping Travel Nap Meditation Team Games : Health & Household
Refreshments
All items listed are healthy snacks that promote good sleep.
Milk
Bananas & almond butter
Air popped popcorn
Hard boiled eggs
Sleepy time tea
Give It to God and Go to Sleep
If you ever struggle with insomnia, you’re in great company. Do a quick internet search and you’ll find this trend toward sleeplessness is sometimes referred to as a public health crisis. Tens of millions of Americans may lay their heads down but aren’t getting the rest that restores. Rest that restores does not come just because you spend time under the covers of your bed. I am sure that most of us have spent sleepless nights tossing and turning as we struggled with thoughts of what we would face the next day.
Perhaps you are experiencing the same stress that David outlines in Psalm 4. He begins the psalm by crying out, “Answer me when I call you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayers.” Maybe in your own private prayers, you have echoed similar words.
Perhaps you find yourself lying awake at night because of things that are happening in your life that you can’t control. Perhaps you are wondering about your health, finances, family matters, your job, or any other myriads of things. Perhaps you dread what might come in the year ahead.
Even through everything David is going through is stressful, he ends the psalm with this statement: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (Psalm 4:8).
Two things are happening. First, David is making sleep an act of faith in the Lord’s protection. Enemies surround him, and they want to destroy him. But he sleeps. He knows the Lord sustains him and guards him. And the second thing to notice: David trusts in God’s protection. Sleep is an act of trust. When you go to sleep, you acknowledge that the world is in God’s hands, not yours. And it will get along very well, even if you’re not awake to control things. And when you wake up the next morning, just like God gave the Israelites fresh manna each morning, He will give you what you need for the new day.
I am reminded of the story of the stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus and his disciples were on the small boat in the midst of a raging storm. His disciples are awake, worried, scared for their lives, and Jesus is fast asleep. The boat rises and falls on the swells of the angry wells, it is taking on water and threatening to sink. The disciples are all fearful for their lives. But Jesus sleeps. He has no doubt that his Father will keep them safe. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Sometimes, the most “spiritual” thing you can do is to go to sleep and wake up refreshed, trusting that God is in control taking care of the things that you can’t. God created us for sleep, for rest. We will not function well without it. When we don’t get adequate rest, we are tired, cranky. We can’t focus, our health suffers, and we are reminded of our limitations.
Sleep is a daily reminder that God is God and that we are not Him. Our Creator is not nearly impressed with our late nights and early mornings (Psalm 127:2) as He is with the peaceful heart who trusts Him, casts all anxieties on Him, and sleeps.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of sleep. It is a reminder that I can trust You in all ways and all times.
