I’ve been having a lot of nightmares this week
Question:
I've been having nightmares a lot this week. Just last night I had a nightmare about a horrible dark creature behind me and looking at me. I woke up screaming! And I didn't sleep very well after that because I had another nightmare. I guess that's why I am kind of tired. It wasn't a very good day, but God's still taking care of me, so things will probably get better later.
Answer:
When you awake from a nightmare, I want you to do a trick I taught my son. Mentally make a list in your head of all the nice things that happened to you the day before. Often you'll fall asleep before you are done, but if you are still awake, then offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the kindness He showed you the day before. Then lay down to sleep again.
What you are doing is putting your mind on a different track before you go to sleep. At first, you might have trouble thinking of nice things that happened. That is a part of the reason for the exercise. We often get so focused on the bad things that we forget that life is a mixture of both good and bad events.
"rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
