Experiencing God's Presence
“You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” (Psalm 17:3)
Few people carefully guard the way they go to sleep at night. Perhaps they watch depressing news or talk-show gossip, or maybe they lie down anxious and stressed about the coming day. Most of us put our head on the pillow with unresolved issues in our hearts or our relationships. And all of these things simmer within us as we sleep.
God offers to minister to us throughout the night. While we sleep, His Spirit within us doesn’t. He can do transforming work, addressing deep heart issues beneath the surface of our consciousness. He can shape our vision and our desires, heal the wounds we acquired during the day, implant solutions to problems, and do battle on our behalf in the depths of our souls. He gives counsel in hidden recesses, even when we aren’t aware of it (Job 33:14-18; Psalm 16:7). He can influence our thoughts and fill our dreams with His purposes.
Perhaps that’s why the calendar in God’s Word counts days from sundown to sundown. The victories of the night come before the victories of the day—not only in the rhythm of our lives but also as a picture of human history and salvation. Life begins with seeds before manifesting in fruit. This is God’s pattern.
Be careful how you go to sleep. Ask the Lord for much more than “your soul to keep.” Fellowship affectionately with God in the forefront of your heart as you doze off. Invite the Spirit into your night hours. Pray for Him to do deep, internal work on your thoughts, dreams, vision, desires, wounds, attitudes, and battles. His nightly ministry will affect how you wake up and enhance your ability to carry a sense of His Presence throughout the day.
Lord, visit me in the night hours. Let me fellowship with You in my last waking moments, and continue to fellowship with me as I sleep. Minister to me and transform me from within. And remind me of Your Presence as soon as I awak
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