Welcome to Equipping Hour. We are beginning what will be at least a two-week (possibly three-week) study on a biblical theology of sleep. Since many of you heard this lesson was coming, I’ve received questions and comments: “I’ve never heard a sermon about sleep,” or “How can you fill an entire hour on this topic?” Others have joked, “Would it be rude if I fell asleep during your message?” Mostly, though, people seem excited because sleep is something we do every day. It’s important, and we’ve all wrestled with having a proper understanding of it.

Why this topic? In short, we need to hear from God’s Word because Scripture addresses it. My goal is to expose our hearts to what God’s Word says about sleep, so that we don’t waste the opportunity to glorify God in our sleep.

Let’s pray:

Prayer: God, we come to You as humble, dependent creatures. Thank You for Your Word, where we find truth. My prayer is that I would accurately represent You, that we would all think better about this gift of sleep You give to Your beloved, and that our faith would grow. We ask that You be worshiped and exalted in our hearts, recognized as the holy God You are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Personal Reasons for Studying Sleep

I’d like to share why I’m personally interested in this topic. In my teens and twenties, I foolishly took pride in my ability to function without sufficient sleep—often wearing it like a badge of honor. In hindsight, I see that was not godly diligence but a manifestation of prideful self-sufficiency, which contributed to obesity and various medical problems through my twenties and thirties.

Later, my son David developed cancer, and I saw anxiety rise in me, often robbing me of sleep while I lay awake at his hospital bedside. Then, about four years ago, I developed cancer as well, and found myself struggling with pain, steroids, and metabolic issues that made sleep difficult. Over time, God sanctified me, teaching me to rest in His ordering of the universe. I sleep much better now than I used to, even under trying circumstances.

I also have a wife with chronic pain, which has kept me mindful of how many believers struggle for contentment in sleeplessness. I don’t approach this topic simplistically, but recognize there are many valid reasons some lose sleep. God’s Word addresses these.

I’ve also seen firsthand how dementia and Alzheimer’s can be exacerbated by poor sleep. As a nurse anesthesiologist, I daily administer drugs that induce unconsciousness, which has made me reflect on the beauty of God’s design for real, restorative sleep. The more I learn, the more I want to worship Him who gave us this gift.

In the handouts I prepared, there’s a summarized list of passages on sleep, including an attempt to categorize them. I won’t cover them all, but hope this guide helps you see what Scripture says about sleep. My study has shown me far more in God’s Word on this topic than I’d initially imagined. It makes sense—after all, by the end of our lives, we’ll likely have spent about a third of it asleep.

God Does Not Sleep (Isaiah 40)

We’ll start as we should with any biblical theology topic: with God. Point one: Sleep is a reminder that we are creatures, contrasted with the God who never sleeps. God doesn’t sleep; we must.

Open your Bible to Isaiah 40, focusing on verses 28–31. This chapter is written to comfort God’s exiled people by displaying His incomparable greatness, repeated as “To whom will you compare Me?” We see God’s immeasurable power, tender care, and inscrutable wisdom. Verse 26 tells us He calls out the countless stars by name because of the greatness of His might. God never grows weary.

Then we arrive at our topic—sleep. Isaiah 40:28 says God does not faint or grow weary. Sleep is a daily reminder not to think of God in human terms. Even youths will faint eventually, but God never does. It is foolish to trust in our own strength when trusting in God is an option. Our nightly need for sleep reminds us that we are not God.

Humans are weak: we need sleep more than food. Going just one night without rest dramatically impairs our minds and bodies. Even one hour of lost sleep can increase accidents, suicidal thoughts, and heart attacks (seen in places that move clocks forward in spring). We cannot escape our frailty, and it’s a gracious theology lesson: God is God, and we are not. He never sleeps or slumbers.

When you see that difference, you realize you cannot outrun your daily need to lie down. Sleep is a reminder of our weakness and a testimony to the power of God, who never tires. Isaiah 40 ends by saying our solution is not self-reliance, but to rely on His power. Verse 31: “They who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength.”

Psalm 121 likewise proclaims, “He who keeps you will not slumber; behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Each night when we go to bed, we can remember that He is awake and in control.

Jesus Humbled Himself and Slept

Sleep was not a post-Fall necessity but part of God’s original design. It reflects our creaturely limits. God does not have those limits, yet He used them for our good and for His glory. Romans 1:19–20 teaches that creation reveals God’s invisible attributes, leaving all without excuse. Sleep is part of that creation, declaring that there is a God who never sleeps, in contrast to us who must.

Some have mistaken God’s patience for inactivity, asking “Is God asleep?” But Scripture affirms He never dozes off. 2 Peter 2 and 3 remind us that if judgment seems delayed, it does not mean God is idle. For those who reject Christ, “their destruction is not asleep.” God is working in His perfect timing.

For believers, each bedtime highlights our creaturely dependence. Remarkably, God the Son humbled Himself to take on human form (Philippians 2:5–8), which included the need for sleep. Jesus had to rest—He who upholds the universe by His power willingly subjected Himself to human limitations. That is overwhelming proof of His goodness and love for us.

Sleep as an Act of Faith

Point two: Sleep is an opportunity to humbly and dependently trust God. Each night is a small but real act of faith. We see this in Jesus sleeping during a storm (Mark 4:38; Luke 8:23), where the disciples feared for their lives. Jesus, fully trusting His Father, rested calmly.

All of us have known nights of anxiety—maybe a child with cancer, or our own illness, or job uncertainties, or relational stresses. We lie awake, wrestling with what we cannot control. Anxiety is dissatisfaction with God’s rule of the universe. Matthew 6 tells us not to be anxious about tomorrow; our Father knows our needs. Psalm 3:5 and Psalm 4:8 show David sleeping in peace despite enemies surrounding him. If we are in Christ, we can sleep knowing God continues to rule all things for His glory.

When we refuse to sleep out of anxious striving, we act as if our effort alone holds everything together. But God alone is sovereign. Let bedtime be a practical moment to say, “Lord, I can’t control tomorrow, but You can. I lay down in peace, for You alone make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8 reads, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Yahweh, make me dwell in safety.” David found rest despite genuine danger because he trusted God’s care more than his cave or his own plans.

Personally, I recall hospital nights filled with fear and pain, uncertain about treatment outcomes—my own or my son’s. When anxieties threatened to keep me awake, I prayed, “Lord, I don’t know how tomorrow goes, but You do, and You love me. Let me lie down and sleep in peace, for You keep me safe.” Sleep becomes a tangible act of faith in the God who never sleeps or slumbers.

Closing Thoughts and Prayer

Each night, let’s not miss the simple yet profound lesson that God is God and we are not. He upholds the world while we are unconscious. Sleep is a precious gift given to His beloved. Consider John Piper’s words: “Sleep is a daily reminder that we are not God. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep, but we will.”

Let’s pray:

Prayer: God, You are God, and we are not. Your Word says so much more about sleep, but may we take to heart this foundational truth today. You are trustworthy, and we can express faith by embracing sleep as the gift You intended. Help us preach the gospel to ourselves each night—remind us that You never slumber, and we can rest in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.