CREATIVE CURES FOR INSOMNIA

 

We were raised with the cure of counting sheep. That is, until Irving Berlin wrote, “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) for his blockbuster White Christmas.

Counting your blessings is a great idea, but it’s not the only option. Here are some other potential cures for insomnia.

Quote scripture. Try to think of every verse you have ever memorized and go through them in order from Genesis to Revelation.

Give thanks. Start with the oldest person in your extended family and thank God for each one by name right down to the youngest.

Sing. You don’t need to do this out loud but mentally sing through every song in your church hymnal (or big screen as the case may be.) Start with “A” either as the first word or the title and go through the alphabet. If you have been in church for any length of time you will be surprised how many lyrics you remember.

Pray. Keep a variety of prayer lists in mind. Try to recall the names of missionaries from your prayer cards (see last weeks blog). Pray for your pastor and the people of your church. Pray for teachers and administrators and school boards. Remember local, state, and national leaders.

I don’t think that God will be offended if you fall asleep during prayer. The Psalmist said, “He gives to His beloved sleep.” From my experience you will probably wake up praying as well.