It’s a common refrain I hear from suffering patients. “I fear the night!” They have an expectancy of increased suffering when nighttime comes around.
One way to heal this fear is to know the truth about God. God is the same in the night as during the day!
The suffering mortal mind sees life in terms of night and day, dark and light, a rotating scheme of mortal existence filled with uncertainty and potential suffering.
But spiritual sense sees the opposite!
Spiritual sense does not focus on the time of day, nighttime or daytime. Spiritual sense is in tune with God. Spiritual sense sees the omnipresence and omnipotence of God at all times of day and night! And God is the same during the night as during the day.
To cure fears of night, stay spiritually minded. Use your spiritual sense.
Spiritual mindedness is thinking about God, knowing spiritual life, understanding man’s spiritual individuality as a child of God.
Spiritual sense is filled with peace, heavenly harmony, a feeling of good health, and pain free existence.
Spiritual sense has no fear of the night. Spiritual sense is not even thinking about night. Spiritual sense is thinking about God! And God is pouring forth health and harmony for you to enjoy and reflect at all times of day or night.
The Psalmist writes, “I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions” (Psalm 119:55, NLT).
Tonight, reflect on God. Listen for angel messages of Truth and Love coming from on High and let them direct your thought into a peaceful rest.
Expect to wake up in the morning with the same peaceful thoughts you went to bed with.
Enjoy God’s comforting presence at all times of night and day!
I’ve found this verse from Psalm 139:11 helpful:
” If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.” I take this to mean that nothing can separate us from the presence of God and His care. We live in His light.
Thank you Evan and Maddie. One verse I have also found helpful is Proverbs 3:24 “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.” The Bible truly is a wealth of inspiration. X
I used to say this to my mother when she was very ill for years and she worried about waking us all up when she needed help at night. This verse would help her to settle.
That is lovely, dear Linda… so peaceful, so calming, no pressure…just
soothing and harmonious – and dear Diane, what you have added is
so sweet how you comforted your mother. God’s Love was/is with her
and all of us all of the time. That thought is very settling then, now and
always.
psalms 4: 8 The NLT. says” I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord,make me dwell in safety.”
Thank you all for your inspired citations.
“ and the evening and the morning were the first day” . Our thoughts about different parts of the day or even seasons seem to dictate how we feel.
Maybe if we can accept that light and darkness are both “ the day”?
Some people don’t like the darkness. I love working at night because I focus better. No interruptions , no distractions , less choices ( the shops are shut!) God gives us variety !
Yes agreed Diane, the light and the darkness, every hour, every moment is God’s day. He is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and forever and by reflection so are we, our good cannot come and go.
It helps me to remember these ideas when early in the morning, while still not fully awake or fully asleep, anxious feelings try to assert themselves. Evan says, “Spiritual sense is thinking about God. And God is pouring forth health and harmony for you to ENJOY and reflect at all times of day and night.” I love the idea that I can actually enjoy that time that lying error tries to say I can’t.
Carpe nox!
love it! Had to look it up. “Seize the night”
The evening and the morning were the first day. I find it helpful to substitute the glossary definitions from Science and Health and consider day as “peace and rest , revelation and progress.” And we are assured in Revelation that “there is no night there.”
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So lovely so peaceful thank you Evan and readers!
Laura
My suggestion of hymn 506 was not posted for whatever reason. Very lovely words and melody
That’s a beautiful hymn Laura. X
So glad you returned to post this hymn, dear Laura. It is so lovely and doesn’t
leave out any time when the Lord is not present with us. It sweetens the peaceful
thoughts by day and gentles the evening thoughts with Love/God. It sends
comforting thoughts through out time, which Mrs. Eddy defines in the Glossary as
“mortal measurements: limits”… so there really aren’t any limits with God’s
omnipresent Being. Angel thoughts are always on the way to us. We just need
to be aware of them.
Thank you! Your comments are always so timely. I find night times are when my thoughts are collected and the prayers flow in. I often awaken to hymns swishing around in my head.
Funny, Charles. I was typing and after I posted, read your comment about “hymns swishing
around in [your] head”. Your comment wasn’t there when I started to type. It coincides with
what I had written about Mrs. Eddy’s hymn that I had thought of. One Mind.
Thank you all for such a soothing and tranquil message of calming Peace.. The sweet
little girl sleeping is such a beautiful comforted child of God, as are we all.
Occasionally the dog will bark during the night and there is always a reason,
sometimes deer or a bear outside, but it can be frightening at times, not knowing
what he is barking at. It is like mortal (little mind) which can sometimes Seem rather
alarming until we settle our thought on God’s protection and Love.
A bit of humor. The other night I had a dream with the entire house being filled with
sheep! There were sweet lambs Everywhere! It just goes to prove how silly and often
ridiculous mortal mind can be, even when asleep. Now I love animals, But this all was
a bit much. LOL I woke up in a panic wondering how I was going to feed all of these
sheep! And then I realized it was just a Dream! I chuckled and the wonderful hymn
#304 by our dear Mrs. Eddy came to thought right away, “Feed My Sheep” …
“So when day grows dark and cold, Tear or triumph harms,
Lead Thy lambkins to the fold, Take them in Thine arms;
Feed the hungry, heal the heart, Till the morning’s beam;
White as wool, ere they depart, Shepherd wash them clean.”
All was/is well, whether day or night dreaming. A dream is just a dream.. : )
Thank you Evan and all. We are walking in the light of God. Whatever time it is we affirm the presence of light, and God is the light. Knowing that we are with God at all moments. Darkness would disappear with its fears.
Mrs. Eddy urges us to rise above the mental shackles that come with identifying pleasure/pain in matter. To me, rising above has to do with being in the world but not of the world that relies on the changes of seasons which would suggest the passage of time. We have the opportunity to take our carriage ride and demonstrate dominion over all falsity to the degree of our understanding. So grateful that she gave us a clear guidebook for demonstrating God’s dominion (and therefore ours) over superstitious beliefs. No one said it would be easy, but the rewards are great.
One night I was so fearful, so I reached out to ask God for comfort and a line from hymn 278 in the Christian Science Hymnal came to me instantly as a reply:- “Cared for, watched over, beloved and protected”. It comforted me immediately to know that God was there looking after me, and I slept peacefully till morning. I have never had that fear since and it was several months ago.
Hymn 278
Pilgrim on earth, home and heaven are within thee,
Heir of the ages and child of the day.
Cared for, watched over, beloved and protected,
Walk thou with courage each step of the way.
Thanks, Evan, for reminding me of that. x
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For … (Psalms 139:11–13 (to For))
Great topic Evan
We are all referrered to as children in the Bible , some really helpful ideas here . Thank you everyone . I used to struggle with sleep at nighttime and am so grateful those times are over with now , just like a bad dream . Completely vanished !!
I woke up to Spirit and that is where I live now surrounded by Love
Much love and gratitude , McKenzie ❤️
“Overcoming night fright” by David G. Shields:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/eh2ocozxls
I also love this topic! Thank you, Evan! Since all is thought, holding to our spiritual sense of truth and understanding of God’s omnipresence brings us peace, day and night. I have always been amazed and comforted by the very powerful promise and counsel Mrs. Eddy gives us:
“… if you fall asleep, actually conscious of the truth of Christian Science, — namely, that man’s harmony is no more to be invaded than the rhythm of the universe, — you cannot awake in fear or suffering of any sort.”
(Retrospection and Introspection, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 61:5)
Every night I do a search with words on JSH with key words like health, gratitude, praise, fear, Mind, Love, Spirit, power etc. and push audio on my computer. Last night I searched Principle
articles audio. Then I send them to my email. And then access my email through my phone on the desk next to my bed. Then I have 5-7 articles, audio chats, testimonies to listen to until I fall asleep. The audio chats are great as they last an hour. Last night I was able to listen to 4 articles-testimonies before falling asleep. Then any “left-overs” can be listened to during the day when cooking or tidying up. It’s a little spiritual night time feast. There’s always a new spiritual insight to be had. And some of them are especially comforting. Some voices are so soothing. It’s like having a fellow church friend talking to you about their spiritual discoveries. One I like is Never Alone by Joan Wattam. But there are many.
Lindajane, what a great evening practice you have developed. Thanks for telling us about it. I like that you listen to the leftovers during your daytime chores so there are good and true thoughts flowing to you day and night.
Thank you, Evan and all, for this reassuring and inspiring blog and commentary. When sleep is elusive, I often turn to familiar hymns and.verses. Ps. 4:8 is one I learned as a young child as part of my bedtime prayers, and now, many years later, it still brings me comfort. Hymn 7 is also encouraging: I know no fear with Thee at hand to bless…., I know Thy presence every passing hour, I know Thy peace, for Thou alone art power; O Love divine, abiding constantly, I need not plead, Thou dost abide with me. Amen!
Thank you all for your inspiring and helpful comments. I’ve been having ‘bad dreams and then taking time for fall back asleep. I do
most of my worrying at night. My greatest relief comes from singing
hymns.
Evan, thanks for this posting – it is certainly something I wrestled with for a long time until I realized two things:
1. Gods maintains/preserves and governs me and all of us around the clock, now and forever – ALWAYS!!!, and;
2. Reflecting God and experiencing the preservation of me by God does not depend on a so-called brain (night or day). Because if it did, then it would be like hitting a God on/off switch: OFF when we go to bed and ON when we wake up – whenever that is. A couple of things I have noticed since realizing this AND working to affirm this when I go to bed, is that I’m aware of fewer dreams (good or bad ones and THAT is nice!) and whatever physical or mental issue I’m working on isn’t worse in the morning, but either gone or better – yes, healing occurs, but not from getting rest. l am so grateful for this progress as too often the opposite was true, I would wake up in the morning worse off than when I went to bed (hence the dread or fear of going to bed). Thank you God (and my practitioner that pointed out that God works 7/24 – there is NO separation from God and His/Her action)!
I had terrible nightmares for quite a while after coming off of sleep medications about 10 years ago following a diagnosis of PTDS. So, I just memorized hymns and would go over them line by line each night. I stuck with it. Finally one night, it came to me very clearly that God was always present and so I never was outside of His care. That was the last one.
“Night. Darkness; doubt; fear.” Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures pg. 592
“…The lamp doesn’t battle with the darkness; it simply glows. And as it glows, it radiates light. Similarly with us. When we realize, spiritually, the omnipresence of God, we identify immediately with this healing power and feel within our consciousness the gentle glow of divine peace and goodness. This spiritual power dispels fear within us, and we radiate a comforting light without.” Quoted from the following article in a recent sentinel.
You are the light
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1paleougni8?s=e
Thank you, Trista, for this wonderful article which is very suitable to this Christmas season!
Am grateful to you, Evan for today’s SpiritView. It’s an important topic and all the inspiring comments are very helpful. However very comforting and healing are your enlightening spiritual views on this sunject! Thanks deeply for it!
I am working and praying on what Evan advises us to do, to use our God-given Spiritual Sense which is healing.
Also important is to listen to God’s thoughts. This just reminds me at hymn 9, Verse 3 :
He (God) knows the angels that you (I) need
And send them to your (my) side,
To comfort, Guardian and guide.
That is often helpful to me.
Sorry, my Smartphone sometimes writes what it wants … I meant: “To comfort, guard and guide ”
Lovely day to all!
Evan’s thoughts, “Listen for angel messages of Truth and Love coming from on High
and let them direct your thought into a peaceful rest”…are so lovely! It will bring Christ
here into our thoughts and what a blessing that is.
Today in looking up and watching the storm klouds sail in (God’s handiwork), there
appeared a cardinal in view – brightening/ the darkened clouded hue.
I love reading the articles here (Thank you dear J and Trista), but also like reading
the Sentinel the old fashioned way with paper copy and in the cold evening, often
by a warm, crackling fire, which is very comforting when settling in for the night.
I appreciate the peace it (these calming thoughts) bring wrapped within a blanket of
innocent contentment.
Once when I was dealing with some kind of breakdown,, I felt that only round-the-clock prayer could help, and that going to sleep was neglecting that remedy.. The glossary definitions of Evening and Morning (referred to by Janet) got my attention and I realized that God gives us a normal alternation of “ peace and rest” with “revelation and progress.” That took away the frenzied sense of personal responsibility..
Another great help once when my job was ending and I was praying to know what to do is a hymn that includes a comforting promise; “ Even while we sleep, watch does He tenderly keep, Ever new mercies providing. A job opportunity arose very quickly in an amazing and unpredictable way
That’s wonderful Mary to hear about the job opportunity arising quickly in an amazing and unpredictable way! A good testimony for the Sentinel?
Neighbor told me her husband had “Sundowner’s Syndrome”. Big trouble in the evening. I silently vigorously denied that. In prayer I was reminded of when he used to walk by my house every morning and I would be on the porch reading. He would always tip his hat to me. I thought, “what a gracious Spirit. Spirit, God IS him, it’s what he’s made of. That’s what animates him. It never changes. It’s always fresh and new. It inspires him and rests him every moment. I also thought about the evening and morning are the first day—just evening and morning, no night there. The gracious Spirit of refreshment in the morning and rest and peace in evening. Found out two weeks later family is pleased they can have conversations with him and he is alert and peaceful in the evening. Then I had a visit with him and found the same normalcy.