The Monsters Under The Bed

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  

– 1 John 1:5

I much prefer the day to the night.  At night, my fears grow bigger, my worries increase, and my mind races with negative “What if…” scenarios.  What if she’s in a car crash?  What if the dog doesn’t come back?  What if … what if … what if …?

What’s keeping you awake at night these days?  How do you deal with it?  Do you let it overtake you or do you fight back and let God’s light in?

I’ll share with you my two-part faith practice that has helped me fight against the darkness.

First, when I wake up consumed with fear, I immediately think, “Faith opposes fear.”  So I turn away from the fear and turn to God in prayer.  I ask God for help and I start thanking Him for every thing and every one I am thankful for.  The first night I tried it I kept track with my fingers planning to reach 100 thanks to God.  I don’t remember anything after 47 because I fell back to sleep.  Yes!  This simple act of shifting my mind from my fears to God’s goodness brought just enough peace to rest again.

The second practice I began after reading 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I’ve started walking and talking with God in the light of the day, confessing my wrong-doings.  I tell God all the thoughts and actions which are darkness in my life.  Pouring out my confessions, I believe gives God more room to fill me with His light.  

Picture a vase filled with wilted flowers and murky, brown water.  If we remove what is dead, pour out the dirty water, wash it clean and fill it with fresh water, we create the right environment for big beautiful bouquet of new, fresh flowers.  We are like the vase.  Every day as we sin and fall short of God’s plans, we fill up with darkness.  When we acknowledge and confess our sins, we empty that darkness and make more room for the Holy Spirit’s pure filling.

Let’s practice both these together.  We’ll start with confession then end with thanksgiving.  Please pray with me and personalize it to let God’s light shine brightly in.  

• Lord God, I confess my heart has darkness within it.  Shine your powerful light into my heart and mind to show me what I need to share with you. I confess…

• Thank you Lord for forgiving me and emptying me of anything wrong, or bad, or dark.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit and remind me of all that I am thankful for.  Use my life to hold beauty and goodness to bless You and others.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement