What Do You Study . . . While You Sleep?

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you truly delighted in and loved the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?

Not just with a piece of your life but with your all, every single minute.

That would mean that you not only had Him upon your mind every moment of the day but also the night. Is it possible for Jesus to be the delight, joy, life, source, and substance of who you are?

The Psalmist declares:

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. (Psalm 111:1-4)

Psalm 111 says the works of the Lord are GREAT. Not merely good, but great! And isn’t it interesting that it goes on to say that the works of God should be “studied”?

This is not a quick review before a test—this is an all out, full-focused study of God and His works.

The writer of Hebrews gives this promise: “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). What a promise! Just as Jesus declared in Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

God gives an inherent promise to His children—if we seek Him diligently, He will be found. We are to seek and study God and His marvelous works!

• What if Jesus became the one subject we studied?
• What if nothing else could capture our attention like Him?
• What if Jesus became the One we built our life around—where we daily wake up with a passion to study and know Him (not just facts about Him)?

Studying While You Sleep

If I am to seek and study God every moment of my life—that means my sleep also needs to be focused upon Christ.

In school I often wished I could put a textbook beneath my pillow and receive (by osmosis) information while I slept. In Christianity you can, of sorts.

In Christianity you can, of sorts.

How, you might ask?

Rather than allow your dreams to be full of selfishness, lust, strife, anger, jealousy—what if before you went to bed you asked Jesus to invade your dreams and to keep your mind (including your subconscious) steadfast upon Him?  Wouldn’t it be incredible to wake up in the morning not plagued by meaningless or lust-filled dreams, but rather awake with Jesus Christ upon your mind … realizing that even as you slept you drew closer to Him?

What if we can wake up in deeper intimacy with Jesus than when we fell asleep?

Try it.

You Will Study Something

Everyone studies something.

Everyone spends time thinking about something—and thus “studying”—the question is not do you study, but what do you study?

For many, it is pointless sports scores and trivia. For others, it is the latest Hollywood gossip. Others are obsessed with academics, video games, or binge-watching the latest tv show. And for still others, relationships or past failures or hurts consume every thought.

What if Jesus became our SOLE focus, our single obsession, our one subject we spent all our time studying? Would you allow Him to be continually on your mind no matter the time or day or what you are doing (ie: activities, school, work, eating, etc.)?

What do you study?

I want to diligently seek Christ—for He is a rewarder of those who do so. I shall praise the Lord with my whole heart, for great are His works!