Do you sometimes feel sleepless at night? God wants you to pray

By Makko Musagara

Do you sometimes feel sleepless at night? God wants you to pray

If you ever find yourself sleepless at night, I have a strong conviction that God wants you to pray about your situation or to intercede for someone else.

As a young Christian, I did not know what to do when I found myself sleepless at night. I resorted to switching on radio or reading something. I only discovered later that our Father in Heaven needed my attention. He wanted me to pray for his intervention into my or other persons situations.

This is exactly what happened to the boy Samuel (1 Samuel Chapter 3:2-14). One night the Lord kept him sleepless wanting him to intercede for Prophet Eli who was about to face disaster. The young Samuel did not know what to do and he went back sleeping without interceding for Eli.

“Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). ³ and the [oil] lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, ⁴ that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed [directly] to him. ⁸ So the Lord called Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” ¹¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. ¹² On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end. ¹³ Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them. ¹⁴ Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

Just as Moses interceded and God did not destroy the children of Israel, you can change tomorrow’s situations by getting out of your bed at night and plead for God’s intervention into imminent negative situations.