Insomnia and prayer

It's a warm night. The temp is still in the 50s, and it's well after 9pm. And it's the middle of winter!

At times like this, I often have bouts with insomnia. Sometimes it's not as bad as others.

Some nights, when I can't sleep, one thing I do is check sites like eBay for bargains on things like dolls, women's clothes, etc. Sometimes it pays off - one night several years ago I found a great deal on a pretty short flip Francie. Her pics were blurry in the listing, but I took a chance and when she arrived, she was in pristine mint condition. What a wonderful surprise that was.

Another thing I do when I can't sleep is pray. I find those times are among the best for spending "quiet time" with the Lord, sharing the needs of others and myself.

I use the "JOY" system when I pray: I first begin with J which stands for Jesus, giving Him, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit thanks, praise and worship; then O which stands for others, lifting up their needs and agreeing with them; and lastly Y, which stands for you, addressing my own needs, concerns, and anything else that comes to mind.

During this time I do my best to be open to hearing from the Lord as to what He wants me to do. I also continually praise Him and thank Him for not just the opportunity to pray, but hearing and answering prayer.

I believe by using this system this not only gives God glory, but also keeps us humble by placing others' needs ahead of our own. I find that if I try to address my needs first when praying, I sometimes forget the needs of others whom I've promised to pray for, or those I normally pray for regularly - and I never want to do that.

I also try to make a habit of regularly talking with the Lord daily, not just on the job, but also to and from work, at home, and anywhere else I go. Sometimes we might think "prayer" means setting aside a specific time every day to pray, but prayer should be a lifestyle. I couldn't go a day without talking to the Lord, about whatever's on my mind. I find that the more I talk with Him, and also share my every need with Him, no matter how big or small, it keeps the lines of communication open and clear between He and I.

And you know what?
The more I talk with Him, the more I want to be like Him and do His will.
That's the power of prayer.