THE SPIRIT NEVER SLEEPS

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:16 ESV)

One of the most common misperceptions about the Holy Spirit is that the ruach (Spirit in Hebrew) maintains office hours. We assume that when we pray during daylight, the Spirit is waiting to guide us. We believe that when we make our hearts attentive throughout our waking hours, the Spirit is ready to speak to us. But the moment our head hits the pillow and we sign off for the night, we presume the Spirit goes on break.

Yet the Spirit we meet in Scripture is a night owl.

The ruach is wildly active both day and night, often coming to us beneath beams of moonlight and whispering to us in those unguarded moments while we’re dreaming. This shouldn’t surprise us. When our bodies are busy and our minds are full during daylight hours, sometimes we can’t receive what the Spirit wants to say. Perhaps that’s why the Spirit uses our slumber to speak or reveal things we cannot readily hear while awake.

Consider how frequently the Bible records divine dreams. King Solomon receives God’s most generous invitation through a dream: “Ask me what you wish me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asks for wisdom; when he wakes, he receives divine insight and so much more. The self-absorbed, power-hungry Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar receives a spate of dreams that remind him he’s not God (Daniel 2, 4). And let’s not forget Daniel, who not only interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams but has several profound visions of his own (Daniel 7:1–14).

The prophet Joel reveals that when the Spirit is poured out, the aging will receive dreams, and the youth will receive visions (Joel 2:28–32)—Peter affirms this at Pentecost (Acts 2:17–18). A celestial symphony of dreams adorns Christ’s birth, too. Joseph experiences multiple dreams that protect Mary and Jesus (Matthew 1:20–23; 2:13–14, 19–23). Even Pilate’s wife receives a warning about Jesus’s innocence through a dream (Matthew 27:19).

The Spirit sometimes uses sleep to reveal to us things we cannot receive as readily while we are awake.

These stories trace a pattern throughout Scripture: God is at work, even as we sleep. But we often miss it. Perhaps we’re unaware of this important way the Spirit works because we’re simply not paying attention. Maybe we don’t know how to respond. Or perhaps we’re just skeptical.

Today’s Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you remembered a dream that felt significant? What stood out about it?
2. What barriers might be keeping you from recognizing the Spirit’s voice working through your dreams?
3. How might your spiritual life change if you start paying attention to your dreams?

Prayer for Today: Holy Spirit, open my awareness to Your presence in the night hours. Help me recognize that You never sleep or take breaks from working in my life. Make me attentive to how You might be calling me to prayer or growth through my dreams. I invite You to reveal Yourself to me in new ways, even while I sleep. Amen.