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Sudden nightmares... help!!

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Mayerpod

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Ever since I began to read the bible and put my faith into Jesus I have been having nightmares about supernatural powers, family, friends and God's judgements of myself and others. Every night it's one nightmare after the other... I keep waking up from my sleep!

Tonight I thought I was awake in my nightmare so I attempted to pinch myself and turn on the light... it wouldn't go on (it never does in my dreams) so I started crying (in my nightmare)... Finally I woke up. I know I should have prayed to Jesus in my sleep but the thought didn't come to mind because I was so terrified.

Why is this happening? Is it because I read the bible before sleeping? Is it because I am thinking of Him so much? Are there demons trying to scare me away from Christianity? I really want these nightmares to stop. Last night I prayed that Jesus would make the bible and my beliefs easier to comprehend and piece together... maybe I should pray for a more peaceful rest too....

Does anyone have any words of advice?

Has this happened to anyone else?!

Thanks.
 
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StAnselm

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No, it hasn't happened to me, but everyone who follows Jesus get tested in different ways.

Not much in the way of advice, but I will pray for you. Sounds like you just need to keep on doing what you have been - the Lord will deliver you in due time.

I know I should have prayed to Jesus in my sleep
I wouldn't even know how to do this - I don't have that sort of control in my dreams.

maybe I should pray for a more peaceful rest too
Certainly!

"When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest."
 
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PinkLoveBall

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I don't think little old Lucifer is very happy about your sudden interest in God/Jesus, hehe. But I don't think he has anything to do with your dreams. Your dreams are a reaction of everything you've been learning. Your subconscious is scared, I'm guessing, because you've just started but there is so much more to learn and do on your part.

Just keep on doing what you're doing, like St Anselm said
 
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2Timothy2

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I agree with Pink. Our dreams ususally involve a strange mix of our thoughts throughout the day, and even previous days. I've had some serious nightmares in the past, I got shot in the chest in one and was in a guillotine in another, but those were results of having watched hours and hours of some pretty awful horror movies for several days. Take a look at what you are allowing yourself to see and do during the day, you may need to stop doing some of those things.

Prayer is certainly part of the answer, yours and ours. And maybe, when you read the Bible before bed, you should focus on praise sections like some of the Psalms, just to give your spirit some peace before going to sleep.

Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I awoke; for the LORD sustained me.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
 
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Mayerpod

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StAnselm... thank you for your advice and prayers. :*) I read, in Matthew, that when two or more people pray for the same thing God is bound to help! It's reassuring that there are always people out there who are willing to share your prayers!

Angie.... I'm so glad you're sleeping over this weekend. Having someone here will make me feel more at ease... and maybe I can finally get a good night of sleep! But knowing us we'll probably be up all night talking so there goes that...

2Timothy2... Thanks for giving me the much needed input.... I do think my subconcious has a lot to do with my nightmares... I never watch horror movies for that reason! :o I was reading John before I fell asleep.... I will definitely focus more on the Psalms as many people have reccomended I do. Someone also said it will help me in my prayers. I love the lines that you quoted. Those passages will be the first I locate in the Psalms!

I'm meeting PinkLoveBall in the city in a few hours and I haven't slept since I woke at 3am.... sooo tired. I should take a nap... little worried though... :o Thanks for the advice! Everyone is so nice and helpful on this forum!!!
 
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Daughter of His

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I have been bothered in my sleep by dreams. I think we can get attactked in a variety of different ways. Sooo, almost every night my daughter and I pray for peaceful sleep and sweet dreams from God and ask for our dreams to be protected. If I wake up with a bad one I rebuke it. It's very unsettling if it happens and um, interesting seems to happen at the beginning of a bible study, VBS, or something similar. I've heard of people praying in their dreams, wish I could learn how--think I've done it only once. I'll remember to pray for you along with us tonight----sweet dreams and blessings to you.
 
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StAnselm

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Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I awoke; for the LORD sustained me.
Yeah, Psalm 3 is great, isn't it? Definitely worth memorising!

It's actually a battlefield psalm, but that's OK, because we're also fighting a battle:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:12-13)
 
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Radagast

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Three traditional night-time psalms are 4, 91, and 134.

Psalm 4:
Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
...
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD ,
make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 91:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD , "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
...

God bless,

-- Radagast
 
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DawnTillery

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When I first started reading, I had some bad experiences with some churches, things that just made me feel that I should not of been there (wrong or right) it didnt seem right to me. I had some off the wall nightmares. Have you tried at night praying for God to reveal to you the way? There are somethings in the bible that scare me also. You may be very right that your mind is playing tricks because of Satan, rebuke him away. Noone can predict dreams, but trying talking to God about it before you go to bed and I would almost bet that Satan is behind what you are experiencing, let him know you know its him and for him to leave you alone..
I had some stumbing really bad when I first accepted Christ.. Doubts, my actions (the sinner me) and I finally started saying Satan I know its you, leave me alone. I am on the path to God and I want you out of my life, he still trys to sneak up on me, but I dont doubt anymore and when things happen I pray to God to show me the way and I tell Satan to leave me alone.. There is a line around a mountain called the Snake Line, above that line Snakes (Satan) cant live. You find your way above that line everytime you tell him to get out and you keep reading that bible and praying. Try it out.. (just my opinion)
 
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Mayerpod

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DawnTilly... thanks for sharing your experience with me. My nightmares have pretty much stopped. (They could start again after tonight though... ack.... maybe this is why I can't sleep...) Tonight I went to church with Angie for the first time (...as a Christian, I guess I can say that now!) and it was so overwhelming. One of the guys that works at the church told me that Satan is the reason I feel so unworthy of God's love. At one point... I felt so weak in church that I couldn't even stand for a few minutes... This guy said that Satan was trying to hold me down and make me feel unworthy of Jesus. That is how I felt... and it made me cry even harder because I want Him to accept me SO much. :o Satan really tries to keep us away from Jesus, huh? I will tell him to stop trying to control my life. I've spent some time praying to God... but I've never actually told the devil to leave me alone. Maybe that will work... Thanks for the advice! I pray that the devil will stop trying to sneak up on you as well!
 
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Mayerpod

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Radagast said:
Three traditional night-time psalms are 4, 91, and 134.

Psalm 4:


Psalm 91:


God bless,

-- Radagast
Ohhh thank you for the quotes everyone! I will write them down and leave them beside my bed. They will be soothing to read when I wake from a nightmare!
 
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TheListener

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Mayerpod, I've written a topic titled "The Evil Within", have a read of it and the suggestions.

I've realised that satan can only affect you if you are open to him. And as long as the Holy Spirit lives in you nothing and I mean nothing can harm you. They can only frighten you, make you cry, make you sleepless. That is all. As long as you keep reading the Bible and praying, you are in good hands.

This is a struggle for me too but we are all one body in Christ and I will pray for you.
 
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MLT09713

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Recently, I have been getting disturbing, yet not frightening, dreams. It has started since I began reading the Bible as well, four pages a night.

I prayed to God, as usual, but asked him to watch over my dreams as well, since I was thinking that some dark force was trying to waver me from my religion.
I believed I dreamt only of pretty snow in a green field, that night.
The next night was a dream about a wondrous, large house's interior, with shining auburn marble walls, and a mysterious, calming melody playing from the jade-colored foyer. Light seemed to shine from the top of the twisting stairway. It was more like a benevolent palace... It made me feel serene, inside.

These visions were more pleasant than anything, and I believe that God had something to do with my dreams' improvement.
 
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WhiteFeather

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I have had terrible nightmares, always bloodshed, with my ex husband, every time he would murder me in different ways, sometimes bludgened, or stabbed or shot, always a lot of blood. Of course he tried to snuff me out for real, only in a sly way to make it look accidental. I have been living in fear for a long time, and trying to stay upright on my faith walk. I know the enemy trys to attack us when we are in a weakened state, especially when we are over tired and lot of other things going on, and of course our mind is the battle field. Finally I starting listening to Gospel music all night, and annointing my bed and asked God to give me peace. Finally the next two dreams, I knew I had been murdered, but this time I saw my body, and I was pure white, there was no blood and peace came over me, I no longer had the same fear over me, I knew the Lord was with me. Each time I get stronger, and I either wake up singing and praising the Lord, rebuke the enemy, and tell him I am saved by the blood of Jesus, it is instantly gone.

I Peter 4:

12) Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position were befalling you. 13) But insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].

Philippians 4:

11) Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. 12) I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance, I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. 13) I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

Revelations 3:

18) Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. 12) He who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never be put out of it or go out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of Heaven, and My own new name. 5) Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. 21) He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. 2:7)He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. 11) He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death. 17) He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it. 26) And he who overcomes (is victorious) and who obeys My commands to the [very] end [doing the works that please Me], I will give him authority and power over the nations; 27) And he shall rule them with a scepter (rod) of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and [his power over them shall be] like that which I Myself have received from My Father; 28) And I will give him the Morning Star. 29) He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches)

2 Corinthians 10
4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

2 Timothy 2
25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
 
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Tink

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I have a suggestion for all of you that are having problems resting peacefully... When satan decided that he didn't like it that my friend is living her life for Christ, he began waking her from sleep often. She most often would just start praying for everyone she knew. Then came reading the Bible...outloud and I mean OUTLOUD! She decided that if satan was going to wake her, he was really going to be sorry!! And it worked! About three weeks after she started this, satan stopped waking her from her sleep. Isn't that awesome!? It worked for her, it can work for you too! Pray outloud, and read the Bible OUTLOUD. Scare the devil into submission. Anything that you ask in Christ's name, He will do. (See John 14:13-14) Hope this helps.

In Christ,
Tink
 
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Daughter of His

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There is such power in the name of Jesus, and we are given permission to use His name. Once from a sleep I was frightened and could only utter "Jesus" over and over, comfort came and then peace and sleep. We serve an awesome Master that hears us. I praise God.
 
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