Nightmares are disruptive experiences that often cause distress and sleepless nights for many individuals. The Bible, sharing timeless wisdom on a myriad of topics, offers comfort and guidance for dealing with nightmares. Throughout its books, it provides an understanding of the origin of nightmares, how to cope with them, and the promise of God’s peace and protection.
When do Nightmares Surface
Nightmares can occur unexpectedly, often surfacing when we’re most vulnerable – during sleep. The onset of nightmares can be triggered by various factors such as stress, anxiety, or traumatic experiences. The Bible affirms this reality, suggesting that the tumultuous nature of our daily lives can penetrate our sleep and transform into distressing dreams. However, it also offers the assurance that God is the giver of peaceful sleep and encourages His followers to cast their worries on Him.
Why Nightmares Occur
According to the Bible, dreams and nightmares can be the result of our subconscious minds processing our waking experiences and emotions. They may reflect our innermost fears, worries, or unaddressed issues. The Bible also acknowledges that in some cases, God might use dreams to convey messages, provide warnings, or prompt us towards introspection and spiritual growth. While nightmares can be disturbing, they may serve as signals urging us to seek divine help for our waking life problems.
Who Provides Comfort during Nightmares
The Bible emphatically assures that God is the ultimate source of comfort during times of distress, including disturbing dreams. God is always near to those who call out to Him in anguish and promises His divine peace even in the midst of troubling dreams. God’s infinite love assures us that we are never alone, even in the darkest hours of the night. Whenever stricken with nightmares, the Bible reminds us to rely steadfastly on God’s consistent presence and enduring comfort.
What Promises the Bible Offers of Restful Sleep
Throughout its pages, the Bible is replete with God’s promises of peaceful, restful sleep for those who place their trust in Him. These promises serve as a beacon of hope for those who are disturbed by recurring nightmares. The Bible continually reassures its readers of God’s ability to grant solace and tranquility, providing deep, restful sleep, free from fear and distress. It provides guidance on how to seek and receive this divine provision, propounding faith and peaceful surrender to God’s care.
Where to Seek Help for Nightmares
Without making light of the psychological distress and anxiety that can be associated with persistent nightmares, the Bible encourages readers to seek help in God. It emphasizes the importance of prayer as a means of communion with God, offering an avenue to express fears and anxieties, while seeking His peace. God’s word advises its readers to commit their anxieties to God in prayer and trust His divine wisdom and strength to enable peaceful sleep. It underscores God’s willingness to aid those who call out to Him, offering them respite from nightmares and peaceful, regenerative sleep.
Below is our full list of bible verses on nightmares (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Nightmares
Proverbs 3:24
“24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”
Related Themes: Rest Peace Sleeplessness Dreams
Psalm 4:8
“8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Related Themes: Rest Peace Safety Nervousness
James 4:7
“7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Related Themes: Lust Bitterness Addiction Satan Surrender
Psalm 91:5
“5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;”
2 Timothy 1:7
“7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Related Themes: Fear Self Confidence Business Bullying Self-Control
Psalm 91:1-4
“1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
Related Themes: Rest Business Rest Loneliness Homelessness
Proverbs 19:23
“23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.”
Proverbs 6:22
“22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.”
Psalm 127:2
“2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 121:5-6
“5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.”
Mark 9:23
“23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Related Themes: Hope Omnipotence Faith Health All Things Are Possible
Ecclesiastes 5:3
“3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”
Related Themes: Business Setting Goals Success
Jeremiah 31:26
“26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.”
John 10:10
“10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Related Themes: Hope New Beginnings Patience Frustration Life
Job 7:13-14
“13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:”
2 Corinthians 7:1
“1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Related Themes: Holiness Impurity Reverence Repentance Discernment
John 3:16
“16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Related Themes: Trespassing Life Love Money Omnipotence
Philippians 4:6-7
“6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Related Themes: Patience Prayer Loneliness Nervousness Worry
John 14:27
“27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Related Themes: Peace Nervousness Loneliness Rest Hope
Psalm 34:4
“4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Related Themes: Fear Nervousness Deliverance Encouragement Shame
Psalm 23:1-6
“1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Related Themes: Criticism Gossip Life Hope Omnipotence
Exodus 20:5-6
“5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Related Themes: Children Reputation Glorification Respecting Your Parents Envy And Jealousy
Psalm 121:6-8
“6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
Psalm 91:5-6
“5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”
John 16:33
“33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Related Themes: Frustration Suffering Peace Homelessness Bitterness
1 Peter 5:7
“7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Related Themes: Loneliness Frustration Depression Worry Complaining
Luke 8:2
“2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”
Matthew 12:43-45
“43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
Daniel 4:5
“5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.”
Related Themes: Dreams
