As a Christian, I have been to a few church services. Along with “pass the bucket”, another seldom missed event is someone making the proclamation, “I an so glad I came to church today. I really needed to get my spiritual batteries re-charged”. While the saying is quaint and widely popular across denominational lines, it is evidence of a deeper problem with our mainline Christianity-for most Christians-getting charged is a weekly event, not a daily one.
As a former pastor/ minister, it was very frustrating to hear week after week how the congregants were so spiritually exhausted with such little fruit to show for it.
For the Jews, The Sabbath comes rescue us from the mundane. Sabbath helps elevate the other days by its nature. We keep our daily practices in full swing so we can be fully vested for participation in Sabbath.
One of the daily practices is the nightly prayer. Judaism teaches that at night, God removes your soul from your body to clean it, returning it to you before you awake. The Psalmist David told us that God restores his soul. Every wonder how that happens?
Most of us have experienced terrifying dreams and feelings while sleeping. The Rabbis and Sages teach that evil abounds in darkness and tries to attach itself to you while you sleep. That s why Judaism embraces washing of your hands every morning when awaking. It symbolizes the removal of those evil glances/attempts.
I believe we can ask God for nightly protection and renewal. Here is a prayer I like to use before hitting the sheets:
I am at peace.
As I fall asleep, I clear my mind and allow the Light of the Creator into my dreams.
My soul is open to the truth, to His love. I feel its ascension.
By letting go of the daily chaos, renewal is mine.
The Lord God will renew my soul and I will be renewed and elevated each morning.
I will share my Light with others.
As we have discussed before, we have two main purposes here on the earth. First, to learn as much as we can about God and pursue Him for the ultimate and enduring fulfillment of life. Secondly, to help repair the world, bringing the return Messiah closer as we overcome the evil with our good.