How To Stay Awake While Praying

Finding it hard to stay awake while praying may indicate underlying issues that need to be addressed by the Holy Spirit. It shows how much the body is desperate for rest, so you may need to make changes and discipline yourself in taking care of your body. While falling asleep unintentionally during prayer now and again is not a big deal, falling asleep during every prayer is not a good sign because prayer time is vital in a Christian’s life.

As you are here looking for how to stay awake while praying, know that God sees your struggle and the desire to sincerely pray to Him. He is proud of you, and He desires for you to have strong communication with Him through prayer. Before we discuss anything, here is a short prayer of declaration:

In Jesus’ name, I am a child of God that loves to commune with Heavenly Father. I seek His will above all else and desire to hear His voice every day as I pray. I have a strong prayer life because of Christ Who lives in me. Amen.

The answer to how one can stay awake while praying may vary depending on each person’s situation, and, therefore, it requires the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and obedience to His instructions. Here are some of the things, according to Scripture that can help you to stay awake while praying:

1. Make sure to get plenty of the rest your body needs so that you will stay awake as you commune with God. 

Genesis 2:2 says, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” If God rested from all His work on the seventh day, we who are imitators of God (see Ephesians 5:1) must also have a day of rest from all of our work. God is showing us how much rest is important; otherwise, He would not have stopped doing His work. When you set a time of rest, your mind and body are able to replenish and rejuvenate, which enables you to do things more effectively and efficiently, not just in your work but in your relationship with God as you pray. 

2. Surrender to Jesus Christ anything that is bothering you, worrying you, keeping you anxious, etc.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Sometimes, unsurrendered matters of the heart are what’s keeping you sleepy, drowsy, or unable to communicate with God in your prayer. These distractions and burdens of the heart can cause your mind to wander during your prayer time with God, and they can eventually cause you to fall asleep unintentionally. It is important to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these things to you so you can come to Jesus and surrender them at His feet. He promised that you will find rest for your soul, but rest doesn’t necessarily mean falling asleep or doing nothing. When Jesus gives you rest, this means giving ease or relief to your burdened heart so you become an effective and fruitful Christian, even in your prayer life, because that is what He does in our lives. 

3. Choose a specific time of day to pray to God—when your mind is fully awake, and you are effectively able to pray to God without getting drowsy. 

If praying to God every night makes you fall asleep all the time, it isn’t a surprise since your body may already be tired from the day’s work, and your mind is already craving sleep and rest. It can mean that praying at night before you sleep may not be a good plan for communicating with God. Even Jesus Christ chose a time to speak with and listen to what the Father had to say in His prayer time. Mark 1:35 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Jesus chose the earliest time, before sunrise, to pray to God as this was the quietest time for Him—as soon as He woke up and before His ministry began. 

4. Choose a perfect place to pray if you have a chance.

As we have read in Mark 1:35, Jesus Christ went to a solitary place to pray. Sometimes, you must change your location and position so your mind can totally focus and speak in stillness with God during your prayer. While the most common place for praying is the bedroom, praying on your bed can sometimes make you sleepy since the bed is a place for sleeping. If you can get out of the house and go to a quiet park, you could try this to pray to God without falling asleep. After all, who sleeps in public places? Moreover, if there are no quiet parks where you are or you are living in a very busy city, you can opt to make your closet a prayer room. If that is not possible, you can pray inside the bathroom or any place in your house that will surely not make you fall asleep. 

5. Share your concern with a pastor or leader of the church and have them pray over you if staying awake is difficult for you during every prayer.

While falling asleep during prayer may be a common occurrence a few times in a believer’s life, it isn’t normal to always feel sleepy during prayer time. If you have made all the efforts, such as choosing a different time, getting sufficient rest for your body, and changing locations, and you still have this problem, share your concern with a pastor or your spiritual leader so that they can pray for you. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” There is power in confession, especially when it comes to struggles because the prayers of other godly people in our lives are so powerful and effective. So, don’t hesitate to reach out and communicate with others so that they can pray for you.

God wants us to communicate with Him effectively, much like when you are talking to your friends, spouse, children, employer or employee, or your parents. After all, as you pray to God and release to Him what’s in your mind and heart, you also need to hear His voice and instructions for your life. Sometimes, He may also warn you or give you confirmation that is vital to your destiny in Christ.

To learn more, you can also check this article (How to Pray to Christ), which may help you in your prayer time with God.

Will God get mad if I fall asleep during my prayer?

Whenever you fall asleep as you speak with God, He remains alert; He constantly watches over your soul even in your sleep. Psalm 121:4 says, “Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” And even throughout our struggles in our prayer time with Him, God remains faithful because that is Who He is (2 Timothy 2:13).

God isn’t angry and will never be angry when you fall asleep during your prayer time with Him. As mentioned earlier, He knows your struggles and the reasons why you are dozing off or finding it hard to stay alert while praying. That being said, God wants you victorious in your Christian life, and that is only possible when you have a strong prayer life. After all, praying is communicating with God, and it is in prayer that God also speaks to you. As we have discussed in the five points above to help you stay awake during your prayer time, you know that God is with you on this journey. He will get you through this, and you will enjoy praying like never before. You get to enjoy talking and listening to the One Who truly matters and the One Who loves your soul more than any other. 

So, whenever you fall asleep during your prayer, as soon as you wake up and the Holy Spirit reminds you about it, pray and communicate with God again. Tell Him why you fell asleep or what made you fall asleep. Converse with Him as you would speak to your closest friend. God is the most understanding and kind Being there ever will be. As you come to Him in honesty and openness, He will never reject you or punish you, so don’t be afraid that He will get mad. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” God is Love and the only safe place to be vulnerable, transparent, and weak. 

What prayers can I pray to God to not fall asleep?

Finding it hard to stay awake in prayer, even if you’ve tried the five things discussed above, sometimes indicates a lack of knowledge of what prayer really is. To some believers, praying can be a daily responsibility and, thus, another burden to fit into their busy schedules. 

Can you imagine going on a date with a special someone and you feel sleepy every time? If that is the case, the relationship may not be going in the right direction. It can show that you are not interested in this person, something is not right with your health, or you need to change the topic to one that you both can relate to and enjoy one another. The same thing can happen in our prayer life with God.

Don’t think of prayer as a responsibility. Rather, think of it as a wonderful relationship and friendship with God to enjoy, relax, and be intimately connected with the One Who truly loves you. 

And know that more than anything, God wants the sincerity of our hearts. He isn’t controlling or demanding in nature. He won’t force you to talk to Him about certain things that are not sincere in your heart and mind. Jesus Christ said to some Pharisees and scribes, who were perfect in their religious concepts and practices but whose hearts were far from Christ, “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” (Matthew 15:8)

Here are some of the things you can pray to God to help you not fall asleep:

1. Think about your loved ones and pray for their needs and concerns.

We know that when we talk about our loved ones, we can speak about endless needs, concerns, desires, and dreams for them because we love them. Praying to God for your spouse, your children, your parents, your ministry, your pastor, a church member, etc. shouldn’t fail to keep you awake since your heart is connected to what you are saying. Tell God how much you love them, bless them, and pray for their safety. And remember that as you pray for them, Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me with wonderful children. The Holy Spirit is guiding them to walk on the right path as we impart the truths of the Bible into their lives. May Your hand of blessing, favor, and honor always be upon them in Jesus’ name. Amen.

2. Read a Scripture promise of God and declare His Word.

Feeling sleepy can sometimes cause your mind to stop coming up with ideas. If you can’t think of anything to pray for, the Word of God is the best prayer. It is not only the best but a powerful and effective prayer. It helps to read what God has already said and make a prayer out of it. You may pray and declare the Scripture for yourself as well as for your loved ones.

For instance, you can pray and declare 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace is all I need. Your grace is sufficient in my weaknesses, and your power works best when I am vulnerable and weak before You. I’m thankful that I can depend on You; I give You all the glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

3. Talk to God about a particular desire in your heart. 

You won’t get sleepy when you talk about your heart’s desire. After all, this is something that truly interests you, and God is interested in it too. Tell God about a dream in your heart, and make sure to ask Him to partner with you in your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for putting in me the desire to help my community. As I decide to volunteer on this particular project, I thank You because Your presence is with me. May You prosper the work of my hands and bless everyone involved in the community project in Jesus’ name. Amen.

4. Get real with God and be honest about your issue of falling asleep every time you pray and talk to Him.

It helps to be honest with God whenever you feel sleepy as you pray. Talking with God about your current struggle, even if it is staying awake while praying, can become a great prayer that the Father hears and answers. And talking about it shouldn’t make you feel sleepy since you are opening up your heart to the Lord. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You. I want to be honest about my struggle with feeling sleepy every time I pray and talk to You. Thank You for creating in me a clean heart and for strengthening my inner man in Jesus’ name. Amen.

5. If you find prayer time to be a burden instead of the pleasure of communing with God, you can turn that into a prayer as well.

Similar to point number four, honesty and sincerity help you truly pray to God and communicate effectively since your heart and mind are engaged. If you find your prayer time to be a burden instead of a wonderful moment of spending time with God, perhaps you may need to renew your mind by filling it more with heavenly things—the Word of God and His great love for you. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You and ask Your forgiveness for thinking that praying to You is a burden. May Your Holy Spirit remind me and show me how much You love me so I can bask in that and truly fall in love with You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

As you ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how to stay awake while praying, He will reveal more specific ways and the issues of the heart that need to be addressed by and realigned according to the Word of God. 

Don’t give up praying even if you still fall asleep. Continue to hold on to God and do your best to have a prosperous relationship with Him. 

We pray that God will empower your inner man in Christ as you discover and understand the width, height, and depth of His great love for you in Jesus’ name. Amen.