Awake From The Sleep Of Death

The Christian journey is a marathon; a continuity. Life is a collection of seasons: good and bad seasons, and people respond differently to these seasons because we are wired differently. Our spiritual life has the tendency to cool off; to go down. Most times, we start the spiritual life really hot but cool off as the journey progresses. The reason we have retreat or conventions like DUNAMIS, is to refire; an opportunity to renew and restore lost strength.

Many people are sleeping! The spirit of this age is the spirit of slumber. It is a representation of this age in which we live. For this cause, we have to re-awake. The days in which we live are not ordinary. You need personal prayers to reawaken yourself from slumbering. Your personal prayers hold the ace of victory in your life. God has an ace, the devil and you do. Your ace determines your opening in your life.

Rom. 11:8 even as it is written, “God gave to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not seeing, and ears not hearing” until this day.

Luk. 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Matt. 13:24-30 Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Ps. 13:1-4 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long will You forget me, O Jehovah? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my heart having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall my enemy be lifted up over me? Look! Answer me, O Jehovah my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, I have overcome him, and my foes rejoice when I am shaken.

Here, Jesus is saying when men sleep bad things can happen. During sleep, the enemy can wreck havoc in one’s family, body and health. At night, the enemy sowed tares amongst the wheat which have the tendency to choke the wheat while they both grow. Sleep is an enemy of prayer. The enemy uses sleep to fight us. To sleep is not just to close your eyes but also means when your mind is away when it should be active. You can get into trouble when you sleep that you should not. Satan is a thief and thieves operate most often when people are asleep. All kinds of evil happen when people sleep or their mind is away. One good way to open the door to the devil is to sleep the sleep of death.

Lam. 5:18 On the mountain of Zion is laid waste, the foxes walk on it.

Pro. 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down.

When Should You Be Awake?

1. If things are okay with you – Amos 6:1.
2. If things are very bad or hopeless.
3. If you are not praying as you ought to and things are okay or even getting better – Eph. 4:27.

Qualities of the Spirit of Slumber or the Spirit of Death

1. Lack of alertness or drowsiness – Amos 6:1. When you are not prayerful or take a rest from prayers you are sleeping the sleep of death, Rev. 3:16-17. To take a break from spiritual things or assignment is to be naked or exposed.
2. Ignorance of spiritual realm. If you don’t see the way God sees you are ignorant. It is also called lack of spiritual perception.
3. False sense of safety. This is a mindset that things are fine or getting better, that is, to be so comfortable because of God’s blessing and you feel all is well, Ps. 4:8.
4. Laziness or slothfulness, Pro. 19:15.
5. Using prayer time for other things or using the place of prayers for other things is sleeping the sleep of death, 2 Sam. 11:1-4.

Why should you be Awake?

1. Because God said so.
2. Because of the time in which we live. You must keep the switch of faith on because after you get a miracle you need another, 1 Tim. 1:1-2.
3. Because of the adversary. You can’t fight Satan without strategy because he is very strategic and wise. Sleep is the most strategic weapon of Satan.
4. Because any other posture will not work, Isa. 52:1. Before you can put on your strength you must be awake. You cannot be strong if you are asleep.
5. Because of the kind of warfare we are involved in, Act 20:9, Matt. 25:6, 1 Sam. 26:12.
6. Because devils operate when you sleep. The devil comes and takes advantage of you when you are asleep.

How to be Awake

1. Be prepared! Be prepared for war in times of peace. To be awake is to be ready.
2. Be fervent in spirit. Don’t be lazy. Do something with your life for God.
3. Build again the altar of prayer.
4. Be zealous and passionate, Is. 56:6-12.