No More Nighttime Anxiety

Earlier this year, for a period of several weeks I found myself waking up in the middle of the night filled with fear—worries about my future and fears about various problems. I would be unable to calm my thought or pray. And despite feeling very tired, I would be unable to fall asleep again for several hours. 

These restless nights made it difficult to be alert and energized during the day. I knew I needed to find a way to replace worried thoughts with calm ones and get back to resting peacefully—and prayer was the obvious way forward.

In my study of Mary Baker Eddy’s life and writings, I came across this quote from her autobiography: “... if you fall asleep, actually conscious of the truth of Christian Science,—namely, that man’s harmony is no more to be invaded than the rhythm of the universe,—you cannot awake in fear or suffering of any sort” (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 61 ). This reassured me that prayer would furnish the peace I was seeking. Putting this into action would mean removing from my thought whatever was unlike God, setting aside fears, and trusting God’s infinite protection.