There are instances when you may awaken suddenly during the night. One such occasion is after experiencing a nightmare.
Typically, after a nightmare, you wake up due to the shock and instinctively you feel the need to pray. If you have the gift of praying in tongues, it is advisable to pray in tongues immediately after the nightmare in order to counter any attacks directed towards you.
However, there is another scenario where sleep suddenly disappears without any apparent reason. In such cases, it is the Holy Spirit waking you up to engage in intercession.
This awakening is considered to be a prime time for believers to pray, as there may be an opportunity for a spiritual breakthrough during that specific moment. Hence, the Holy Spirit wakes them up at that particular time to prompt them to pray.
It is also possible that there is a looming danger and because you are filled with the Holy Spirit, God desires for you to pray over the situation and the people involved.
The purpose of intercession is to prevent any disastrous event from taking place. In such cases, you will typically wake up and realize that sleep has completely vanished.
The realm of dreams
Another reason why we wake up after having a nightmare is because dreams exist in a spiritual realm and are not just mere thoughts, as some people assume.
I realized this when I read a testimony about someone who had a vision of hell. In this vision, the person saw people who had recently arrived in hell and thought they were simply having a bad dream. They kept asking when the dream would end, unaware that they were actually in hell.
When we wake up from a nightmare, we return to the physical realm and the other realm starts to feel fictional, which makes us easily dismiss it. However, it is important to remember that this spiritual realm is real.
When we have nightmares or find ourselves in dangerous situations in our dreams, it is a reminder that there may be demonic activity against us.
When you encounter nightmares, God will awaken you to remove you from that realm where you are in danger and vulnerable, and bring you back into the physical realm where you are safe.
This allows you to intercede because, as you may be aware, things usually originate in the spiritual realm before manifesting in the physical realm. If you are under a spiritual attack, it takes some time for that attack to manifest physically.
That is why it is crucial to always pray immediately you wake up abruptly, because it is through the mercy of God that you get to wake up and intercede to avert evil.
There are believers who have approached me asking about how to pray if they wake up from a nightmare. My usual response is that if you are unsure about what occurred, it is advisable to pray in tongues, as the Holy Spirit is aware of the situation and will intervene to rectify it.
However, if you comprehend the nature and reason behind the nightmare, you can proceed to address any demonic influences or complications by breaking any covenants that may have been formed.
It is important to note that some people may experience covenants in their dreams, and if you are aware of being covenanted into something upon waking up, you can begin by breaking that covenant.
Essentially, what you need to do is plead the blood of Jesus, as it holds a stronger covenant than any demonic covenant. By pleading the blood of Jesus over your life, you break the power of any other covenant that may be influencing you.
Additionally, it is crucial to repent for allowing a door to be opened for these covenants to enter your life. Evil spirits typically deceive and find a loophole before they can establish these covenants.
If you have experienced a nightmare, it indicates that you have messed up somewhere and opened a door for the devil to bring forth these nightmares.
It is necessary to repent for giving the devil a foothold, as the Bible in the book of Ephesians 4:27 instructs us not to give the devil an opportunity.
Therefore, if you find yourself in a situation where you have abruptly woken up from a bad dream, ensure that you pray.
Too drowsy to pray
There have been instances where I have awakened from my dreams and recognized them as nightmares, yet I was too exhausted to pray.
It is possible that you may feel drowsy and dismiss the need to pray, but it is important to remember that you are dealing with your own life. There may be something being taken away from your future, and you can dedicate a moment to pray over it.
Some people don’t bother to pray, resulting in things being stolen from them. The Bible highlights that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
When you have these unsettling dreams, it is the devil attempting to either steal, kill, or destroy something in your life. In such situations, you must stand up, fight, and defend yourself.
Therefore, make sure to pray before going back to sleep after a nightmare, even if you feel extremely tired. If you haven’t been doing so already, I encourage you to adopt the practice. Blessings!