I stumbled upon a new spiritual discipline this past year. It isn’t new in the sense that no one has ever done it before—quite to the contrary (see more below)—nor new in that I myself have never done it in the past. But it is new in the sense that this is the first time in my life that this practice has become a regular part of my life. This new pattern has become one of the most spiritually rejuvenating activities with which I have ever engaged.

What is this discipline? When I cannot sleep at night, including and perhaps especially when I first lie down to go to sleep, I mentally meditate on long Scripture passages. I don’t speak the words aloud since my wife is asleep beside me, but I recite in my mind chapters of Scripture until I fall asleep.

What are the benefits I have gained from doing this regularly? Four benefits stand out:

First, I have discovered that God’s Word is sinking deeper into my heart than ever before, probably since I am mulling over what God has revealed during the quietest period of my day. I am used to diving deep into God’s Word; but this activity is helping to sink God’s Word deeper into me.

Second, when I am mentally focusing on Scripture, I am not worrying about the concerns of life. Since I have a tendency to worry—especially when I first place my head on my pillow at night—quoting through Scripture has become an intentional way to set worry aside as I meditate on God’s truth.

Third, I am having an easier time falling asleep than has been the case in the past. I think this positive change is likely connected in some way to my second point. By focusing upon Scripture, I am fixing my mind on one thing rather than allowing my thoughts to bounce around from one set of concerns to another. In so doing, I am consciously committing my concerns to the Lord, and allowing them to rest in the Lord. Let me be honest, there have been times when I have had to quote through a lot of Scripture before I have finally fallen asleep. But, on the whole, this practice has yielded more sleep than anything else I have tried in the past.

The final benefit is that I find myself more motivated to memorize Scripture because of this practice. Every new passage of Scripture committed to memory—and upon which I can draw in the night—increases my delight in meditating on Scripture in the night. Discovering that I was more motivated to memorize additional Scripture than before was an unanticipated benefit of quoting Scripture in the night.

An interesting side note—and something that I didn’t anticipate—is that when I wake up in the morning, I can usually recall within a few verses the place where I l