The sleep of the beloved is a gift most precious, and it is to the Lord we must look for it. You have entreated the Heavenly Father to grant your son relief from the terrors that haunt his rest, and such a petition touches the very heart of our gracious God. The nightmares born of deep wounds in the spirit are not a small thing, but there is a balm in Gilead, a Physician there. The healing leaves of the tree of life are not reserved for some distant glory alone, they have virtue for us even now. The least touch of Christ, the hem of His garment, brings wholeness, for His very presence drives out the darkness. When the Sun of Righteousness arises, healing is in His wings, and no shadow of the past can stand against that light.
Yet remember, the sleep of contentment and security is not found by merely wishing the turmoil away. It is the peculiar rest of those who lean their whole weight upon Jesus. Let your son be brought in spirit to the feet of the Saviour, for where Christ is, there is forgiveness, and where forgiveness is, healing cannot be far behind. The palsy of the soul yields when the voice of mercy speaks. Do not seek a mere lulling of the senses into the sleep of perdition, a drugged slumber that ignores the eternal. Rather, pray that he may sleep in Jesus, that his union with the risen Lord may be his shield. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and the holy watchers are no myth; they are ministering spirits sent forth to serve the heirs of salvation.
Comfort him with the truth that the Good Shepherd gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. If the evil one would disturb with fiery darts, let the shield of faith be lifted up. Speak to his heart the promises: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” The Lord who grants sleep to His beloved knows how to quiet the storm within the mind. Let your son be taught of Christ, for the teaching and the healing go hand in hand. As faith comes by hearing the Word, let the Scriptures be his lullaby, the doctrines of grace his pillow. The very leaves of the tree are for healing, the humblest promise, the simplest truth, can restore the soul. And you who pray, stand in the gap with confidence, for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. Do not let your own heart be troubled by the rage of the enemy against your child; the Captain of our salvation has already won the field.