All Scripture is inspired by God and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
This means that the Bible can teach us, convict us, correct us and train us how to get right with God.
We can therefore learn from the Bible when we should sleep and not sleep when we are facing a storm or life threatening situation.
Jesus Sleeping in the Storm
One day Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." They launched out but as they sailed Jesus fell asleep. A storm came over the lake and the boat was rapidly filling with water. The disciples saw that their lives were in danger and they woke Jesus up saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" (Luke 8:26-)
Jesus rose up, rebuked the wind and the raging waters and there was calm. Then He asked the disciples, "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:22-25)
When to Sleep or Relax in a Storm
From this incident we can deduce that Jesus slept during this storm because He had faith. Therefore if you are in a storm or any other life threatening situation, you can afford to sleep peacefully when you have faith.
This faith should be a confident belief that with Jesus in the boat with you, you will still make it to the other side of the problematic situation even if your life is rapidly filling with problems because With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)
This faith should be a confident belief that with Jesus in the boat with you, even if He seems to be sleeping since He is not stopping the problems from entering your life, you will still make it to the other side.
This faith should be a confident belief that with Jesus in the boat with you, He can stop the storm at any second.
Therefore if there is nothing you can physically do to stop your storm, give it God in prayer, Take up the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) and relax as you continue rowing your boat as best as you can.
Jonah Sleeping in the Storm
One day Jonah went into a ship and when it set out, the Lord sent a great wind and there was a mighty tempest and it was about to be broken. The sailors were afraid and they cried out to their gods and threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. However as they did all this Jonah was fast asleep.
The captain woke him as asked him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise and call on your God perhaps He will save us so that we do not perish."
The sailors also cast lots to know the cause of the trouble they were in and the lot fell on Jonah. They grilled him and asked him the cause of the trouble that had befallen them, his occupation, where he came from, his country and his people.
Jonah replied by telling them he was a Hebrew and he feared the God of heaven who made the sea and the land. He also told them that he had fled from the presence of the Lord.
The other sailors then asked him what they should to do to calm the sea as it was growing more tempestuous. Jonah advised them to throw him into the sea. However they were reluctant to do it and they rowed hard to return to land but the sea continued to be more tempestuous.
The sailors then prayed to God saying, "O Lord please do not let us perish because of this man's life and do not charge us with innocent blood because You Lord have done as it pleased You." They then picked Jonah and threw him into the sea and the sea stopped raging. (Jonah 1:1-15)
When Not to Sleep in a Storm
From this incident we can see that you should not sleep or relax in a storm if you are moving in a direction that is opposite to what God wants you to do.We can see that the disciples were moving in obedience to God when the storm struck their lives because Jesus had told them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."(Luke 8:22)" However, Jonah was moving in disobedience to God when his storm struck because God told him to go Nineveh but Jonah went to Tarshish. (Jonah 1:1-3)
We can also see that you should not relax in any life threatening situation in your life if you do not have the presence of God with you. The disciples had Jesus in the boat with them while Jonah paid the fare for this ship To go with them to Tashish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3)
Therefore, if you are in the middle of any life-threatening situation of any kind, do not sleep or relax if you are moving in disobedience to God and He is not with you.
What you should do in this type of situation is to get out of that boat and move in obedience to God.
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