How do I trust the Lord when I have consistent PTSD-related nightmares?

If you live with these kinds of nightmares, you know they’re not just bad dreams. They pull you back into the moments of fear and pain. They don’t just interrupt your sleep; they unsettle your sense of safety Your body reacts, your heart is racing, you wake up flooded with emotion, you’re disoriented and exhausted, and sometimes ashamed for feeling so shaken. These episodes do not come out of nowhere. They’re not just the result of an overactive imagination. They’re unwanted returns to the very places you’ve already had to survive. And they can leave you asking, How do I trust the Lord in this? How do I trust him when the fear keeps coming back, night after night?

The first thing I want to say is this: Your nightmares are not a sign that you lack faith. They’re a sign that you have been wounded. And the Lord who is tender with the brokenhearted knows exactly how to meet you there. These types of nightmares are not random; they tell a story. They reveal a heart that has been overwhelmed, and you can’t always stop them from coming, but you can learn to respond to them with trust. Even when that trust feels small, or shaky, or barely there. Psalm 56:8 gives us this beautiful image of how personally God attends to our distress. It says, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.” He sees every sleepless night. Not one tear, not one tremble, escapes his attention. And Psalm 121 reminds us, “He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” That means this: You are never alone in the night. Especially in the night. God is not only present—he is awake. While you sleep, he keeps watch. And when you can’t sleep? He stays near.

So what does it look like to trust him in the midst of these night terrors? Well, you don’t have to be fearless, and you don’t have to make it through the night without trembling. Sometimes trust looks like turning toward the Lord right in the middle of the fear, not with polished prayers but with a whispered cry, “Lord, be near.” It might sound like, “Lord, I’m afraid. Please be with me.” Or “I don’t feel safe, but I know you are here. Help me remember that.”

Let me offer a few simple ways that others have practiced this kind of trust. Some keep verses from Psalm 121 or Psalm 56 beside their bed to turn to. Some pray before they go to sleep, asking the Lord for peace and protection. Others when they wake afraid place a hand on their chest and quietly say, “God is awake. I am not alone. He is with me now.” And these might seem like small steps of faith, but over time, they become anchors in the storm, holding you steady when the waves of fear begin to rise again. And sometimes, one of the ways we trust God is by receiving help that he provides through others. A wise counselor, especially one who understands trauma, or a doctor offering carefully chosen medication. They can be expressions of God’s tender care. God made our bodies, and when they are struggling, it is good—and even wise—to seek support. So if your night terrors are disruptive, seek additional help from people that God equipped to care for you.

Over time, especially as sufferers begin to process their suffering with a wise helper, I have seen how these nightmares lose their grip. They become less vivid, less frequent, even less terrifying. Eventually, sufferers learn to recognize that the traumatic event is not happening anymore. I am here, safe in my bed, so I can return to rest. But healing from this kind of suffering takes time, and often a long time. But the Lord in the meantime will not leave you alone in the night. He walks with you through it. And in his kindness, he provides both spiritual care and wise medical help for our whole person, body and soul.

You may not be able to stop the nightmares from coming. But you can trust that your Savior guards your life—even while you sleep. He does not grow weary. He does not look away. And he doesn’t wait for you to be strong—he meets you in your weakness. Psalm 121:8 says, “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” That includes your days and your nights. Even in your tossings, he keeps you. The promises of God keeping isn’t just about protection; it is about redemption. He doesn’t merely watch over us in our suffering; he steps into it. And Jesus came not just to comfort the suffering— he came to conquer what causes our suffering. And on the cross, he bore the full weight of fear, shame, and evil. And in his resurrection, he broke its power. He is not distant from the horrors you’ve endured. He stepped into our broken world to redeem it, including the parts of your story that feel beyond repair. So when fear floods in, know this: You are not alone. You are held by the One who has already faced the darkness—and overcame it. Because of him, a day is coming when the nightmares will end. There will be no more fear in the night. No more trauma returning uninvited. No more reliving of what once crushed you. Revelation 21:4 promises that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and that death shall be no more. Until that day, Jesus keeps you. He walks with you in the night. He whispers to your soul, “I see you. I am with you. I have defeated all that harms you, and I will make all things new.” This is our hope. Not that suffering disappears now, but that it has already met its match in Christ. And because of him—even in the dark—you are safe.