Fending off Nightmares

I was hoping some of you might be able to offer some insight regarding fending off nightmares.

My wife periodically has nightmares which she believes, and I agree, are demonic attacks. The primary reason for this is that they seem to happen when she has performed some kind Christian act, usually for an unsaved person, or when she falls asleep praying or praising the Lord. The secondary reason is that the nightmare is so horrible she will not share the details with me. These do not happen often, maybe a few times a year but she wakes up either in a panic or sobbing and it about scares me to death.

One particular instance, perhaps the worst, occurred the night after she had went out during her work lunch hour to buy a pair of shoes for a co-worker (they worked outside in a nursery) who had holes in the bottom of her shoes. This led to a conversation about the Lord. That night she had a horrid nightmare and woke up panicked. She said that as she was waking up she saw a demonic face and heard an evil voice saying "that’s what you get for buying those @#%ing shoes.”

Last night she had another one- she woke up sobbing. She said before she fell asleep she had been praying for the children that we taught in church that morning and was praising God for His work in their lives. Then immediately after she fell asleep she had this nightmare that she won’t tell me about.

She has resigned herself to the fact that the devil "knows how to get her” and she just has to deal with it. I told her she has authority to resist and rebuke but she is not sure how to do this while she is sleeping. I told her there has to be a way to do it before she falls asleep, but not sure exactly what to tell her to do.

Any insights would be appreciated!

Thank you both for your input. Very helpful.

Todd, I am chipping in with Blaine, too.

Recently, my wife and I experienced nightmares that we knew to be spiritual attacks, too. Panic, worry, from "out of nowhere". Other events and people were involved too.

We shared this with our home group. An older brother in the Lord through whom He used on a couple of earlier occasions to give words of wisdom said: "This is a demonic attack. But, you have the authority as the head of your wife and of your family to speak directly to the demon and tell him to leave and not come back, and he has to obey that. Don't just pray to the Lord about it. You do it in His name."

So, after everyone had left our home that night except this brother and his wife, we sat down. I spoke directly to my wife, eye to eye, and commanded the spirit to leave our home and not to come back. I addressed it directly. My wife agreed with me aloud and it has not happened since. Not saying we have had zero nightmares --- sometimes a late evening pizza will give you meaningless crazy dreams --- but any sense of attack or oppression simply disappeared.

As the head of a believing wife (and it sounds like your wife is like mine in her love for the Lord), you have the privilege, duty and authority to do this. I believe with you and with everyone here that the Lord will act on your behalf and anoint you to do this.

Thank you Tim and Frank.

What you are all saying makes such sense it is hard to believe I had to ask for help.

I guess when it's happening to you it is difficult to think clearly.