"God, who does not know sleep, . . . rouses us from sleep that we may ask"

"By [the Parable of the Importunate Friend at Midnight (Lk 11:5-8/13)] we are to understand that if a man, roused from sleep, is forced [(excitatur)] to give unwillingly in answer to a request, God, who does not know sleep, and who rouses us from sleep that we may ask [(qui nec dormire nouit et dormientes nos excitat, ut petamus)], gives much more graciously."

     St. Augustine, Letter 130 to Proba (c. 412) VIII/15, trans. Sister Wilfrid Parsons, FC 18 (1953), 388 (376-401).  Latin from CSEL 44, 58 (40-77).