Latest / Abide Meditation App / Abide Guided Bible Story Meditation for Sleep_ Angel Cleansing - Peter_ Prison _ Passover Cleansing

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Abide Guided Bible Story Meditation for Sleep_ Angel Cleansing - Peter_ Prison _ Passover Cleansing · Abide Meditation App

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Find rest as you listen to this peaceful bedtime story.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: For more Bible stories that bring you refreshing sleep, download
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the Abide app in the iTunes or Google play store.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the sleep story of Peter, Prison and the
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Angel from the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep,
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: May Peter's rescue encourage you that God can rescue you
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in Heaven is working for your good.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep before
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: camps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind. As they rest. As
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep. Now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, fill
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth, scuffle on stone floors.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: In the market, bakers are selling stacks of thin, crisp,
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: unleavened bread. The smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping,
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. They've
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: come from across the country to get ready for the
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: seven day passover. Celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year,
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: an annual celebration that answers the question, why is this
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: night different from all other nights? Why is this day
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: different than any other typical day? But this year's celebration
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: seems even more different, somehow more tense. You can feel
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: you are living in trouble times. In the Bible, Peter
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: knew about trouble at times. He knew pain. He knew
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: how it felt to be judged unfairly by the world.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: thrown in prison unfairly. But in the end he saw
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: God's powerful rescue and surprising ways. God's rescue turned these
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: bad situations into great displays of his grace. So, whether
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: your life seems fair or not, your Father in heaven
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: and his angels are working for your good. But this evening,
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now as
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King, Herod
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus. He
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother of John,
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: put to death by the sword. When he saw that
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to arrest you
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: unfairly during the passover and put you in prison. Jesus
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before his arrest,
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord? Now that King Herod has
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: strengthen you. Now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: for God's word to deliver you. You rest for a moment
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives carrying shields
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: many guards sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and hot, stifling.
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: A large group stands guard at the prison gate, talking
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: and eating.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: You have not eaten.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: The stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: passes and day comes with no word on your fate.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Your stomach growls, and your back is stiff. The room
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: smells of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: into your aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that God
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life through Jesus
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: heal the lame man. And then the temple guards arrested you.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: The head priests made you and John stand in front
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: of them, and they asked, by what power or in
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: whose name did you do these things? The Holy Spirit
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: had filled you, and you answered so strongly that they
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: were amazed. You had no special training in scripture from
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: the priests, but you knew truth because you were taught
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: by Jesus. Rest for another moment and think about how
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: amazing it feels to know truth because you were taught
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: by Jesus. You are deep asleep now. The heavy rhythmic
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: breathing of the guards fills the cell and all the
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: way outside. Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision, and you
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before.
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: must be an angel. The angel speaks once more. Get
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now, put on your coat and
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh yeah, your coat. You
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them wake up? Why
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord, and even get to
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: say thank you. You take another look ahead for the angel,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: and then back behind you down toward the prison. An awesome,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: wild joy swells in your heart. Today the passover celebration
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: will finish. You remember the question why is this night
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: different from all other knights? You realize that the Lord
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: has passed over you and saved you from all of
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: your sins. It's really true, you say, the Lord has
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: The angels of the Lord really do camp around those
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: who fear him, and he delivers them. Now. May God
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: surround and protect you with his angels. So now as
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: you rest, may you be blessed by the Living God.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: for you now as you fall asleep. Go peaceful and loving. Father,
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: Be merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: constant love, because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins,
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Wash away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart, O God, give them again
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God, grant this
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name, Amen, Welcome to the sleep story of Peter
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: prison and the Angel from the Book of Acts. As
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: you fall asleep, may Peter's rescue encourage you that God
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: can rescue you from any bad situation. Even if your
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: life seemed unfair today, know that your Father in heaven
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: is working for your good. Now shift your mind away
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: from today's tasks and worries to soak in God's presence
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: and get comfortable. Rest your head softly on the pillow,
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: close your eyes and relax. Breathe in God's peace and
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: breathe out your troubles. Just begin to drift off, and
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: if you fall asleep before I finish, all the better.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: God is present even while you dream too. So just
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: let go of any worries and troubles, hand them over
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: to God and receive his promise. From the Book of Psalms,
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: the Angel of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Join me now in prayer. Dear God,
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: let your peace fill your child's heart and mind as
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: they rest. As they fall asleep, now, may your Holy
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide their dreams, give them faith and courage, just
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: as you gave Peter faith and courage while he was
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: in prison. You were faithful to Peter, and I believe
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: that you will be faithful to this sleeping child as well.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: Thank you for surrounding and protecting them with your angels.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: As you say in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds and defends
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: all who fear you. Now renew this child as they
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: rest in you. Fill them with your trust, Bring them
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: joy and strength for tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: standing in the streets of Jerusalem two thousand years ago.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: The soft, muted conversations of people are humming around you.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: Shepherds are leading herds of goats and sheep back and forth.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Their hoofs scuffle on stone floors. In the market, bakers
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: are selling stacks of thin, crisp on leaven bread. The
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping, and
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. They've come
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: from across the country to get ready for the seven
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year,
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: an annual celebration that answers the question, why is this
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: night different from all other nights? Why is this day different?
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: Than any other typical day. But this year's celebration seems
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: even more different, somehow more tense. You can feel you
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: are living in troubled times. In the Bible, Peter knew
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: about troubled at times. He knew pain. He knew how
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: it felt to be judged unfairly by the world. He
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and crowds
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and thrown
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: in prison unfairly. But in the end he saw God's
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: powerful rescue and surprising ways God's rescue turned these bad
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: situations into great displays of his grace. So, whether your
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: life seems fair or not, your Father in heaven and
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: his angels are working for your good. But this evening,
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now, as
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King, Herod
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus. He
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother of John,
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: put to death by the sword. When he saw that
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: this pleased many Jews. Herod sent soldiers to arrest you
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: unfairly during the passover and put you in prison. Jesus
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before his arrest,
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord now that King Herod has
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to strengthen
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: you now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting for
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment and
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: breathe in that same spirit of trust from God. Breathe
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the Holy
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in God's arms.
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields and swords.
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: They arrest you and lead you outside of the city
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: gates down to the prison. There are so many guards
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: sixteen in total, that most of them cannot fit inside
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and hot and stifling.
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: A large group stands guard at the prison gate, talking
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: and eating you have not eaten. The stone floor is
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes and day comes
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: with no word on your fate. Your stomach growls and
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: your back is stiff. The room smells of sweat. A
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: guard posts on each side of you. Steel chains are
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: clamped around each of your wrists, cutting into your aching arms.
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: How can you lay down comfortably like this? You seek
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: peace in the knowledge that God has been faithful to
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: you in the past. Night comes again. You will be
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on trial before that time.
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: You were with John teaching that the dead would not
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: come back to life. Through Jesus, you healed a lame man,
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: and then the temple guards arrested you. The head priests
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: made you and John stand in front of them, and
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: they asked by what power or in whose name did
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: you do these things? The Holy Spirit had filled you,
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: and you answered so strongly that they were amazed. You
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: had no special training in scripture from the priests, but
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: you knew truth because you were taught by Jesus. Rest
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: for another moment and think about how amazing it feels
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: to know truth. Because you were taught by Jesus, you
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: were deep asleep. Now, the heavy rhythmic breathing of the
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: god yards fills the cell and hallway outside. Suddenly, your
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: face feels the warmth of light. A beautiful glow shines
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: down across your cheeks, filling your cell. It almost feels
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: like a dream, a vision, and you feel a hand
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: bump into you. You open your eyes and a bright
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: figure stands before.
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, the angel speaks once more. Get
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything They took when
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: cell and you follow it past the sleeping guards without
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: saying a word. You pass the first guard post, then
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: the second. The light shines across the bearded faces of
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: the guards, but not a single one of them wake up.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: Why don't they wake up? Can they not see the
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: light outside? You begin to hike up the road behind
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: the bright figure and see the walls of the city ahead.
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: A large iron gate bars the road, but as you
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: approach the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: by itself. You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 26:01
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome, wild
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the passover celebration will finish.
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: all other knights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, The Lord has sent his
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep. Oh, peaceful and Loving Father, be
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart of God. Give them again
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God, grant this
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name, Amen, welcome to the sleep story of Peter
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: prison and the Angel from the Book of Acts. As
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: you fall asleep, may Peter's rescue encourage you that God
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: can rescue you from any bad situation. Even if your
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: life seemed unfair today, know that your Father in Heaven
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: is working for your good. Now shift your mind away
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: from today's tasks and worries to soak in God's presence
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: and get comfortable. Rest your head softly on the.
• 28:57
  Speaker 4: Pillow, close your eye and relax.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace. Then breathe out your troubles. Just
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep before
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: camps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 30:14
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, Fill
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: on stone floors, and the bakers are selling stacks of thin, crisp,
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: un leaven bread. The smell feels warm and inviting. People
• 31:11
  Speaker 2: are talking, shopping, and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza,
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: and herbs. They've come from across the country to get
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: ready for the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: feast of the year, an annual celebration that answers the question,
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: why is this night different from all other nights? Why
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: is this day different than any other typical day? But
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: this year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense.
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: You can feel you are living in trouble. At times
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: in the Bible. Peter knew about trouble at times, knew pain.
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: He knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained,
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: and thrown in prison unfairly. But in the end he
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: saw God's powerful rescue and surprising ways. God's rescue turned
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 32:48
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now,
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: as the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 33:03
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 33:08
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 33:12
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 33:17
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the passover and put you in prison.
• 33:22
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Why before
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: his arrest, you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus.
• 33:31
  Speaker 2: You fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: are the angels of the Lord now that King Herod
• 33:43
  Speaker 2: has his eyes set on you. You need their help
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: to strengthen you now too, see them camped around Jerusalem
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: waiting for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: moment and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the
• 34:11
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 34:41
  Speaker 2: many guards, sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten. The
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes
• 35:09
  Speaker 2: and day comes with no word on your fate. Your
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: stomach growls and your back is stiff. The room smells
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you.
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: into your aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that God
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again.
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 35:48
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 35:53
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus,
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: you healed a lame man, and then the temple guards
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The head priests made you and John stand
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: in front of them, and they asked, by what power
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: or in whose name did you do these things? The
• 36:14
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so strongly
• 36:18
  Speaker 2: that they were amazed.
• 36:20
  Speaker 4: You had no.
• 36:21
  Speaker 2: Special training in scripture from the priests, but you knew
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: truth because you were taught by Jesus. Rest for another
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: moment and think about how amazing it feels to know
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: truth because you were taught by Jesus. You are deep
• 36:49
  Speaker 2: asleep now. The heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: the cell and hallway outside. Suddenly your face feels the
• 37:03
  Speaker 2: warmth of light, a beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks,
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: filling your cell. It almost feels.
• 37:13
  Speaker 4: Like a dream, a vision.
• 37:16
  Speaker 2: Then you feel a hand bump into you. You open
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: your eyes and a bright figure stands before you get up.
• 37:29
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 37:58
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, The angel speaks once more. Get
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 38:41
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 38:51
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 38:54
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second,
• 39:01
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 39:04
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them wake up? Why
• 39:07
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 39:17
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 39:34
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 39:40
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 39:45
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 39:54
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord. You didn't even get
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: to say thank you. You take another look ahead for
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: the angel, and then back behind you, down toward the prison.
• 40:07
  Speaker 2: An awesome, wild joy swells in your heart. Today the
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: passover celebration will finish. You remember the question why is
• 40:19
  Speaker 2: this night different from all other knights? You realize that
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: the Lord has passed over you and saved you from
• 40:27
  Speaker 2: all of your sins. It's really true, you say, The
• 40:32
  Speaker 2: Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do
• 40:38
  Speaker 2: to me. The angels of the Lord really do camp
• 40:43
  Speaker 2: around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Now.
• 40:49
  Speaker 2: May God surround and protect you with his angels. So
• 40:55
  Speaker 2: now as you rest, may you be blessed by the
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: Living God. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams. Let
• 41:05
  Speaker 2: me pray for you now as you fall asleep. Oh,
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: peaceful and Loving Father, Be merciful to this one, Oh God,
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: because of your constant love, Because of your great mercy,
• 41:20
  Speaker 2: wipe away their sins, Wash away all evil, and make
• 41:26
  Speaker 2: them clean from their sin. Let them hear the sounds
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: of joy and gladness. Create in them a pure heart
• 41:36
  Speaker 2: of God. Give them again the joy that comes from
• 41:40
  Speaker 2: their salvation. God, grant this one peace so that they
• 41:46
  Speaker 2: can sleep and awaken with a renewed spirit, ready to
• 41:50
  Speaker 2: face the day ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen, Welcome to
• 42:07
  Speaker 2: the sleep story of Peter Prison and the Angel from
• 42:12
  Speaker 2: the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep, may Peter's
• 42:16
  Speaker 2: rescue encourage you. That God can rescue you from any
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today, know
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: that your Father in heaven is working for your good. Now,
• 42:32
  Speaker 2: shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries. Just
• 42:37
  Speaker 2: soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your head
• 42:42
  Speaker 2: softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax. Breathe
• 42:50
  Speaker 2: in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just begin
• 42:56
  Speaker 2: to drift off, and if you fall asleep before I finish,
• 43:01
  Speaker 2: all the better. God is present even while you dream too.
• 43:07
  Speaker 2: So just let go of any worries and troubles, hand
• 43:10
  Speaker 2: them over to God and receive his promise. From the
• 43:14
  Speaker 2: book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord camps surround
• 43:18
  Speaker 2: those who fear him, and he delivers them. Join me
• 43:25
  Speaker 2: now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace fill your
• 43:29
  Speaker 2: child's heart and mind as they rest. As they fall asleep, Now,
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams, give them faith
• 43:40
  Speaker 2: and courage, just as you gave Peter faith and courage
• 43:44
  Speaker 2: while he was in prison. You were faithful to Peter,
• 43:49
  Speaker 2: and I believe that you will be faithful to this
• 43:51
  Speaker 2: sleeping child as well. Thank you for surrounding and protecting
• 43:56
  Speaker 2: them with your angels. As you say in Psalm chapter
• 44:01
  Speaker 2: ninety one, the Angel of the Lord is a guard.
• 44:05
  Speaker 2: He surrounds and defends all who fear you. Now renew
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: this child, as they rest in you fill them with
• 44:13
  Speaker 2: your trust, bring them joy and strength for tomorrow in
• 44:19
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets of Jerusalem
• 44:36
  Speaker 2: two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations of people
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds of goats
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle on stone floors.
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: In the market, bakers are selling stacks of thin crisp
• 44:59
  Speaker 2: on leaven. The smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping,
• 45:08
  Speaker 2: and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza.
• 45:12
  Speaker 4: And herbs.
• 45:14
  Speaker 2: They've come from across the country to get ready for
• 45:17
  Speaker 2: the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of
• 45:21
  Speaker 2: the year, an annual celebration that answers the question, why
• 45:27
  Speaker 2: is this night different from all other nights? Why is
• 45:31
  Speaker 2: this day different than any other typical day. But this
• 45:37
  Speaker 2: year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense. You
• 45:44
  Speaker 2: can feel you are living in trouble. At times. In
• 45:49
  Speaker 2: the Bible, Peter knew about trouble at times. He knew pain.
• 45:55
  Speaker 2: He knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 45:58
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 46:03
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained,
• 46:10
  Speaker 2: and thrown in prison unfairly, But in the end he
• 46:15
  Speaker 2: saw God's powerful rescue and surprising ways. God's rescue turned
• 46:21
  Speaker 2: these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 46:27
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 46:31
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 46:36
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 46:42
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settle in now.
• 46:46
  Speaker 2: As the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 46:52
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 46:57
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 47:02
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 47:06
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 47:10
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison.
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before
• 47:20
  Speaker 2: his arrest, you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus.
• 47:25
  Speaker 2: You fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of
• 47:28
  Speaker 2: the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where
• 47:33
  Speaker 2: are the angels of the Lord now that King Herod
• 47:37
  Speaker 2: has his eyes set on you? You need their help
• 47:41
  Speaker 2: to strengthen you. Now too, see them camped around Jerusalem
• 47:47
  Speaker 2: waiting for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a
• 47:52
  Speaker 2: moment and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 48:00
  Speaker 2: Out and release your worries. Breathe then let the Holy
• 48:07
  Speaker 2: Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in God's arms.
• 48:24
  Speaker 2: A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields and swords.
• 48:29
  Speaker 2: They arrest you and lead you outside of the city
• 48:32
  Speaker 2: gates down to the prison. There are so many guards,
• 48:37
  Speaker 2: sixteen in total, that most of them cannot fit inside
• 48:41
  Speaker 2: the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and hot and stifling.
• 48:49
  Speaker 2: A large group stands guard at the prison gate, talking
• 48:52
  Speaker 2: and eating. You have not eaten. The stone floor is
• 48:57
  Speaker 2: hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes and day comes
• 49:05
  Speaker 2: with no word on your fate. Your stomach growls and
• 49:09
  Speaker 2: your back is stiff. The room smells of sweat. A
• 49:15
  Speaker 2: guard posts on each side of you. Steel chains are
• 49:20
  Speaker 2: clamped around each of your wrists, cutting into your aching arms.
• 49:26
  Speaker 2: How can you lay down comfortably? Like this, you seek
• 49:31
  Speaker 2: peace and the knowledge that God has been faithful to
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: you in the past. Night comes again you will be
• 49:40
  Speaker 2: placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on trial before that time.
• 49:46
  Speaker 2: You were with John teaching that the dead would not
• 49:49
  Speaker 2: come back to life. Through Jesus, you healed a lame man,
• 49:53
  Speaker 2: and then the temple guards arrested you. The head priests
• 49:58
  Speaker 2: made you and John stand in in front of them,
• 50:01
  Speaker 2: and they asked, by what power or in whose name
• 50:06
  Speaker 2: did you do these things? The Holy Spirit had filled you,
• 50:11
  Speaker 2: and you answered so strongly that they were amazed. You
• 50:15
  Speaker 2: had no special training in scripture from the priests, but
• 50:19
  Speaker 2: you knew truth because you were taught by Jesus. Rest
• 50:24
  Speaker 2: for another moment and think about how amazing it feels
• 50:29
  Speaker 2: to know truth because you were taught by Jesus. You
• 50:44
  Speaker 2: are deep asleep now. The heavy rhythmic breathing of the
• 50:50
  Speaker 2: guards fills the cell and hallway outside. Suddenly, your face
• 50:57
  Speaker 2: feels the warmth of light. A beautiful glow shines down
• 51:03
  Speaker 2: across your cheeks, filling your cell. It almost feels like
• 51:08
  Speaker 2: a dream, a vision, and you feel a hand bump
• 51:14
  Speaker 2: into you. You open your eyes and a bright figure
• 51:20
  Speaker 2: stands before.
• 51:21
  Speaker 6: You get up, The heavenly figure says quickly, the heavy
• 51:30
  Speaker 6: chains suddenly snap open.
• 51:32
  Speaker 2: And fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto the stone.
• 51:38
  Speaker 2: You sit up and rub your aching hands together, taking
• 51:42
  Speaker 2: a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are light
• 51:48
  Speaker 2: and free. But who is this guiding you? It must
• 51:54
  Speaker 2: be an angel, the angel speaks once more, Get dressed
• 52:03
  Speaker 2: and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 52:10
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 52:14
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 52:17
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 52:21
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 52:26
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh yeah, your coat. You
• 52:31
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 52:36
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 52:41
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 52:46
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 52:49
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 52:56
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 52:59
  Speaker 2: but a single one of them. Wake up? Why don't
• 53:03
  Speaker 2: they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 53:09
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 53:12
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 53:17
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 53:22
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 53:33
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 53:35
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 53:40
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 53:45
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 53:49
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord. You didn't even get
• 53:52
  Speaker 2: to say thank you. You take another look ahead for
• 53:56
  Speaker 2: the angel, and then back behind you, down toward the prison.
• 54:02
  Speaker 2: An awesome wild joy swells in your heart. Today that
• 54:08
  Speaker 2: passover celebration will finish. You remember the question why is
• 54:14
  Speaker 2: this night different from all other knights? You realize that
• 54:19
  Speaker 2: the Lord has passed over you and saved you from
• 54:23
  Speaker 2: all of your sins. It's really true, you say, the
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do
• 54:34
  Speaker 2: to me. The angels of the Lord really do camp
• 54:38
  Speaker 2: around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Now.
• 54:44
  Speaker 2: May God surround and protect you with his angels. So
• 54:50
  Speaker 2: now as you rest, may you be blessed by the
• 54:54
  Speaker 2: living God. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams. Let
• 55:00
  Speaker 2: me pray for you now as you fall asleep, Go
• 55:04
  Speaker 2: peaceful and loving. Father, Be merciful to this one, Oh God,
• 55:10
  Speaker 2: because of your constant love, Because of your great mercy,
• 55:15
  Speaker 2: wipe away their sins, Wash away all evil, and make
• 55:21
  Speaker 2: them clean from their sin. Let them hear the sounds
• 55:26
  Speaker 2: of joy and gladness. Create in them a pure heart.
• 55:31
  Speaker 2: O God, give them again the joy that comes from
• 55:35
  Speaker 2: their salvation. God, grant this one peace so that they
• 55:41
  Speaker 2: can sleep and awaken with a renewed spirit, ready to
• 55:45
  Speaker 2: face the day ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen, Welcome to
• 55:59
  Speaker 2: the sleep story of Peter Prison and the Angel from
• 56:04
  Speaker 2: the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep, may Peter's
• 56:08
  Speaker 2: rescue encourage you that God can rescue you from any
• 56:13
  Speaker 2: bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today, know
• 56:19
  Speaker 2: that your Father in heaven is working for your good.
• 56:24
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 56:29
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 56:35
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 56:42
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 56:48
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off, and if you fall asleep before
• 56:52
  Speaker 2: I finish all the better. God is present even while
• 56:56
  Speaker 2: you dream too. Let go of any worries and troubles,
• 57:03
  Speaker 2: hand them over to God and receive his promise. From
• 57:06
  Speaker 2: the book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord camps
• 57:10
  Speaker 2: surround those who fear him, and he delivers them. Join
• 57:17
  Speaker 2: me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace fill
• 57:21
  Speaker 2: your child's heart and mind as they rest. As they
• 57:26
  Speaker 2: fall asleep, now, may your holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 57:32
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 57:36
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 57:40
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 57:43
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 57:47
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 57:52
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 57:56
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who now
• 58:02
  Speaker 2: renew this child. As they rest in you, fill them
• 58:06
  Speaker 2: with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for tomorrow
• 58:11
  Speaker 2: in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets of
• 58:20
  Speaker 2: Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations of
• 58:26
  Speaker 2: people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds of
• 58:31
  Speaker 2: goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle on
• 58:37
  Speaker 2: stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks of thin, crisp,
• 58:44
  Speaker 2: unleavened bread. The smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping,
• 58:53
  Speaker 2: and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. I've
• 59:00
  Speaker 2: come from across the country to get ready for the
• 59:02
  Speaker 2: seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year,
• 59:08
  Speaker 2: an annual celebration that answers the question why is this
• 59:13
  Speaker 2: night different from all other nights? Why is this day
• 59:17
  Speaker 2: different than any other typical day? But this year's celebration
• 59:24
  Speaker 2: seems even more different, somehow more tense. You can feel
• 59:30
  Speaker 2: you are living in troubled At times. In the Bible,
• 59:36
  Speaker 2: Peter knew about trouble. At times, he knew pain. He
• 59:41
  Speaker 2: knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by the world.
• 59:45
  Speaker 2: He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and
• 59:49
  Speaker 2: crowds and the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and
• 59:56
  Speaker 2: thrown in prison unfairly, but in the end he saw
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 2: God's powerful rescue in surprising ways. God's rescue turned these
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 2: bad situations into great displays of his grace. So, whether
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 2: your life seems fair or not, your Father in heaven
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 2: and his angels are working for your good. But this evening,
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 2: as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 2: can sense trouble in the air. Settle in now, as
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 2: the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King Herod
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 2: isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus. He
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 2: has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother of John,
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 2: put to death by the sword. When he saw that
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 2: this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to arrest you
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 2: unfairly during the passover and put you in prison. Jesus
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 2: was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before his arrest,
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 2: Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord now that King Herod has
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to strengthen you.
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 2: Now too, see them camped around Jerusalem, waiting for God's
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 2: word to deliver you. Rest for a moment and breathe
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 2: in that same spirit of trust from God. Breathe out
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 2: and release your worries. Breathe inn, let the Holy Spirit
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 2: fill you with faith. Just rest now in God's arms.
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 2: A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields and swords.
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 2: They arrest you and lead you outside of the city
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 2: gates down to the prison. There are so many guards
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 2: sixteen in total, that most of them cannot fit inside
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 2: the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and hot and stifling.
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 2: A large group stands guard at the prison gate, talking
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 2: and eating. You have not eaten. The stone floor is
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 2: hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes and day comes
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 2: with no word on your fate. Your stomach growls and
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 2: your back is stiff. The room smells of sweat. A
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 2: guard poe on each side of you. Steel chains are
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 2: clamped around each of your wrists, cutting into your aching arms.
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 2: How can you lay down comfortably like this? You seek
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 2: peace and the knowledge that God has been faithful to
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 2: you in the past. Night comes again. You will be
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 2: placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on trial before that time.
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 2: You were with John teaching that the dead would not
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 2: come back to life. Through Jesus, you healed a lame man,
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 2: and then the temple guards arrested you. The head priests
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 2: made you and John stand in front of them, and
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 2: they asked, by what power or in whose name did
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 2: you do these things? The Holy Spirit had filled you,
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 2: and you answered so strongly that they were amazed. You
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 2: had no special training in scripture from the priests, but
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 2: you knew truth because you were taught by Jesus. Rest
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 2: for another moment and think about how amazing it feels
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 2: to know truth because you are taught by Jesus. You
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 2: were deep asleep. Now the heavy rhythmic breathing of the
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 2: guards fills the cell in hallway outside. Suddenly your face
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 2: feels the warmth of light. A beautiful glow shines down
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 2: across your cheeks, filling your cell. It almost feels like
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 2: a dream, a vision. Then you feel a hand bump
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 2: into you. You open your eyes and a bright figure
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 2: stands before.
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, the angel speaks once more. Get
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them. Wake up? Why
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 2: back behind you down toward the prison. An awesome, wild
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the Passover celebration will finish.
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 2: all their knights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep, Go peaceful and loving Father, Be
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 2: love because of your great mercy. Wipe away their sins,
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 2: Wash away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart of God. Give them again
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God grant this
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name. Amen, Welcome to the sleep story of Peter
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 2: Prison and the Angel from the Book of Acts. As
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 2: you fall asleep, may Peter's rescue encourage you that God
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 2: can rescue you from any bad situation, even if your
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 2: life's seen deemed unfair today, know that your Father in
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 2: heaven is working for your good. Now shift your mind
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 2: away from today's tasks and worries is soak in God's
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 2: presence and get comfortable. Rest your head softly on the pillow,
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 2: close your eyes and relax. Breathe in God's peace and
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 2: breathe out your troubles. Just begin to drift off. And
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 2: if you fall asleep before I finish all the better.
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 2: God is present even while you dream too, So just
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 2: let go of any worries and troubles. Hand them over
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 2: to God and receive his promise. From the book of Psalms,
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 2: the Angel of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Join me now in prayer. Dear God,
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 2: let your peace fill your child's heart and mind as
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 2: they rest. As they fall asleep, Now, may your Holy
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide their dreams, give them faith and courage, Just
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 2: as you gave Peter faith and courage while he was
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 2: in prison. You were faithful to Peter, and I believe
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 2: that you will be faithful to this sleeping child as well.
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 2: Thank you for surrounding and protecting them with your angels.
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 2: As you say in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 2: of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds and defends
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 2: all who fear you. Now renew this child. As they
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 2: rest in you, fill them with your trust, Bring them
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 2: joy and strength for tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 2: standing in the streets of Jerusalem two thousand years ago.
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 2: The soft, muted conversations of people are humming around you.
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 2: Shepherds are leading herds of goats and sheep back and forth.
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 2: Their hoofs scuffle on stone floors in the market bakers
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 2: are selling stacks of thin, crisp, unleavened bread. The smell
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 2: feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping, and carrying
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 2: baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. They've come from
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 2: across the country to get ready for the seven day
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 2: Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year, an
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 2: annual celebration that answers the question, why is this night
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 2: different from all other nights? Why is this day different
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 2: than any other typical day? But this year's celebration seems
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 2: even more different, somehow more tense. You can feel you
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 2: are living in troubled times. In the Bible, Peter knew
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 2: about troubled at times. He knew pain. He knew how
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 2: it felt to be judged unfairly by the world. He
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 2: had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and crowds
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 2: in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and thrown
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 2: in prison unfairly, but in the end he saw God's
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 2: powerful rescue In surprising ways, God's rescue turned these bad
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 2: situations into great displays of his grace. So, whether your
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 2: life seems fair or not, Heaven and his angels are
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 2: working for your good. But this evening, as Hebrew families
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 2: begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they can sense trouble.
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 4: In the air.
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 2: Settled in now, as the story unfolds through the eyes
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 2: of Peter, King Herod isn't sparing you or the other
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James,
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 2: the brother of John, put to death by the sword.
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 2: When he saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 2: soldiers to arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 2: you in prison. Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover.
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 2: Right before his arrest, you and the other disciples were
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 2: praying for Jesus. You fell asleep in the garden, and
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 2: an angel of the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him.
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 2: So where are the angels of the Lord now that
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 2: King Herod has his eyes set on you. You need
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 2: their help to strengthen you now too. See them camped
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 2: around Jerusalem waiting for God's word to deliver you. Rest
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 2: for a moment and breathe in that same spirit of
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 2: trust from God. Breathe out and release your worries, breathe in,
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 2: let the Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 2: now in God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives,
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 2: carrying shields and swords. They arrest you and lead you
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 2: outside of the city gates down to the prison. There
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 2: are so many guards sixteen in total, that most of
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 2: them cannot fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 2: cramped and hot, stifling. A large group stands guard at
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 2: the prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten.
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 2: The stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 2: passes and day comes with no word on your fate.
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 2: Your stomach growls and your back is stiff. The room
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 2: smells of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you.
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 2: Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 2: into your aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that God
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again.
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 2: You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus.
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 2: You healed a lame man, and then the temple guards
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The head priests made you and John stand
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 2: in front of them, and they asked, by what power
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 2: or in whose name did you do these things? The
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so strongly
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 2: that they were amazed. You had no special training in
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 2: scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because you
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 2: were taught by Jesus. Rest for another moment and think
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 2: about how amazing it feels to know truth because you
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 2: were taught by Jesus. You are deep asleep now. The
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 2: heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell and
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 2: hallway outside. Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light.
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision. Then you
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before you get up. The
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 2: heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap open
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 2: and off your wrists. They clang loudly onto the stone.
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 2: You sit up and rub your aching hands together, taking
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 2: a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are light
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 2: and free. But who is this guiding you? It must
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 2: be an angel. The angel speaks once more. Get dressed
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 2: and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again, warm,
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 2: it's safe. You've gotten back everything they took when they
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them.
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 4: Wake up?
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 2: Why don't they wake up? Can they not see the
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 2: light outside? You begin to hike up the road behind
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 2: the bright figure and see the walls of the city ahead.
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 2: A large iron gate bars the road, but as you
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 2: approach the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 2: by itself. You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, You stand
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome wild
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the Passover celebration will finish.
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 2: all other nights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep. Go peaceful and loving. Father, Be
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 2: because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart of God. Give them again
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. Grant this one
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 2: peace so that they can sleep and awaken with a
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 2: renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In Jesus name. Amen,
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the sleep story of Peter Prison and the
• 1:24:10
  Speaker 2: Angel from the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep,
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 2: may Peter's rescue encourage you that God can rescue you
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in Heaven is working for your good.
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 2: to soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off, and if you fall as before
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 2: camps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 1:25:25
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, Now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, Just as you gave Peter
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 1:25:55
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, fill
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 2: on stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 2: of thin, crisp, unleavened bread. The smell feels warm and inviting.
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 2: People are talking shopping in carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza.
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 4: And rbs.
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 2: They've come from across the country to get ready for
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 2: the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 2: the year, an annual celebration that answers the question, why
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 2: is this night different from all other nights? Why is
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 2: this day different than any other typical day? But this
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 2: year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense. You
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 2: can feel you are living in trouble. At times. In
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 2: the Bible, Peter knew about trouble. At times, he knew pain.
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 2: He knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds and the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained,
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 2: and thrown in prison unfairly. But in the end he
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 2: saw God's powerful rescue and surprising ways. God's rescue turned
• 1:28:15
  Speaker 2: these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settled in Now,
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 2: as the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison.
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 2: his arrest, you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus.
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 2: You fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 2: the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 2: are the angels of the Lord now that King Herod
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 2: has his eyes set on you. You need their help
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 2: to strengthen you. Now too, see them camped around Jerusalem
• 1:29:41
  Speaker 2: waiting for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 2: moment and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives carrying shields
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 2: many guards sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 1:30:42
  Speaker 2: prison gate.
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 3: Talking and eating.
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 2: You have not eaten. The stone floor is hard and
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 2: lumpy and cold. Night passes and day comes with no
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 2: word on your fate. Stomach growls, and your back is stiff.
• 1:31:03
  Speaker 2: The room smells of sweat. A guard posts on each
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 2: side of you. Steel chains are clamped around each of
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 2: your wrists, cutting into your aching arms. How can you
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 2: lay down comfortably like this? You seek peace in the
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 2: knowledge that God has been faithful to you in the past.
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 2: Night comes again. You will be placed on trial tomorrow.
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 2: You've been on trial before that time. You were with
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 2: John teaching that the dead would not come back to life.
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 2: Through Jesus, you healed a lame man, and then the
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 2: temple guards arrested you. The head priests made you and
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 2: John stand in front of them, and they asked, by
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 2: what power or in whose name did you do these things?
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 2: The Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 2: strongly that they were amazed. You had no special training
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 2: in scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. Rest for another moment and
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 2: think about how amazing it feels to know truth because
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. You are deep asleep now.
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 2: The heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 2: in hallway outside. Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light.
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision, and you
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before.
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 1:33:23
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, The angel speaks once more. Get
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. You're dreaming, but you
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 2: do what the angel orders. In the glow of light
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 2: pouring out from the angel, you find your shirt and
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 2: slip it over your head. You slip your sandals onto
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 2: your feet. Now put on your coat and follow me.
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 2: The angel says, oh yeah, your coat. You slide your
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 2: arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again, warm
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 2: and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when they
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them wake up. Why
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome wild
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today that pass celebration will finish.
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 2: You remember the question, why is this night different from
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 2: all other knights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 1:36:23
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep. Go peaceful and loving. Father, Be
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 2: because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash
• 1:37:11
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 1:37:16
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart of God. Give them again
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God, grant this
• 1:37:30
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready.
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 7: To face the day I had in Jesus' name.
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 2: Amen. Welcome to the sleep story of Peter Prison and
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 2: the Angel from the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep,
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 2: may Peter's rescue encourage you that God can rescue you
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in Heaven is working for your good.
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep before
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 2: camps surround those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, fill
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, them joy and strength for tomorrow
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 2: in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets of
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 2: Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations of
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 2: people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds of
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 2: goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle on
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 2: stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks of thin, crisp,
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 2: unleavened bread. The smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping,
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 2: and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. They've
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 2: come from across the country to get ready for the
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 2: seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year,
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 2: annual celebration that answers the question, why is this night
• 1:41:04
  Speaker 2: different from all other nights? Why is this day different
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 2: than any other typical day? But this year's celebration seems
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 2: even more different, somehow more tense, and can feel you
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 2: are living in trouble. At times in the Bible, Peter
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 2: knew about trouble. At times, he knew pain. He knew
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 2: how it felt to be judged unfairly by the world.
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 2: He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 2: crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 2: thrown in prison unfairly, but in the end he saw
• 1:41:52
  Speaker 2: God's powerful rescue. In surprising ways, God's rescue turned these
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 2: bad situations into great displays of his grace. So, whether
• 1:42:04
  Speaker 2: your life seems fair or not, your Father in heaven
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 2: and his angels are working for your good. But this evening,
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 2: as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 2: can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now, as
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 2: the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King, Herod
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 2: isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus. He
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 2: has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother of John,
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 2: put to death by the sword. When he saw that
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 2: this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to arrest you
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 2: unfairly during the passover and put you in prison. Jesus
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 2: was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before his arrest,
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 2: Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord now that King Herod has
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 2: strengthen you. Now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 2: for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 2: and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives carrying shields
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 1:44:06
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 2: many guards, sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 2: prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten. The
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 2: stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes
• 1:44:39
  Speaker 2: and day comes with no word on your fate. Your
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 2: stomach growls and your back is stiff. The room smells
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 2: of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you.
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 2: Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 2: into your aching heart. How can you lay down comfortably
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace and the knowledge that God
• 1:45:08
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again.
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 2: You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus,
• 1:45:26
  Speaker 2: you healed a lame man, and then the temple guards
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The head priests made you and John stand
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 2: in front of them, and they asked, by what power
• 1:45:39
  Speaker 2: or in whose name did you do these things? The
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so strongly
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 2: that they were amazed. You've had no special training in
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 2: scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because you
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 2: were taught by Jesus. Rest for no moment and think
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 2: about how amazing. It feels to know truth because you
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 2: are taught by Jesus. You are deep asleep. Now the
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 2: heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell and
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 2: hallway outside. Suddenly, your face feels the warmth of light.
• 1:46:36
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision, and you
• 1:46:47
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 1:46:52
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before.
• 1:46:56
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 1:47:17
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, the angel speaks once more. Get
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 1:48:06
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat, sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 1:48:16
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them wake up. Why
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 2: figure and see the walls of the city ahead. A
• 1:48:52
  Speaker 2: large iron gate bars the road, but as you approach
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome, wild
• 1:49:39
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the passover celebration will finish.
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 2: You remember the question, why is this night different from
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 2: all other nights, you realize that the Lord has passed
• 1:49:56
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 1:50:11
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep. Oh peaceful and Loving Father, be
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 1:50:48
  Speaker 2: because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, wash
• 1:50:54
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 2: Hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create in them
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 2: a pure heart of God. Give them again the joy
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 2: that comes from their salvation. God, grant this one peace
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 2: so that they can sleep and awaken with a renewed spirit,
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 2: ready to face the day ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen,
• 1:51:33
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the sleep story of Peter Prison and the
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 2: Angel from the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep,
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 2: may Peter's rescue. Encourage you that God can rescue you
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in heaven is working for your good.
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace. Then breathe out your troubles. Just
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep before
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 2: camps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 1:52:52
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, Just as you gave Peter
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well, thank you for
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, Fill
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, mut conversations
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle
• 1:54:12
  Speaker 2: on stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 2: of thin, crisp on leaven bread. The smell feels warm
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 2: and inviting. People are talking, shopping, and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza,
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 2: and herbs. They've come from across the country to get
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 2: ready for the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 2: feast of the year, an annual celebration that answers the
• 1:54:45
  Speaker 2: question why is this night different from all other nights?
• 1:54:51
  Speaker 2: Why is this day different than any other typical day?
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 2: But this year's celebration seems e and more different. Somehow
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 2: more tints you can feel you are living in trouble times.
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 2: In the Bible, Peter knew about trouble at times. He
• 1:55:13
  Speaker 2: knew pain. He knew how it felt to be judged
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 2: unfairly by the world. He had watched Jesus get judged
• 1:55:22
  Speaker 2: unfairly by priests and crowds in the Roman courts. Peter
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 2: was arrested, chained, and thrown in prison unfairly, but in
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 2: the end he saw God's powerful rescue In surprising ways.
• 1:55:40
  Speaker 2: God's rescue turned these bad situations into great displays of
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 2: his grace. So whether your life seems fair or not,
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 2: your Father in heaven and his angels are working for
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 2: your good. But this evening, as Hebrew families begin to
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 2: gather to celebrate Passover, they can sense trouble in the air.
• 1:56:05
  Speaker 2: Settled in now, as the story unfolds through the eyes
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 2: of Peter, King Herod isn't sparing you or the other
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James,
• 1:56:22
  Speaker 2: the brother of John, put to death by the sword.
• 1:56:26
  Speaker 2: When he saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent
• 1:56:29
  Speaker 2: soldiers to arrest you unfairly. During the Passover and put
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 2: you in prison. Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover.
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 2: Right before his arrest, you and the other disciples were
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 2: praying for Jesus. You fell asleep in the garden, and
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 2: an angel of the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him.
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 2: So where are the angels of the Lord now that
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 2: King Herod has his eyes set on you. You need
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 2: their help to strengthen you now too, see them camped
• 1:57:06
  Speaker 2: around Jerusalem waiting for God's word to deliver you. Rest
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 2: for a moment and breathe in that same spirit of
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 2: trust from God. Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in,
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 2: let the Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 2: now in God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives,
• 1:57:45
  Speaker 2: carrying shields and swords. They arrest you and lead you
• 1:57:49
  Speaker 2: outside of the city gates down to the prison. There
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 2: are so many guards sixteen in total, that most of
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 2: them cannot fit in side the cramped cell with you.
• 1:58:02
  Speaker 2: It's cramped and hot and stifling. A large group stands
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 2: guard at the prison gate, talking and eating. You have
• 1:58:13
  Speaker 2: not eaten. The stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold.
• 1:58:20
  Speaker 2: Night passes and day comes with no word on your fate,
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 2: and your stomach growls, and your back is stiff. The
• 1:58:30
  Speaker 2: room smells of sweat. A guard posts on each side
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 2: of you. Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists,
• 1:58:41
  Speaker 2: cutting into your aching arms. How can you lay down
• 1:58:46
  Speaker 2: comfortably like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that
• 1:58:51
  Speaker 2: God has been faithful to you in the past. Night
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 2: comes again. You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 2: been on trial before that time. You were with John
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 2: teaching that the dead would not come back to life.
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 2: Through Jesus, you healed a lame man, and then the
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 2: temple guards arrested you. The head priests made you and
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 2: John stand in front of them, and they asked by
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 2: what power or in whose name did you do these things?
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 2: The Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 2: strongly that they were amazed. You had no special training
• 1:59:35
  Speaker 2: in scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. Rest for another moment and
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 2: think about how amazing it feels to know truth because
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. You're deep asleep now. The
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 2: heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell and
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 2: hallway outside. Suddenly, your face feels the warmth of light.
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 2:00:25
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision, and you
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before you get up. The
• 2:00:43
  Speaker 2: heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap open
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 2: and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto the stone.
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 2: You sit up and rub your aching hand together, taking
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 2: a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are light
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 2: and free. But who is this guiding you? It must
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 2: be an angel, The angel speaks once more. Get dressed
• 2:01:22
  Speaker 2: and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 2:01:45
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 2:01:55
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 2: but out a single one of them.
• 2:02:19
  Speaker 4: Wake up?
• 2:02:21
  Speaker 2: Why don't they wake up? Can they not see the
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 2: light outside? You begin to hike up the road behind
• 2:02:30
  Speaker 2: the bright figure and see the walls of the city ahead.
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 2: A large iron gate bars the road, but as you
• 2:02:39
  Speaker 2: approach the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 2: by itself. You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 2:02:59
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 2:03:04
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 2:03:13
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome, wild
• 2:03:22
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the passover celebration will finish.
• 2:03:30
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 2: all other knights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 2:03:55
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him.
• 2:03:59
  Speaker 4: And He livers them.
• 2:04:02
  Speaker 2: Now. May God surround and protect you with his angels.
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 2: So now as you rest, may you be blessed by
• 2:04:12
  Speaker 2: the Living God. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams.
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 2: Let me pray for you now as you fall asleep. O,
• 2:04:23
  Speaker 2: peaceful and Loving Father, be merciful to this one, Oh God,
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 2: because of.
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 7: Your constant love, because of your.
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 2: Great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash away all evil,
• 2:04:39
  Speaker 2: and make them clean from their sin. Let them hear
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 2: the sounds of joy and gladness. Create in them a
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 2: pure heart, O God, give them again the joy that
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 2: comes from their salvation. God, grant this one peace so
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 2: that they can sleep and awaken with a renewed spirit, ready.
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 7: To face the day ahead. In Jesus' name.
• 2:05:08
  Speaker 2: Amen, Welcome to the sleep story of Peter prison and
• 2:05:21
  Speaker 2: the Angel from the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep,
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 2: may Peter's rescue encourage you. That God can rescue you
• 2:05:30
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation, even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in Heaven is working for your good.
• 2:05:42
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 2:05:47
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 2:05:53
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep before
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 2:06:15
  Speaker 2: you dream too. So just let go of any worries
• 2:06:19
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 2:06:25
  Speaker 2: From the book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 2:06:28
  Speaker 2: camps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• 2:06:35
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 2:06:44
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, Now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 2:07:01
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 2:07:11
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear You.
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, Fill
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 2:07:38
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 2: on stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 2: of thin crisp on leaven bread. The smell feels warm
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 2: and inviting. People are talking, shopping, and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza,
• 2:08:16
  Speaker 2: and herbs. They've come from across the country to get
• 2:08:20
  Speaker 2: ready for the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 2: feast of the year, an annual celebration that answers the question,
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 2: why is this night different from all other nights? Why
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 2: is this day different than any other typical day? But
• 2:08:40
  Speaker 2: this year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense.
• 2:08:48
  Speaker 2: You can feel you are living in troubled times. In
• 2:08:53
  Speaker 2: the Bible, Peter knew about trouble at times, he knew pain,
• 2:08:59
  Speaker 2: he knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 2:09:02
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained,
• 2:09:14
  Speaker 2: and thrown in prison unfairly, but in the end he
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 2: saw God's powerful rescue. In surprising ways, God's rescue turned
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 2: these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 2:09:31
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 2:09:35
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 2:09:39
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 2:09:46
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now,
• 2:09:50
  Speaker 2: as the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 2:09:55
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison.
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover bry. Before
• 2:10:23
  Speaker 2: his arrest, you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus.
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 2: You fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 2: the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 2: are the angels of the Lord now that King Herod
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 2: has his eyes set on you. You need their help to
• 2:10:45
  Speaker 2: strengthen you now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting
• 2:10:52
  Speaker 2: for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 2: and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 2:11:01
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe then, let the
• 2:11:09
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 2:11:13
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields
• 2:11:29
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 2:11:33
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 2:11:38
  Speaker 2: many guards sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 2:11:43
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 2:11:48
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 2: prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten. The
• 2:11:58
  Speaker 2: stone floor and lumpy and cold. Night passes and day
• 2:12:07
  Speaker 2: comes with no word on your fate. Your stomach growls
• 2:12:11
  Speaker 2: and your back is stiff. The room smells of sweat.
• 2:12:17
  Speaker 2: A guard posts on each side of you, steel chains
• 2:12:22
  Speaker 2: are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting into your
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 2: aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably like this?
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 2: You seek peace in the knowledge that God has been
• 2:12:36
  Speaker 2: faithful to you in the past. Night comes again you
• 2:12:42
  Speaker 2: will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on trial
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 2: before that time. You were with John teaching that the
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 2: dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus, you
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 2: healed a lame man, and then the temple guards arrested you.
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 2: The head priests made you and John stand in front
• 2:13:02
  Speaker 2: of them, and they asked, by what power or in
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 2: whose name did you do these things? The Holy Spirit
• 2:13:12
  Speaker 2: had filled you, and you answered so strongly that they
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 2: were amazed. You've had no special training in scripture from
• 2:13:20
  Speaker 2: the priests, but you knew truth because you were taught
• 2:13:23
  Speaker 2: by Jesus. Rest for another moment and think about how
• 2:13:29
  Speaker 2: amazing it feels to know truth because you were taught
• 2:13:34
  Speaker 2: by Jesus. You were deep asleep. Now the heavy rhythmic
• 2:13:51
  Speaker 2: breathing of the guards fills the cell and hallway outside.
• 2:13:57
  Speaker 2: Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light. A beautiful
• 2:14:04
  Speaker 2: glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell. It
• 2:14:09
  Speaker 2: almost feels like a dream. A vision, and you feel
• 2:14:14
  Speaker 2: a hand bump into you. You open your eyes and
• 2:14:20
  Speaker 2: a bright figure stands before you get up. The heavenly
• 2:14:27
  Speaker 2: figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap open and
• 2:14:34
  Speaker 2: fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto the stone.
• 2:14:40
  Speaker 2: You sit up and rub your aching hands together, taking
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 2: a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are light
• 2:14:50
  Speaker 2: and free. But who is this guiding you? It must
• 2:14:56
  Speaker 2: be an angel, the angel speaks once more. Get dressed
• 2:15:05
  Speaker 2: and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 2:15:12
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 2:15:16
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 2:15:28
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 2:15:34
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 2:15:38
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 2:15:43
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 2:15:51
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 2:15:58
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them.
• 2:16:03
  Speaker 4: Wake up?
• 2:16:04
  Speaker 2: Why don't they wake up? Can they not see the
• 2:16:08
  Speaker 2: light outside? You begin to hike up the road behind
• 2:16:14
  Speaker 2: the bright figure and see the walls of the city ahead.
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 2: A large iron gate bars the road, but as you
• 2:16:23
  Speaker 2: approach the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all
• 2:16:29
  Speaker 2: by itself. You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 2:16:35
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 2:16:37
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 2:16:42
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 2:16:47
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 2:16:51
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 2:16:54
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 2:16:57
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 2:17:01
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome, wild
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today that passover celebration will finish.
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 2:17:18
  Speaker 2: all other knights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 2:17:23
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 2:17:27
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 2:17:30
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 2:17:38
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now, may God surround and protect
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 2: you with His angels. So now as you rest, may
• 2:17:54
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 2:17:58
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your Let me pray for you now as
• 2:18:03
  Speaker 2: you fall asleep. Oh, peaceful and Loving Father, Be merciful
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 2: to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 2:18:15
  Speaker 2: Because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash
• 2:18:21
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 2:18:26
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 2:18:31
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart, O God, give them again
• 2:18:36
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God, grant this
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 2:18:45
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name. Amen, Welcome to the sleep story of Peter
• 2:19:03
  Speaker 2: prison and the Angel from the Book of Acts. As
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 2: you fall asleep, may Peter's rescue encourage you that God
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 2: can rescue you from any bad situation. Even if your
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 2: life seemed unfair today, know that your Father in heaven
• 2:19:22
  Speaker 2: is working for your good. Now shift your mind away
• 2:19:27
  Speaker 2: from today's tasks and worries. Just soak in God's presence
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 2: and get comfortable. Rest your head softly on the pillow,
• 2:19:40
  Speaker 2: close your eyes and relax, breathe in God's peace and
• 2:19:47
  Speaker 2: breathe out your troubles. Just begin to drift off, and
• 2:19:53
  Speaker 2: if you fall asleep before I finish, all the better.
• 2:19:57
  Speaker 2: God is present even while you dream too. So just
• 2:20:02
  Speaker 2: let go of any worries and troubles, hand them over
• 2:20:05
  Speaker 2: to God and receive his promise. From the book of Psalms,
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 2: the Angel of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
• 2:20:15
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Join me now in prayer. Dear God,
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 2: let your peace fill your child's heart and mind as
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 2: they rest. As they fall asleep, now, may your Holy
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide their dreams, give them faith and courage, just
• 2:20:36
  Speaker 2: as you gave Peter faith and courage while he was
• 2:20:39
  Speaker 2: in prison. You were faithful to Peter, and I believe
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 2: that you will be faithful to this sleeping child as well.
• 2:20:49
  Speaker 2: Thank you for surrounding and protecting them with your angels.
• 2:20:54
  Speaker 2: As you say in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel
• 2:20:57
  Speaker 2: of the Lord is a guard rounds and defends all
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 2: who fear you. Now renew this child. As they rest
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 2: in you, fill them with your trust, Bring them joy
• 2:21:11
  Speaker 2: and strength for tomorrow. In Jesus' name. Amen, imagine standing
• 2:21:21
  Speaker 2: in the streets of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft,
• 2:21:26
  Speaker 2: muted conversations of people are humming around you. Shepherds are
• 2:21:32
  Speaker 2: leading herds of goats and sheep back and forth. Their
• 2:21:37
  Speaker 2: hoofs scuffle on stone floors. In the market, bakers are
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 2: selling stacks of thin crisp on leavened bread. The smell
• 2:21:49
  Speaker 2: feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping, and carrying
• 2:21:56
  Speaker 2: baskets of groceries, meat matza. They've come from across the
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 2: country to get ready for the seven day Passover celebration.
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 2: It's the biggest feast of the year, an annual celebration
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 2: that answers the question, why is this night different from.
• 2:22:16
  Speaker 4: All other nights?
• 2:22:18
  Speaker 2: Why is this day different than any other typical day?
• 2:22:24
  Speaker 2: But this year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense.
• 2:22:31
  Speaker 2: You can feel you are living in troubled times. In
• 2:22:36
  Speaker 2: the Bible, Peter knew about troubled at times. He knew pain.
• 2:22:42
  Speaker 2: He knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds and the Roman courts. Peter was arrested,
• 2:22:57
  Speaker 2: chained and thrown in prison unfairly. But in the end
• 2:23:02
  Speaker 2: he saw God's powerful rescue. In surprising ways, God's rescue
• 2:23:08
  Speaker 2: turned these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 2:23:14
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 2:23:18
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 2:23:23
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 2:23:29
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settled in Now,
• 2:23:33
  Speaker 2: as the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 2:23:39
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 2:23:44
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 2:23:49
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 2:23:53
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 2:23:58
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison.
• 2:24:03
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before
• 2:24:07
  Speaker 2: his arrest, you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus.
• 2:24:12
  Speaker 2: You fell asleep in the garden and an angel of
• 2:24:15
  Speaker 2: the Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 2: are the angels of the Lord Now that King Herod
• 2:24:24
  Speaker 2: has his eyes set on you. You need their help to
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 2: strengthen you now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting
• 2:24:35
  Speaker 2: for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 2: and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 2:24:45
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, let the
• 2:24:52
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 2:24:57
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields
• 2:25:13
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 2:25:22
  Speaker 2: many guards, sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 2:25:26
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 2:25:36
  Speaker 2: prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten. The
• 2:25:42
  Speaker 2: stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes
• 2:25:50
  Speaker 2: and day comes with no word on your fate. Your
• 2:25:54
  Speaker 2: stomach growls and your back is stiff. The room smells
• 2:25:59
  Speaker 2: of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you.
• 2:26:05
  Speaker 2: Steel chains are clamped around each of your wrists, cutting
• 2:26:09
  Speaker 2: into your aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably
• 2:26:14
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that God
• 2:26:19
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again,
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 2: you will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 2:26:29
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 2:26:33
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus,
• 2:26:37
  Speaker 2: you healed a lame man, and then the temple guards
• 2:26:41
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The head priests made you and John stand
• 2:26:45
  Speaker 2: in front of them, and they asked, by what power
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 2: or in whose name did you do these things? The
• 2:26:54
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit had filled you, and you answered so strongly
• 2:26:59
  Speaker 2: that they were a made You had no special training
• 2:27:02
  Speaker 2: in scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. Rest for another moment and
• 2:27:12
  Speaker 2: think about how amazing it feels to know truth because
• 2:27:17
  Speaker 2: you were taught by Jesus. You are deep asleep now.
• 2:27:33
  Speaker 2: The heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell
• 2:27:37
  Speaker 2: and hallway outside. Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light.
• 2:27:46
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 2:27:53
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision. Then you
• 2:27:57
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. Open your eyes, and
• 2:28:03
  Speaker 2: a bright figure stands before.
• 2:28:06
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 2:28:17
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 2:28:22
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 2:28:27
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 2:28:33
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 2:28:39
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, The angel speaks once more, Get
• 2:28:47
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 2:28:56
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 2:28:59
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel, you find your
• 2:29:03
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 2: sandals onto your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 2:29:17
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 2:29:27
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 2:29:32
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 2:29:35
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 2:29:42
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 2:29:45
  Speaker 2: but not a single one of them wake up. Why
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 2: don't they wake up? Can they not see the light outside?
• 2:29:55
  Speaker 2: You begin to hike up the road behind the bright
• 2:29:58
  Speaker 2: figure and see the the city ahead. A large iron
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 2: gate bars the road, but as you approach the gate.
• 2:30:08
  Speaker 2: It creaks and slowly swings open all by itself. You
• 2:30:15
  Speaker 2: enter the city and walk down the street.
• 2:30:19
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 2:30:21
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 2:30:26
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 2:30:35
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord. You didn't even get
• 2:30:38
  Speaker 2: to say thank you. You take another look ahead for
• 2:30:42
  Speaker 2: the angel, and then back behind you down toward the prison.
• 2:30:47
  Speaker 2: An awesome, wild joy swells in your heart. Today the
• 2:30:53
  Speaker 2: Passover celebration will finish. You remember the question why is
• 2:31:00
  Speaker 2: this night different from all other knights? You realize that
• 2:31:05
  Speaker 2: the Lord has passed over you and saved you from
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 2: all of your sins. It's really true, you say, the
• 2:31:13
  Speaker 2: Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod
• 2:31:17
  Speaker 2: and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do
• 2:31:19
  Speaker 2: to me. The angels of the Lord really do camp
• 2:31:24
  Speaker 2: around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Now.
• 2:31:30
  Speaker 2: May God surround and protect you with his angels. So
• 2:31:36
  Speaker 2: now as you rest, may you be blessed by the
• 2:31:39
  Speaker 2: Living God. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams. Let
• 2:31:46
  Speaker 2: me pray for you now as you fall asleep, Oh,
• 2:31:50
  Speaker 2: peaceful and Loving Father, Be merciful to this one, Oh God,
• 2:31:56
  Speaker 2: because of your constant love, because of your great mercy,
• 2:32:00
  Speaker 2: wipe away their sins, Wash away all evil, and make
• 2:32:07
  Speaker 2: them clean from their sin. Let them hear the sounds
• 2:32:11
  Speaker 2: of joy and gladness. Create in them a pure heart
• 2:32:17
  Speaker 2: of God. Give them again the joy that comes from
• 2:32:21
  Speaker 2: their salvation. God, grant this one peace so that they
• 2:32:27
  Speaker 2: can sleep and awaken with a renewed spirit, ready to
• 2:32:30
  Speaker 2: face the day ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen, welcome to
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 2: the sleep story of Peter Prison and the Angel from
• 2:32:49
  Speaker 2: the Book of Acts. As you fall asleep, may Peter's
• 2:32:54
  Speaker 2: rescue encourage you that God can rescue you from any
• 2:32:58
  Speaker 2: bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today, know
• 2:33:05
  Speaker 2: that your Father in heaven is working for your good. Now,
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 2: shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries. Just
• 2:33:15
  Speaker 2: soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your head
• 2:33:20
  Speaker 2: softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax. Breathe
• 2:33:28
  Speaker 2: in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just begin
• 2:33:33
  Speaker 2: to drift off. And if you fall asleep before I finish,
• 2:33:39
  Speaker 2: all the better. God is present even while you dream too,
• 2:33:45
  Speaker 2: So just let go of any worries and troubles, hand
• 2:33:48
  Speaker 2: them over to God and receive his promise. From the
• 2:33:52
  Speaker 2: book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord camps around
• 2:33:56
  Speaker 2: those who fear him, and he delivers them. Join me
• 2:34:03
  Speaker 2: now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace fill your
• 2:34:07
  Speaker 2: child's heart and mind as they rest. As they fall asleep, Now,
• 2:34:13
  Speaker 2: may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams, give them faith
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 2: and courage, just as you gave Peter faith and courage
• 2:34:22
  Speaker 2: while he was in prison. You were faithful to Peter,
• 2:34:27
  Speaker 2: and I believe that you will be faithful to this
• 2:34:29
  Speaker 2: sleeping child as well. Thank you for surrounding and protecting
• 2:34:34
  Speaker 2: them with your angels. As you say in Psalm chapter
• 2:34:39
  Speaker 2: ninety one, the Angel of the Lord is a guard.
• 2:34:43
  Speaker 2: He surrounds and defends all who fear you. Now renew
• 2:34:48
  Speaker 2: this child. As they rest in you, fill them with
• 2:34:51
  Speaker 2: your trust, Bring them joy and strength for tomorrow in
• 2:34:57
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets of Jerusalem
• 2:35:07
  Speaker 2: two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations of people
• 2:35:12
  Speaker 2: are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds of goats
• 2:35:17
  Speaker 2: and sheep back and forth, their hoofs scuffle on stone floors.
• 2:35:24
  Speaker 2: In the market, bakers are selling stacks of thin, crisp,
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 2: unleavened bread. The smell feels warm and inviting. People are talking, shopping,
• 2:35:39
  Speaker 2: and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza, and herbs. They've
• 2:35:45
  Speaker 2: come from across the country to get ready for the
• 2:35:48
  Speaker 2: seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest feast of the year,
• 2:35:53
  Speaker 2: an annual celebration that answers the question, why is this
• 2:35:58
  Speaker 2: night different from all other nights? Why is this day
• 2:36:03
  Speaker 2: different than any other typical day? But this year's celebration
• 2:36:10
  Speaker 2: seems even more different, somehow more tense. You can feel
• 2:36:16
  Speaker 2: you are living in troubled times. In the Bible, Peter
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 2: knew about troubled at times. He knew pain. He knew
• 2:36:26
  Speaker 2: how it felt to be judged unfairly by the world.
• 2:36:31
  Speaker 2: He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by priests and
• 2:36:35
  Speaker 2: crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained, and
• 2:36:41
  Speaker 2: thrown in prison unfairly. But in the end he saw
• 2:36:46
  Speaker 2: God's powerful rescue and surprising ways. God's rescue turned these
• 2:36:53
  Speaker 2: bad situations into great displays of his grace. So whether
• 2:36:58
  Speaker 2: your life seems fair or not, your Father in heaven
• 2:37:02
  Speaker 2: and his angels are working for your good. But this evening,
• 2:37:08
  Speaker 2: as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover, they
• 2:37:13
  Speaker 2: can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now, as
• 2:37:17
  Speaker 2: the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King Herod
• 2:37:23
  Speaker 2: isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus. He
• 2:37:28
  Speaker 2: has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother of John,
• 2:37:34
  Speaker 2: put to death by the sword. When he saw that
• 2:37:37
  Speaker 2: this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to arrest you
• 2:37:42
  Speaker 2: unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison. Jesus
• 2:37:47
  Speaker 2: was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Right before his arrest,
• 2:37:52
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 2:37:56
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 2:37:59
  Speaker 2: Lord peered to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 2:38:04
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord now that King Herod has
• 2:38:08
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to strengthen
• 2:38:13
  Speaker 2: you now too. See them camped around Jerusalem waiting for
• 2:38:19
  Speaker 2: God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment and
• 2:38:24
  Speaker 2: breathe in that same spirit of trust from God. Breathe
• 2:38:29
  Speaker 2: out and release your worries. Breathe in, Let the Holy
• 2:38:36
  Speaker 2: Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in God's arms.
• 2:38:53
  Speaker 2: A group of Roman soldiers arrives, carrying shields and swords.
• 2:38:58
  Speaker 2: They arrest you and lead you outside of the city
• 2:39:01
  Speaker 2: gates down to the prison. There are so many guards
• 2:39:06
  Speaker 2: sixteen in total, that most of them cannot fit inside
• 2:39:10
  Speaker 2: the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and hot and stifling.
• 2:39:18
  Speaker 2: A large group stands guard at the prison gate, talking
• 2:39:21
  Speaker 2: and eating. You have not eaten. The stone floor is
• 2:39:27
  Speaker 2: hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes and day comes
• 2:39:34
  Speaker 2: with no word on your fate. Your stomach growls and
• 2:39:39
  Speaker 2: your back is stiff. The room smells of sweat. A
• 2:39:45
  Speaker 2: guard posts on each side of you. Steel chains are
• 2:39:50
  Speaker 2: clamped around each of your wrists, cutting into your aching arms.
• 2:39:55
  Speaker 2: How can you lay down comfortably like this? Seek peace
• 2:40:01
  Speaker 2: in the knowledge that God has been faithful to you
• 2:40:04
  Speaker 2: in the past. Night comes again. You will be placed
• 2:40:10
  Speaker 2: on trial tomorrow. You've been on trial before that time.
• 2:40:15
  Speaker 2: You were with John teaching that the dead would not
• 2:40:18
  Speaker 2: come back to life. Through Jesus, you healed a lame
• 2:40:21
  Speaker 2: man and then the temple guards arrested you. The head
• 2:40:27
  Speaker 2: priests made you and John stand in front of them,
• 2:40:30
  Speaker 2: and they asked, by what power or in whose name
• 2:40:35
  Speaker 2: did you do these things? The Holy Spirit had filled you,
• 2:40:40
  Speaker 2: and you answered so strongly that they were amazed. You
• 2:40:45
  Speaker 2: had no special training in scripture from the priests, but
• 2:40:48
  Speaker 2: you knew truth because you were taught by Jesus. Rest
• 2:40:54
  Speaker 2: for another moment and think about how amazing it feels
• 2:40:58
  Speaker 2: to know truth because you were taught by Jesus. You
• 2:41:13
  Speaker 2: are deep asleep now. The heavy rhythmic breathing of the
• 2:41:19
  Speaker 2: guards fills the cell and hallway outside. Suddenly, your face
• 2:41:26
  Speaker 2: feels the warmth of light. A beautiful glow shines down
• 2:41:32
  Speaker 2: across your cheeks, filling your cell. It almost feels like
• 2:41:37
  Speaker 2: a dream, a vision, and you feel a hand bump
• 2:41:43
  Speaker 2: into you. You open your eyes and a bright figure
• 2:41:49
  Speaker 2: stands before you get up. The heavenly figure says quickly.
• 2:41:58
  Speaker 2: The heavy chains suddenly snap open and fall off your wrists.
• 2:42:03
  Speaker 2: They clang loudly onto the stone. You sit up and
• 2:42:09
  Speaker 2: rub your aching hands together, taking a long, deep breath.
• 2:42:15
  Speaker 2: Your arms and body are light and free. But who
• 2:42:20
  Speaker 2: is this guiding you? It must be an angel. The
• 2:42:28
  Speaker 2: angel speaks once more. Get dressed and put on your sandals.
• 2:42:37
  Speaker 2: It feels like you're dreaming, but you do what the
• 2:42:40
  Speaker 2: angel orders. In the glow of light pouring out from
• 2:42:45
  Speaker 2: the angel, you find your shirt and slip it over
• 2:42:48
  Speaker 2: your head. You slip your sandals onto your feet. Now
• 2:42:54
  Speaker 2: put on your coat and follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah,
• 2:42:59
  Speaker 2: you're coat. You slide your arms into your coat sleeves.
• 2:43:04
  Speaker 2: You're fully dressed again, warm and safe. You've gotten back
• 2:43:09
  Speaker 2: everything they took when they arrested you. The angel then
• 2:43:14
  Speaker 2: steps out of the cell, and you follow it past
• 2:43:17
  Speaker 2: the sleeping guards without saying a word. You pass the
• 2:43:21
  Speaker 2: first guard post, then the second. The light shines across
• 2:43:27
  Speaker 2: the bearded faces of the guards, but out a single
• 2:43:30
  Speaker 2: one of them. Wake up? Why don't they wake up?
• 2:43:34
  Speaker 2: Can they not see the light outside? You begin to
• 2:43:39
  Speaker 2: hike up the road behind the bright figure and see
• 2:43:43
  Speaker 2: the walls of the city ahead. A large iron gate
• 2:43:48
  Speaker 2: bars the road, but as you approach the gate, it
• 2:43:52
  Speaker 2: creaks and slowly swings open all by itself. You enter
• 2:43:59
  Speaker 2: the city and walk down the street.
• 2:44:02
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 2:44:04
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 2:44:09
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 2:44:14
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 2:44:18
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 2:44:21
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 2:44:24
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the angel, and then
• 2:44:28
  Speaker 2: back behind you, down toward the prison. An awesome wild
• 2:44:33
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the Passover celebration will finish.
• 2:44:41
  Speaker 2: You remember the question why is this night different from
• 2:44:45
  Speaker 2: all other nights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 2:44:50
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 2:44:54
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 2:44:58
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from her and from what the
• 2:45:01
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 2:45:05
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 2:45:10
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them.
• 2:45:13
  Speaker 4: Now.
• 2:45:13
  Speaker 2: May God surround and protect you with his angels. So
• 2:45:19
  Speaker 2: now as you rest, may you be blessed by the
• 2:45:23
  Speaker 2: Living God. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams. Let
• 2:45:29
  Speaker 2: me pray for you now as you fall asleep, Oh
• 2:45:33
  Speaker 2: peaceful and Loving Father, be merciful to this one, Oh God,
• 2:45:39
  Speaker 2: because of your constant love, because of your great mercy,
• 2:45:44
  Speaker 2: wipe away their sins, wash away all evil, and make
• 2:45:50
  Speaker 2: them clean from their sin. Let them hear the sounds
• 2:45:55
  Speaker 2: of joy and gladness. Create in them your heart, Oh God,
• 2:46:02
  Speaker 2: give them again the joy that comes from their salvation.
• 2:46:07
  Speaker 2: God grant this one peace so that they can sleep
• 2:46:11
  Speaker 2: and awaken with a renewed spirit, ready.
• 2:46:14
  Speaker 7: To face the day I had in Jesus name.
• 2:46:19
  Speaker 2: Amen. Welcome to the Sleep story of Peter Prison and
• 2:46:58
  Speaker 2: the Angel from the Book of a As you fall asleep,
• 2:47:03
  Speaker 2: may Peter's rescue encourage you that God can rescue you
• 2:47:07
  Speaker 2: from any bad situation. Even if your life seemed unfair today,
• 2:47:14
  Speaker 2: know that your Father in Heaven is working for your good.
• 2:47:19
  Speaker 2: Now shift your mind away from today's tasks and worries.
• 2:47:24
  Speaker 2: Just soak in God's presence and get comfortable. Rest your
• 2:47:30
  Speaker 2: head softly on the pillow, close your eyes and relax.
• 2:47:37
  Speaker 2: Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles. Just
• 2:47:43
  Speaker 2: begin to drift off, and if you fall asleep before
• 2:47:47
  Speaker 2: I finish, all the better. God is present even while
• 2:47:52
  Speaker 2: you dream too, So just let go of any worries
• 2:47:56
  Speaker 2: and troubles, hand them over to God and receive his promise.
• 2:48:01
  Speaker 2: From the Book of Psalms, the Angel of the Lord
• 2:48:05
  Speaker 2: camps surround those who fear him and he delivers them.
• 2:48:12
  Speaker 2: Join me now in prayer. Dear God, let your peace
• 2:48:16
  Speaker 2: fill your child's heart and mind as they rest. As
• 2:48:21
  Speaker 2: they fall asleep, now, may your Holy Spirit guide their dreams,
• 2:48:27
  Speaker 2: give them faith and courage, just as you gave Peter
• 2:48:31
  Speaker 2: faith and courage while he was in prison. You were
• 2:48:35
  Speaker 2: faithful to Peter, and I believe that you will be
• 2:48:38
  Speaker 2: faithful to this sleeping child as well. Thank you for
• 2:48:43
  Speaker 2: surrounding and protecting them with your angels. As you say
• 2:48:48
  Speaker 2: in Psalm chapter ninety one, the Angel of the Lord
• 2:48:51
  Speaker 2: is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear you.
• 2:48:56
  Speaker 2: Now renew this child as they rest in you, fill
• 2:49:01
  Speaker 2: them with your trust, Bring them joy and strength for
• 2:49:05
  Speaker 2: tomorrow in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine standing in the streets
• 2:49:15
  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The soft, muted conversations
• 2:49:21
  Speaker 2: of people are humming around you. Shepherds are leading herds
• 2:49:26
  Speaker 2: of goats and sheep back and forth. Their hoofs scuffle
• 2:49:32
  Speaker 2: on stone floors. In the market, bakers are selling stacks
• 2:49:37
  Speaker 2: of thin crisp on leaven bread. The smell feels warm
• 2:49:43
  Speaker 2: and inviting. People are talking, shopping and carrying baskets of groceries, meat, matza,
• 2:49:52
  Speaker 2: and herbs. They've come from across the country to get
• 2:49:57
  Speaker 2: ready for the seven day Passover celebration. It's the biggest
• 2:50:01
  Speaker 2: feast of the year, an annual celebration that answers the question,
• 2:50:07
  Speaker 2: why is this night different from all other nights? Why
• 2:50:12
  Speaker 2: is this day different than any other typical day? But
• 2:50:17
  Speaker 2: this year's celebration seems even more different, somehow more tense.
• 2:50:24
  Speaker 2: You can feel you are living in trouble times. In
• 2:50:30
  Speaker 2: the Bible, Peter knew about trouble at times. He knew pain.
• 2:50:36
  Speaker 2: He knew how it felt to be judged unfairly by
• 2:50:39
  Speaker 2: the world. He had watched Jesus get judged unfairly by
• 2:50:43
  Speaker 2: priests and crowds in the Roman courts. Peter was arrested, chained,
• 2:50:51
  Speaker 2: and thrown in prison unfairly, But in the end he
• 2:50:55
  Speaker 2: saw God's powerful rescue In surprising ways, God's rescue turned
• 2:51:02
  Speaker 2: these bad situations into great displays of his grace. So,
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 2: whether your life seems fair or not, your Father in
• 2:51:11
  Speaker 2: heaven and his angels are working for your good. But
• 2:51:16
  Speaker 2: this evening, as Hebrew families begin to gather to celebrate Passover,
• 2:51:22
  Speaker 2: they can sense trouble in the air. Settled in now,
• 2:51:27
  Speaker 2: as the story unfolds through the eyes of Peter, King
• 2:51:32
  Speaker 2: Herod isn't sparing you or the other followers of Jesus.
• 2:51:37
  Speaker 2: He has arrested innocent Christians. He had James, the brother
• 2:51:42
  Speaker 2: of John, put to death by the sword. When he
• 2:51:46
  Speaker 2: saw that this pleased many Jews, Herod sent soldiers to
• 2:51:51
  Speaker 2: arrest you unfairly during the Passover and put you in prison.
• 2:51:56
  Speaker 2: Jesus was also arrested unfairly at the Passover. Before his arrest,
• 2:52:01
  Speaker 2: you and the other disciples were praying for Jesus. You
• 2:52:06
  Speaker 2: fell asleep in the garden, and an angel of the
• 2:52:09
  Speaker 2: Lord appeared to Jesus to strengthen him. So where are
• 2:52:14
  Speaker 2: the angels of the Lord now that King Herod has
• 2:52:18
  Speaker 2: his eyes set on you. You need their help to
• 2:52:22
  Speaker 2: strengthen you now too, see them camped around Jerusalem waiting
• 2:52:28
  Speaker 2: for God's word to deliver you. Rest for a moment
• 2:52:34
  Speaker 2: and breathe in that same spirit of trust from God.
• 2:52:38
  Speaker 2: Breathe out and release your worries. Breathe in, Let the
• 2:52:45
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Just rest now in
• 2:52:50
  Speaker 2: God's arms. A group of Roman soldiers arrives carrying shields
• 2:53:06
  Speaker 2: and swords. They arrest you and lead you outside of
• 2:53:10
  Speaker 2: the city gates down to the prison. There are so
• 2:53:15
  Speaker 2: many guards sixteen in total, that most of them cannot
• 2:53:19
  Speaker 2: fit inside the cramped cell with you. It's cramped and
• 2:53:25
  Speaker 2: hot and stifling. A large group stands guard at the
• 2:53:29
  Speaker 2: prison gate, talking and eating. You have not eaten. The
• 2:53:35
  Speaker 2: stone floor is hard and lumpy and cold. Night passes
• 2:53:43
  Speaker 2: and day comes with no word on your fate. Your
• 2:53:47
  Speaker 2: stomach growls and your back is stiff. The room smells
• 2:53:52
  Speaker 2: of sweat. A guard posts on each side of you,
• 2:53:58
  Speaker 2: steel chains or clam around each of your wrists, cutting
• 2:54:02
  Speaker 2: into your aching arms. How can you lay down comfortably
• 2:54:07
  Speaker 2: like this? You seek peace in the knowledge that God
• 2:54:12
  Speaker 2: has been faithful to you in the past. Night comes again.
• 2:54:18
  Speaker 2: You will be placed on trial tomorrow. You've been on
• 2:54:22
  Speaker 2: trial before that time. You were with John teaching that
• 2:54:27
  Speaker 2: the dead would not come back to life. Through Jesus.
• 2:54:30
  Speaker 2: You healed a lame man, and then the temple guards
• 2:54:34
  Speaker 2: arrested you. The head priests made you and John stand
• 2:54:38
  Speaker 2: in front of them, and they asked, by what power
• 2:54:43
  Speaker 2: or in whose name did you do these things? The
• 2:54:48
  Speaker 2: Holy spirit had filled you, and you answered so strongly
• 2:54:52
  Speaker 2: that they were amazed. You've had no special training in
• 2:54:56
  Speaker 2: scripture from the priests, but you knew truth because you
• 2:54:59
  Speaker 2: were taught by Jesus. Rest for another moment and think
• 2:55:05
  Speaker 2: about how amazing it feels to know truth because you
• 2:55:10
  Speaker 2: are taught by Jesus. You are deep asleep now. The
• 2:55:26
  Speaker 2: heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards fills the cell and
• 2:55:30
  Speaker 2: hallway outside. Suddenly your face feels the warmth of light.
• 2:55:40
  Speaker 2: A beautiful glow shines down across your cheeks, filling your cell.
• 2:55:46
  Speaker 2: It almost feels like a dream, a vision, and you
• 2:55:51
  Speaker 2: feel a hand bump into you. You open your eyes
• 2:55:56
  Speaker 2: and a bright figure stands before.
• 2:55:59
  Speaker 4: You get up.
• 2:56:03
  Speaker 2: The heavenly figure says quickly. The heavy chains suddenly snap
• 2:56:10
  Speaker 2: open and fall off your wrists. They clang loudly onto
• 2:56:15
  Speaker 2: the stone. You sit up and rub your aching hands together,
• 2:56:21
  Speaker 2: taking a long, deep breath. Your arms and body are
• 2:56:26
  Speaker 2: light and free. But who is this guiding you? It
• 2:56:32
  Speaker 2: must be an angel, the angel speaks once more. Get
• 2:56:41
  Speaker 2: dressed and put on your sandals. It feels like you're dreaming,
• 2:56:49
  Speaker 2: but you do what the angel orders. In the glow
• 2:56:53
  Speaker 2: of light pouring out from the angel. You find your
• 2:56:56
  Speaker 2: shirt and slip it over your head. You slip your
• 2:56:59
  Speaker 2: sand on your feet. Now put on your coat and
• 2:57:05
  Speaker 2: follow me. The angel says, oh, yeah, your coat. You
• 2:57:10
  Speaker 2: slide your arms into your coat sleeves. You're fully dressed again,
• 2:57:15
  Speaker 2: warm and safe. You've gotten back everything they took when
• 2:57:20
  Speaker 2: they arrested you. The angel then steps out of the cell,
• 2:57:25
  Speaker 2: and you follow it past the sleeping guards without saying
• 2:57:28
  Speaker 2: a word. You pass the first guard post, then the second.
• 2:57:35
  Speaker 2: The light shines across the bearded faces of the guards,
• 2:57:38
  Speaker 2: but out a single one of them.
• 2:57:40
  Speaker 4: Wake up?
• 2:57:41
  Speaker 2: Why don't they wake up? Can they not see the
• 2:57:45
  Speaker 2: light outside? You begin to hike up the road behind
• 2:57:50
  Speaker 2: the bright figure and see the walls of the city ahead.
• 2:57:55
  Speaker 2: A large iron gate bars the road. As you approach
• 2:58:00
  Speaker 2: the gate, it creaks and slowly swings open all by itself.
• 2:58:08
  Speaker 2: You enter the city and walk down the street.
• 2:58:12
  Speaker 3: You're alone.
• 2:58:14
  Speaker 2: Where is the angel gone? You breathe in the fresh
• 2:58:19
  Speaker 2: night air, and your mind clears. At last, you stand
• 2:58:24
  Speaker 2: free in the city streets of Jerusalem, brought to safety
• 2:58:28
  Speaker 2: by an angel of the Lord.
• 2:58:30
  Speaker 5: You didn't even get to say thank you.
• 2:58:33
  Speaker 2: You take another look ahead for the Angel, and then
• 2:58:37
  Speaker 2: back behind you down toward the prison. An awesome wild
• 2:58:43
  Speaker 2: joy swells in your heart. Today the Passover celebration will finish.
• 2:58:50
  Speaker 2: You remember the question, why is this night different from
• 2:58:54
  Speaker 2: all other nights? You realize that the Lord has passed
• 2:59:00
  Speaker 2: over you and saved you from all of your sins.
• 2:59:03
  Speaker 2: It's really true, you say, the Lord has sent his
• 2:59:07
  Speaker 2: angel and saved me from Herod and from what the
• 2:59:11
  Speaker 2: Jewish leaders had planned to do to me. The angels
• 2:59:15
  Speaker 2: of the Lord really do camp around those who fear him,
• 2:59:19
  Speaker 2: and he delivers them. Now. May God surround and protect
• 2:59:25
  Speaker 2: you with his angels. So now as you rest, may
• 2:59:31
  Speaker 2: you be blessed by the Living God. May the Holy
• 2:59:35
  Speaker 2: Spirit guide your dreams. Let me pray for you now
• 2:59:40
  Speaker 2: as you fall asleep. Go peaceful and loving. Father, Be
• 2:59:46
  Speaker 2: merciful to this one, Oh God, because of your constant love,
• 2:59:52
  Speaker 2: because of your great mercy, wipe away their sins, Wash
• 2:59:58
  Speaker 2: away all evil, and make them clean from their sin.
• 3:00:03
  Speaker 2: Let them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create
• 3:00:08
  Speaker 2: in them a pure heart of God. Give them again
• 3:00:13
  Speaker 2: the joy that comes from their salvation. God, grant this
• 3:00:18
  Speaker 2: one peace so that they can sleep and awaken with
• 3:00:22
  Speaker 2: a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead. In
• 3:00:27
  Speaker 2: Jesus' name.
• 3:00:29
  Speaker 1: Amen, we hope this meditation brought you peace. To listen
• 3:00:37
  Speaker 1: to the full collection of Biblical bedtime stories, download the
• 3:00:41
  Speaker 1: Abide app in the iTunes or Google Play store.