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Fall Asleep with Biblical Sleep Stories from Abide Meditation - Abide Meditation App. P2 · Abide Meditation App

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Speaker 1: Abide Meditation has everything you need for a peaceful night's sleep.
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Speaker 1: Download a Bide from the app store today. Hello and
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Speaker 1: welcome to this sleep story from Abide. I'm Bonnie Curry.
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Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me tonight for our story titled Gatekeeper
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Speaker 1: of My Heart. When you think of a gatekeeper, you
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Speaker 1: might imagine someone standing guard in front of a gated
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Speaker 1: entrance or exit. This is the simplest description of what
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Speaker 1: a gatekeeper does. In the Bible, gatekeepers were chosen as
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Speaker 1: trusted people to guard cities, properties, palaces, and other important places.
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Speaker 1: This sleep story is about the most important gatekeeper of all,
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Speaker 1: the one and only gatekeeper of our heart, our Father
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Speaker 1: in Heaven. Our focused passage comes from Psalm one hundred
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Speaker 1: and forty one, verses three and four. It says, set
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Speaker 1: a guard over my mouth, Lord, keep watch over the
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Speaker 1: door of my lips. Do not let my heart be
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Speaker 1: drawn to what is evil. My hope is that by
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Speaker 1: the end of this sleep story, the words of this
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Speaker 1: psalm will be planted deep in your heart as a
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Speaker 1: personal prayer to the Lord. Not only does godd what
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Speaker 1: comes into our hearts, he also directs what goes out,
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Speaker 1: especially as we entrust ourselves to him. As you depend
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Speaker 1: fully on God, you can be sure of his love
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Speaker 1: and protection over every area of your life. You can
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Speaker 1: rely on him to help you speak what is right
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Speaker 1: and believe what is true. You can count on him
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Speaker 1: to guard every area of your heart. Tonight we'll be
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Speaker 1: hearing from the scriptures about how God fulfills his role
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Speaker 1: as our ultimate protector. I'm so grateful you've decided to
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Speaker 1: join me as we hear more about our faithful Father,
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Speaker 1: the gatekey of our heart. Please take a few moments
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Speaker 1: to settle into bed and make yourself comfortable. Fix your
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Speaker 1: mind on God. Let your thoughts of Him be unclouded
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Speaker 1: by the worries of the day. He is with you,
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Speaker 1: He loves you. Inhale deeply and slowly, letting your lungs
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Speaker 1: fill with air. Now exhale gently and slowly, feeling the
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Speaker 1: tension leaving your body. It is time to let all
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Speaker 1: concerns go. Release them to the Lord and know that
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Speaker 1: he can hand them. Roll your shoulders back a few times,
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Speaker 1: feeling them unwind. Let your arms lie gently at your
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Speaker 1: sides and your legs grow heavy. Inhale again, this time
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Speaker 1: holding your breath for just a moment, had exhale from
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Speaker 1: your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you.
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Speaker 1: Ask him to cover you with peace. In the name
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Speaker 1: of Jesus, silently pray for God's protection over you and
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Speaker 1: your entire household. Feel the assurance that you have in God.
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Speaker 1: He is with you and He loves you. Trust that
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Speaker 1: God is the gatekeeper of your life, not only your
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Speaker 1: physical surroundings, but also of your heart. Continue to breathe
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Speaker 1: in and out, Letting each breath relax you more and more.
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Speaker 1: You are held in the Father's care. You are safe
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Speaker 1: in his presence, You are covered by His spirit, and
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Speaker 1: you are secure in His son. Feel your whole body
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Speaker 1: surrender to the safe keeping of the Father. You are
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Speaker 1: surrounded by his love. Believe that your sleep will be
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Speaker 1: deep and refreshing tonight as you put your trust in
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Speaker 1: the one who cares for you. Now feel the first
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Speaker 1: stages of sleep come over you as I pray for
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Speaker 1: God's blessing and favor. Heavenly Father, please allow this beloved
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Speaker 1: child to feel completely surrounded by the protection of your presence.
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Speaker 1: With each inhale, fill them with the peace that comes
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Speaker 1: from your spirit, and with each exhale, help them release
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Speaker 1: every thought, care and concern. Lord, let them know you
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Speaker 1: are faithful in guarding them through every hour of the night.
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Speaker 1: Please a shit assure them of your role, your charge
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Speaker 1: as gatekeeper of their heart. I pray that the words
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Speaker 1: of Psalm one hundred forty one Verses three and four
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Speaker 1: will become a personal prayer for them, that they will
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Speaker 1: call on you to set a guard over their mouth,
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Speaker 1: keep watch over their lips, and not allow their hearts
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Speaker 1: to turn to any evil thing. For you deliver us
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Speaker 1: from all that comes against us. You are our refuge
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Speaker 1: in times of trouble. Thank you, Lord for being with us.
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Speaker 1: We commit this sleep story to you as a time
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Speaker 1: of comfort, rest and peace. We trust you, Lord, in
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Speaker 1: all things and in every way, in the precious name
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Speaker 1: of your son Jesus Amen. In the Old Testament, gatekeepers
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Speaker 1: are mentioned as trusted men chosen to guard specific regions
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Speaker 1: or territories. The Bible says those chosen to be gatekeepers
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Speaker 1: at the thresholds were registered by genealogy in their villages.
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Speaker 1: The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust
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Speaker 1: by David and Samuel. Let the thought of trust settle
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Speaker 1: deep into your mind for a moment. If you were
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Speaker 1: to list all the ways you can trust God with
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Speaker 1: your life. I imagine you would run out of paper. Oh,
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Speaker 1: my friend. You can trust the Lord with your physical surroundings,
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Speaker 1: the place where you live, work, and find community. You
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Speaker 1: can trust God with your circle of friends, family, and acquaintances.
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Speaker 1: You can trust the Lord with your needs, wants, desires,
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Speaker 1: and dreams. He cares about every detail. It was Jesus
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Speaker 1: who said in Luke chapter twelve, verse seven, Indeed, the
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Speaker 1: very hairs of your head are all numbered. And in
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Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred thirty nine, verses seventeen and eighteen, we
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Speaker 1: read these words, how precious are your thoughts about me, O, God?
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Speaker 1: They cannot be numbered. I can't even count them. They
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Speaker 1: outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up,
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Speaker 1: you are still with me. God is still with you,
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Speaker 1: my friend, right here, right now, He is with you,
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Speaker 1: in the name of his son Jesus. His thoughts about
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Speaker 1: you outnumber the grains of sand on each beach. They
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Speaker 1: are uncountable. Imagine holding a handful of sand from the beach.
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Speaker 1: You look at each individual grain, unique in size, shape,
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Speaker 1: and color. You roll the grains of sand around in
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Speaker 1: your palm, closing your eyes and feeling the granules slip
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Speaker 1: through your fingers. As you watch the grains of sand
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Speaker 1: fall to the ground, you begin to understand the magnitude
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Speaker 1: of God's numerous thoughts about you. The first verse of
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Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred and thirty nine says, you have searched me, Lord,
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Speaker 1: and you know me. You know when I sit and
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Speaker 1: when I rise. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You
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Speaker 1: discern my going out and my lying down. You are
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Speaker 1: familiar with all my ways. As you let this beautiful
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Speaker 1: passage settle over you, let it be a confirmation that
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Speaker 1: God is indeed the gatekeeper of your heart. Listen again
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Speaker 1: to these words. You discern my going out and my
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Speaker 1: lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. You see,
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Speaker 1: a gatekeeper is attentive to who is going out and
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Speaker 1: who is coming in. He perceives things from Afar and
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Speaker 1: keeps careful watch over every territory he has been assigned. Oh,
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Speaker 1: my friend, your heart is part of God's territory. He
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Speaker 1: protects your boundaries. He stands watch over every region of
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Speaker 1: your being, heart, mind, body, and soul. Gracious Heavenly Father,
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Speaker 1: thank you, Thank you for loving us so much that
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Speaker 1: you care about every detail of our lives. Lord, as
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Speaker 1: this child sleeps tonight, let them feel your supernatural presence
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Speaker 1: surrounding them with absolute protection and peace. Let nothing interfere
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Speaker 1: with their security in knowing you are with them. I
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Speaker 1: pray for the best night's sleep they've had in a
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Speaker 1: long time, and I ask that they will wake up
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Speaker 1: tomorrow free from every burden, care and concern. Please continue
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Speaker 1: to be with them, Lord, as we journey through the
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Speaker 1: scriptures and learn more about your role as gatekeeper of
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Speaker 1: our hearts. In the holy name of your Son Jesus. Amen.
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Speaker 1: Now let's hear our key passage from the New Living Translation.
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Speaker 1: It says, take control of what I say, O, Lord,
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Speaker 1: and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil.
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Speaker 1: Just as a boat drifts out to sea, pulled by
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Speaker 1: the current, we too can be lured away. But with
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Speaker 1: God as our anchor, we are fastened securely to him.
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Speaker 1: Imagine yourself resting in a small boat on a lake.
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Speaker 1: The gentle waves cause the vessel to sway back and forth,
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Speaker 1: rocking you to sleep. Because you are securely fastened to
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Speaker 1: the Savior, there is no worry about drifting out to sea.
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Speaker 1: He keeps you anchored tethered and close to his heart.
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Speaker 1: Beneath the soft glow of moonlight, reflecting peacefully upon the water.
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Speaker 1: You rest soundly in the comfort of the boat's hull,
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Speaker 1: rocked back and forth gently, peacefully. Jesus is with you,
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Speaker 1: my friend. He will never leave you, nor forsake you.
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Speaker 1: The sounds of the night are like nature's lullaby, steady, rhythmic,
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Speaker 1: and peaceful. You hear the distant sound of cicadas offering
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Speaker 1: their night song, a continuous vibration of sound that lulls
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Speaker 1: you deeper into a state of rest. There are occasional
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Speaker 1: calls from owls one to another as they camouflage themselves
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Speaker 1: in the branches of the tree and keep watched through
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Speaker 1: the night. You hear the waves lap against the side
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Speaker 1: of the boat, keeping invisible time with a steady meter
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Speaker 1: of gentleness and peace. Your soul is content in the
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Speaker 1: rhythms of the night as nocturnal creatures take their flight.
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Speaker 1: Your mind is at rest under Heaven's gaze, moon and
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Speaker 1: stars their canopy rays. Your heart is kept every moment
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Speaker 1: of time by his faithful promise. You are mine. Thank God,
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Speaker 1: Thank You for your loving kindness displayed in the life
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Speaker 1: of this listener. The ways in which you keep them
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Speaker 1: in the fold of your grace are too numerous to count.
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Speaker 1: As they sleep, Lord, please fill their dreams with peaceful
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Speaker 1: thoughts of your magnificent creation. Take them on a night's
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Speaker 1: journey into nature, where the open sky is their blanket
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Speaker 1: of peace, and earth's elements are reminders of your majesty.
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Speaker 1: Thank you, Father for the beauty you created, beauty for
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Speaker 1: us to enjoy. For the time we've been given, we
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Speaker 1: give you all the praise, honor, and glory in Jesus' name. Amen,
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Speaker 1: continue to rest quietly as I read comforting scriptures about
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Speaker 1: God's protection. The Lord is faithful. He will establish you
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Speaker 1: and guard you against the evil one. He who dwells
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Speaker 1: in the shelter of the most High will abide in
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Speaker 1: the shadow of the Almighty. The name of the Lord
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Speaker 1: is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it
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Speaker 1: and is safe. You are my hiding place. You will
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Speaker 1: protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
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Speaker 1: Here the Holy Spirit's song of deliverance over you. He
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Speaker 1: rejoices over you with singing. The Lord is faithful to you.
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Speaker 1: He is the one who establishes your heart and stands
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Speaker 1: guard over your soul. Dwell in the shelter of the
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Speaker 1: most High, Abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Let
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Speaker 1: the name of the Lord be a strong tower for you.
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Speaker 1: As I speak the name Jesus, feel the fortress of
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Speaker 1: his presence surround you with safety. Tonight. The Lord is
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Speaker 1: your hiding place, your place of refuge, your place of peace.
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Speaker 1: Allow your entire being to be surrounded with songs of deliverance,
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Speaker 1: the sweetest soul ungs you've ever heard. As the old
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Speaker 1: hymn goes, there have been names that I love to hear,
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Speaker 1: But never has there been a name so dear to
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Speaker 1: this heart of mine as this name divine, this precious,
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Speaker 1: precious name of Jesus. Let the precious name of Jesus
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Speaker 1: flow over you as you sleep contentedly in his presence.
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Speaker 1: There is no other name in heaven above or on
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Speaker 1: Earth below that is more exalted, honored, adored, and glorified
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Speaker 1: than Jesus. Allow this familiar melody of words to cover
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Speaker 1: you as you sleep. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something
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Speaker 1: about that name, Master Savior Jesus, like the fragrance after
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Speaker 1: the rain. You know, There's nothing quite like the sweet
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Speaker 1: fragrance after a cleansing rain from Heaven. The drops of
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Speaker 1: water from Heaven's storehouses cleanses the earth and leaves us
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Speaker 1: with a heavenly fragrance that cannot be described. Let the
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Speaker 1: sweetness of God's cleansing presence fill your senses now, refreshing, restorative,
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Speaker 1: and pleasant. For it is good to sing praises to
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Speaker 1: our God. It is pleasant, and a song of praise
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Speaker 1: is fitting, for wisdom will come into your heart, and
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Speaker 1: knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Allow the pleasantness
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Speaker 1: of God's holy presence to bring you peace and contentment tonight.
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Speaker 1: There is no other person, place, or thing that can
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Speaker 1: offer this kind of deep internal peace. Your heavenly Father
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Speaker 1: is the gatekeeper of your heart. Nothing you desire compares
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Speaker 1: with him. He sees your going in and going out,
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Speaker 1: and he is with you every step of the way.
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Speaker 1: His wisdom leads you on paths of righteousness for his namesake.
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Speaker 1: Knowledge from your creator guides you on the narrow path.
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Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit guards your heart under lock and key,
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Speaker 1: the lock of eternal salvation and the key of Jesus,
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Speaker 1: your Savior. Sleep in the serenity that comes from knowing
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Speaker 1: you are kept safe in the Lord, nothing can stand
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Speaker 1: against you. Set a guard over my mouth. Lord, keep
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Speaker 1: watch over the door of my lips. Do not let
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Speaker 1: my heart be drawn to what is evil. Gracious God,
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Speaker 1: in the stillness of this moment, please assure this listener
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Speaker 1: of your faithful protection. Give them an overflow of your
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Speaker 1: peace so that they will sleep soundly through the night.
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Speaker 1: Continue your safekeeping over this child and their loved ones.
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Speaker 1: Please restore them as they sleep, and strengthen them to
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Speaker 1: face another day with hope, joy and peace. In the
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Speaker 1: name of your Son, Jesus Amen. Today's definition of a
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Speaker 1: gatekeeper is someone who takes it upon themselves to decide
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Speaker 1: who gets access or does not have access. If we
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Speaker 1: relate this to our heavenly Father, as we abide in
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Speaker 1: his son, he is the one to decide who has
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Speaker 1: access to our hearts. When we abide in Him and
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Speaker 1: he abides in us, nothing has access that isn't allowed
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Speaker 1: by His spirit. Oh, what a comforting thought. I encourage you,
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Speaker 1: my friend, to surrender all access to the Father tonight,
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Speaker 1: the very depths of your heart to him, and experience
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Speaker 1: the freedom that comes from letting go by the mercies
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Speaker 1: of God present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
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Speaker 1: and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Mercies
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Speaker 1: of God, overflowing grace, abounding more and more. How good
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Speaker 1: it is to rest in the endless love of God.
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Speaker 1: As the gate of your heart closes at the end
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Speaker 1: of a long day, your gatekeeper stands watch and secures
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Speaker 1: your boundary. And as the sun rises on a new day,
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Speaker 1: the gate of your heart safely opens. As the Savior
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Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness, your heart is protected.
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Speaker 1: It is safeguarded from everything unholy. The Lord has built
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Speaker 1: a fortress around you, the sanctuary of peace and tranquility,
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Speaker 1: sleep and the peace of the Holy Spirit, who dwells
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Speaker 1: in you. His beautiful characteristics are made fruitful in you.
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Speaker 1: You represent Him in the way you think, act, believe,
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Speaker 1: and speak. The Spirit guards your tongue and sets a
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Speaker 1: standard for your speech, and his standard is not burdensome.
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Speaker 1: First John five, verse three says, for this is the
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Speaker 1: love of God that we keep his commandments, and His
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Speaker 1: commandments are not burdensome. Just as a parent sets a
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Speaker 1: standard for their child because they love them and want
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Speaker 1: what is best for them, so God establishes his laws
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Speaker 1: on our hearts. As Proverbs chapter six, verse twenty three says,
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Speaker 1: the commandment is a lamp and the law a light.
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Speaker 1: Allow the law of God's love to flow through every
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Speaker 1: fiber of your being. As you rest securely in him.
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Speaker 1: He is with you, and how he loves you feel
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Speaker 1: the light of his presence. Continue to be with you
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Speaker 1: as you sleep deeply in his care. You can trust
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Speaker 1: your gatekeeper, your watchman, your guardian. Not one evil thing
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Speaker 1: will be allowed to enter as you remain in him.
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Speaker 1: Set a guard, O Lord over my mouth, keep watch
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Speaker 1: over the door of my lips. Do not incline my
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Speaker 1: heart to hear any evil thing. My eyes are upon you,
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Speaker 1: O God, the Lord. In you, I take refuge. The
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Speaker 1: Lord is your strong power in the righteousness of Christ.
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Speaker 1: You run to Him and are saved. The Lord is
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Speaker 1: your retreat, a hiding place for you to find the
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Speaker 1: rest you seek. Rest in the shelter of His comfort tonight,
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Speaker 1: as He gently closes the gate of your heart and
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Speaker 1: securely fastens the lock of salvation. Sleep soundly free from
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Speaker 1: every concern. Your life is enclosed by the Father's love,
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Speaker 1: wholly guarded and completely kept. Heavenly Father, I pray for
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Speaker 1: this beloved listener to be completely surrendered to you tonight
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Speaker 1: as they sleep deeply in your presence. Let the words
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Speaker 1: of the scriptures flow through them and remind them of
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Speaker 1: your faithfulness, remove all restlessness, and settle them into a
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Speaker 1: full night's rest. I ask that you continue to be
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Speaker 1: their refuge and peace, and I thank you for keeping
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Speaker 1: their heart in mercy, love, and truth. In the beautiful
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Speaker 1: name of Jesus, I pray, Amen, it is my sincere
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Speaker 1: hope that you have received assurance of God's protection over
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Speaker 1: your heart tonight as you have positioned yourself to seek him.
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Speaker 1: I ask that He will continue to draw you near
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Speaker 1: in comfort and peace within the love and care of
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Speaker 1: your heavenly gatekeeper. I close this sleep meditation with a
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Speaker 1: gentle reminder from the Scriptures. I am with you and
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Speaker 1: will keep you wherever you go. Let this promise surround
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Speaker 1: you tonight, for the Lord is with you and will
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Speaker 1: keep you wherever you go can count on it. Thanks
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Speaker 1: again for joining me for this sleep story, and as always,
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Speaker 1: continue to abide in Christ. Let's listen again to this
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Speaker 1: sleep story about the safety and security you can find
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Speaker 1: in God's safekeeping in the old Testament, gatekeepers are mentioned
32:31
Speaker 1: as trusted men chosen to guard specific regions or territories.
32:38
Speaker 1: The Bible says those chosen to be gatekeepers at the
32:43
Speaker 1: thresholds were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers
32:49
Speaker 1: had been assigned to their positions of trust by David
32:53
Speaker 1: and Samuel. Let the thought of trust deep into your
33:01
Speaker 1: mind for a moment. If you were to list all
33:07
Speaker 1: the ways you can trust God with your life, I
33:13
Speaker 1: imagine you would run out of paper. Oh, my friend,
33:19
Speaker 1: You can trust the Lord with your physical surroundings, the
33:24
Speaker 1: place where you live, work, and find community. You can
33:31
Speaker 1: trust God with your circle of friends, family, and acquaintances.
33:39
Speaker 1: You can trust the Lord with your needs, wants, desires,
33:43
Speaker 1: and dreams. He cares about every detail. It was Jesus
33:51
Speaker 1: who said in Luke chapter twelve, verse seven, Indeed, the
33:57
Speaker 1: very hairs of your head are all numbers. And in
34:02
Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred and thirty nine, verses seventeen and eighteen,
34:05
Speaker 1: we read these words, how precious are your thoughts about me?
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Speaker 1: Oh God, they cannot be numbered. I can't even count them.
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Speaker 1: They outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up,
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Speaker 1: you are still with me. God, is still with you,
34:31
Speaker 1: my friend, right here, right now. He is with you
34:36
Speaker 1: in the name of his son Jesus. His thoughts about
34:42
Speaker 1: you outnumber the grains of sand on each beach. They
34:47
Speaker 1: are uncountable. Imagine holding a handful of sand from the beach.
34:55
Speaker 1: You look at each individual grain, size, shape, and color.
35:04
Speaker 1: You roll the grains of sand around in your palm,
35:09
Speaker 1: closing your eyes and feeling the granules slip through your fingers.
35:15
Speaker 1: As you watch the grains of sand fall to the ground,
35:20
Speaker 1: you begin to understand the magnitude of God's numerous thoughts
35:25
Speaker 1: about you. The first verse of Psalm one hundred thirty
35:31
Speaker 1: nine says, you have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
35:38
Speaker 1: You know when I sit and when I rise. You
35:43
Speaker 1: perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out
35:48
Speaker 1: and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways.
35:56
Speaker 1: As you let this beautiful passage settle over you, let
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Speaker 1: it be a confirmation that God is indeed the gatekeeper
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Speaker 1: of your heart. Listen again to these words. You discern
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Speaker 1: my going out and my lying down. You are familiar
36:22
Speaker 1: with all my ways. You see, a gatekeeper is attentive
36:30
Speaker 1: to who is going out and who is coming in.
36:34
Speaker 1: He perceives things from Afar and keeps careful watch over
36:40
Speaker 1: every territory he has been assigned. Oh, my friend, your
36:46
Speaker 1: heart is part of God's territory. He protects your boundaries.
36:53
Speaker 1: He stands watch over every region of your being, heart, mind,
37:00
Speaker 1: and body and soul. Gracious, Heavenly Father, thank you, Thank
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Speaker 1: you for loving us so much that you care about
37:13
Speaker 1: every detail of our lives. Lord. As this child sleeps tonight,
37:20
Speaker 1: let them feel your supernatural presence surrounding them with absolute
37:26
Speaker 1: protection and peace. Let nothing interfere with their security in
37:33
Speaker 1: knowing you are with them. I pray for the best
37:40
Speaker 1: night's sleep they've had in a long time, and I
37:44
Speaker 1: ask that they will wake up tomorrow free from every burden,
37:50
Speaker 1: care and concern. Please continue to be with them, Lord,
37:57
Speaker 1: as we journey through the scriptures and learn more about
38:01
Speaker 1: your role as gatekeeper of our hearts. In the holy
38:06
Speaker 1: name of your Son Jesus. Amen. Now, let's hear our
38:16
Speaker 1: key passage from the New Living Translation. It says, take
38:22
Speaker 1: control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.
38:29
Speaker 1: Don't let me drift toward evil. Just as a boat
38:33
Speaker 1: drifts out to sea, pulled by the current, We too
38:37
Speaker 1: can be lured away, but with God as our anchor,
38:43
Speaker 1: we are fastened securely to him. Imagine yourself resting in
38:50
Speaker 1: a small boat on a lake. The gentle waves cause
38:55
Speaker 1: the vessel to sway back and forth, rocking you to sleep.
39:02
Speaker 1: Because you are securely fastened to the Savior, there is
39:07
Speaker 1: no worry about drifting out to sea. He keeps you anchored,
39:14
Speaker 1: tethered and close to his heart. Beneath the soft glow
39:21
Speaker 1: of moonlight, reflecting peacefully upon the water, you rest soundly
39:28
Speaker 1: in the comfort of the boat's hull, rocked back and
39:34
Speaker 1: forth gently, peacefully. Jesus is with you, my friend. He
39:46
Speaker 1: will never leave you, nor forsake you. The sounds of
39:52
Speaker 1: the night are like nature's lullaby, steady, rhythmic, and peaceful.
40:03
Speaker 1: You hear the distant sound of cicadas offering their night song,
40:09
Speaker 1: a continuous vibration of sound that lulls you deeper into
40:13
Speaker 1: a state of rest. There are occasional calls from owls
40:20
Speaker 1: one to another as they camouflage themselves in the branches
40:24
Speaker 1: of the tree and keep watch through the night. You
40:29
Speaker 1: hear the waves lap against the side of the boat,
40:34
Speaker 1: keeping invisible time with a steady meter of gentleness and peace.
40:43
Speaker 1: Your soul is content in the rhythms of the night
40:49
Speaker 1: as nocturnal creatures take their flight. Your mind is at
40:55
Speaker 1: rest under Heaven's gaze. Moon and stars their canopy rays.
41:03
Speaker 1: Your heart is kept every moment of time by his
41:08
Speaker 1: faithful promise. You are mine, Holy God, Thank you for
41:19
Speaker 1: your loving kindness displayed in the life of this listener.
41:25
Speaker 1: The ways in which you keep them in the fold
41:28
Speaker 1: of your grace are too numerous to count. As they sleep, Lord,
41:37
Speaker 1: please fill their dreams with peaceful thoughts of your magnificent creation.
41:44
Speaker 1: Take them on a night's journey into nature, where the
41:48
Speaker 1: open sky is their blanket of peace, and earth's elements
41:52
Speaker 1: are reminders of your majesty. Thank you, Father for the
42:01
Speaker 1: beauty you created, beauty for us to enjoy. For the
42:06
Speaker 1: time we've been given, we give you all the praise, honor,
42:11
Speaker 1: and glory in Jesus' name. Amen, continue to rest quietly
42:21
Speaker 1: as I read comforting scriptures about God's protection. The Lord
42:28
Speaker 1: is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against
42:34
Speaker 1: the evil one. He who dwells in the shelter of
42:39
Speaker 1: the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
42:46
Speaker 1: The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The
42:50
Speaker 1: righteous man runs into it and is safe. You are
42:56
Speaker 1: my hiding place. You will me from trouble and surround
43:02
Speaker 1: me with songs of deliverance. Hear the Holy Spirit's song
43:10
Speaker 1: of deliverance over you. He rejoices over you with singing.
43:17
Speaker 1: The Lord is faithful to you. He is the one
43:23
Speaker 1: who establishes your heart and stands guard over your soul.
43:31
Speaker 1: Dwell in the shelter of the Most High, Abide in
43:35
Speaker 1: the shadow of the Almighty. Let the name of the
43:40
Speaker 1: Lord be a strong tower for you. As I speak
43:46
Speaker 1: the name Jesus, feel the fortress of his presence surround
43:53
Speaker 1: you with safety. Tonight. The Lord is your hiding place,
44:01
Speaker 1: your place of refuge, your place of peace. Allow your
44:10
Speaker 1: entire being to be surrounded with songs of deliverance, the
44:16
Speaker 1: sweetest songs you've ever heard. As the old hymn goes,
44:25
Speaker 1: there have been names that I love to hear, But
44:30
Speaker 1: never has there been a name so dear to this
44:34
Speaker 1: heart of mine, as this name divine, this precious, precious
44:41
Speaker 1: name of Jesus. Let the precious name of Jesus flow
44:48
Speaker 1: over you as you sleep contentedly in his presence. There
44:54
Speaker 1: is no other name in heaven above or on earth
44:58
Speaker 1: below that is more exalted, honored, adored, and glorified than Jesus.
45:09
Speaker 1: Allow this familiar melody of words to cover you as
45:13
Speaker 1: you sleep. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name,
45:28
Speaker 1: Master Savior, Jesus. Like the fragrance after the rain, you know,
45:39
Speaker 1: there's nothing quite like the sweet fragrance after a cleansing
45:44
Speaker 1: rain from heaven. The drops of water from Heaven's storehouses
45:49
Speaker 1: cleanses the earth and leaves us with a heavenly fragrance
45:54
Speaker 1: that cannot be described. Let the sweetness of God's cleansing
46:01
Speaker 1: presence fill your senses now, refreshing, restorative, and pleasant. For
46:12
Speaker 1: it is good to sing praises to our God. It
46:17
Speaker 1: is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting, for
46:23
Speaker 1: wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be
46:27
Speaker 1: pleasant to your soul. Allow the pleasantness of God's holy
46:34
Speaker 1: presence to bring you peace and contentment tonight. There is
46:41
Speaker 1: no other person, place, or thing that can offer this
46:46
Speaker 1: kind of deep internal peace. Your heavenly Father is the
46:54
Speaker 1: gatekeeper of your heart. Nothing you desire compares with him.
47:02
Speaker 1: He sees your going in and going out, and he
47:06
Speaker 1: is with you every step of the way. His wisdom
47:13
Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
47:18
Speaker 1: Knowledge from your creator guides you on the narrow path.
47:25
Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit guards your heart under lock and key,
47:30
Speaker 1: the lock of eternal salvation and the key of Jesus
47:35
Speaker 1: your Savior. Sleep in the serenity that comes from knowing
47:42
Speaker 1: you are kept safe in the Lord. Nothing can stand
47:49
Speaker 1: against you. Set a guard over my mouth. Lord, keep
47:57
Speaker 1: watch over the door of my lips. Do not let
48:02
Speaker 1: my heart be drawn to what is evil. Gracious God,
48:11
Speaker 1: in the stillness of this moment, please assure this listener
48:17
Speaker 1: of your faithful protection. Give them an overflow of your
48:23
Speaker 1: peace so that they will sleep soundly through the night.
48:30
Speaker 1: Continue your safekeeping over this child and their loved ones.
48:37
Speaker 1: Please restore them as they sleep, and strengthen them to
48:42
Speaker 1: face another day with hope, joy and peace. In the
48:49
Speaker 1: name of your Son, Jesus Amen. Today's definition of a
48:57
Speaker 1: gatekeeper is someone who takes it upon themselves to decide
49:02
Speaker 1: who gets access or does not have access. If we
49:08
Speaker 1: relate this to our heavenly Father, as we abide in
49:13
Speaker 1: his son, he is the one to decide who has
49:19
Speaker 1: access to our hearts. When we abide in Him and
49:26
Speaker 1: He abides in us. Nothing has access that isn't allowed
49:32
Speaker 1: by His spirit. Oh, what a comforting thought. I encourage you,
49:40
Speaker 1: my friend, to surrender all access to the Father tonight,
49:46
Speaker 1: the very depths of your heart to Him, and experience
49:51
Speaker 1: the freedom that comes from letting go by the mercies
49:58
Speaker 1: of God. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
50:04
Speaker 1: and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Mercies
50:12
Speaker 1: of God, overflowing grace, abounding more and more. How good
50:19
Speaker 1: it is to rest in the endless love of God.
50:26
Speaker 1: As the gate of your heart closes at the end
50:30
Speaker 1: of a long day, your gatekeeper stands watch and secures
50:37
Speaker 1: your boundary. And as the sun rises on a new day,
50:43
Speaker 1: the gate of your heart safely opens. As the Savior
50:47
Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness, your heart is protected.
50:59
Speaker 1: It is safe, guarded from everything unholy. The Lord has
51:05
Speaker 1: built a fortress around you, the sanctuary of peace and tranquility,
51:14
Speaker 1: sleep and the peace of the Holy Spirit, who dwells
51:19
Speaker 1: in you. His beautiful characteristics are made fruitful in you.
51:28
Speaker 1: You represent Him in the way you think, act, believe,
51:34
Speaker 1: and speak. The Spirit guards your tongue and sets a
51:39
Speaker 1: standard for your speech, and his standard is not burdensome.
51:48
Speaker 1: First John five, verse three says, for this is the
51:53
Speaker 1: love of God that we keep his commandments, and his
51:57
Speaker 1: commandments are not burned. Just as a parent sets a
52:04
Speaker 1: standard for their child because they love them and want
52:07
Speaker 1: what is best for them, so God establishes his laws
52:13
Speaker 1: on our hearts. As Proverbs chapter six, verse twenty three says,
52:22
Speaker 1: the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light.
52:27
Speaker 1: Allow the law of God's love to flow through every
52:32
Speaker 1: fiber of your being. As you rest securely in him.
52:39
Speaker 1: He is with you, and how he loves you feel
52:47
Speaker 1: the light of his presence. Continue to be with you
52:50
Speaker 1: as you sleep deeply in his care. You can trust
52:57
Speaker 1: your gatekeeper, your watch, your guardian. Not one evil thing
53:06
Speaker 1: will be allowed to enter as you remain in him.
53:11
Speaker 1: Set a guard. O Lord, over my mouth, keep watch
53:16
Speaker 1: over the door of my lips. Do not incline my
53:20
Speaker 1: heart to hear any evil thing. My eyes are upon you,
53:27
Speaker 1: O God, the Lord in you, I take refuge. The
53:34
Speaker 1: Lord is your strong power in the righteousness of Christ.
53:40
Speaker 1: You run to Him and are saved. The Lord is
53:47
Speaker 1: your retreat a hiding place for you to find the
53:51
Speaker 1: rest you seek. Rest in the shelter of His comfort. Tonight,
54:01
Speaker 1: as he gently closes the gate of your heart and
54:05
Speaker 1: securely fastens the lock of salvation, sleep soundly, free from
54:14
Speaker 1: every concern. Your life is enclosed by the Father's love,
54:22
Speaker 1: wholly guarded and completely kept. Heavenly Father, I pray for
54:34
Speaker 1: this beloved listener to be completely surrendered to you tonight
54:40
Speaker 1: as they sleep deeply in your presence. Let the words
54:47
Speaker 1: of the scriptures flow through them and remind them of
54:51
Speaker 1: your faithfulness, remove all restlessness, and settle them into a
55:00
Speaker 1: full night's rest. I ask that you continue to be
55:07
Speaker 1: their refuge and peace, and I thank you for keeping
55:12
Speaker 1: their heart in mercy, love, and truth. In the beautiful
55:19
Speaker 1: name of Jesus, I pray, Amen, it is my sincere
55:26
Speaker 1: hope that you have received assurance of God's protection over
55:30
Speaker 1: your heart tonight as you have positioned yourself to seek him.
55:36
Speaker 1: I ask that He will continue to draw you near
55:40
Speaker 1: in comfort and peace, within the love and care of
55:46
Speaker 1: your heavenly gatekeeper. I close this sleep meditation with a
55:52
Speaker 1: gentle reminder from the Scriptures. I am with you and
55:59
Speaker 1: will keep you wherever you go. Let this promise surround
56:06
Speaker 1: you tonight, for the Lord is with you and we'll
56:13
Speaker 1: keep you wherever you go. You can count on it.
56:22
Speaker 1: Thanks again for joining me for this sleep story, and
56:27
Speaker 1: as always, continue to abide in Christ. Let's listen again
56:35
Speaker 1: to this sleep story about the safety and security you
56:39
Speaker 1: can find in God's safekeeping. In the Old Testament, gatekeepers
56:47
Speaker 1: are mentioned as trusted men chosen to guard specific regions
56:52
Speaker 1: or territories. The Bible says those chosen to be gatekeepers
56:59
Speaker 1: at the thresholds were registered by genealogy in their villages.
57:05
Speaker 1: The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust
57:09
Speaker 1: by David and Samuel. Let the thought of trust settle
57:17
Speaker 1: deep into your mind for a moment. If you were
57:23
Speaker 1: to list all the ways you can trust God with
57:27
Speaker 1: your life, I imagine you would run out of paper. Oh,
57:34
Speaker 1: my friend. You can trust the Lord with your physical surroundings,
57:41
Speaker 1: the place where you live, work and find community. You
57:48
Speaker 1: can trust God with your circle of friends, family and acquaintances.
57:56
Speaker 1: You can trust the Lord with your needs. Once does
58:00
Speaker 1: desires and dreams, He cares about every detail. It was
58:07
Speaker 1: Jesus who said in Luke chapter twelve, verse seven. Indeed,
58:13
Speaker 1: the very hairs of your head are all numbered. And
58:18
Speaker 1: in Psalm one hundred and thirty nine, verses seventeen and eighteen,
58:22
Speaker 1: we read these words, how precious are your thoughts about me?
58:28
Speaker 1: Oh God, they cannot be numbered. I can't even count them.
58:35
Speaker 1: They outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up,
58:40
Speaker 1: you are still with me. God is still with you,
58:47
Speaker 1: my friend, right here, right now, He is with you
58:53
Speaker 1: in the name of his son Jesus. His thoughts about
58:59
Speaker 1: you out number the grains of sand on each beach.
59:04
Speaker 1: They are uncountable. Imagine holding a handful of sand from
59:10
Speaker 1: the beach. You look at each individual grain, unique in size, shape,
59:18
Speaker 1: and color. You roll the grains of sand around in
59:23
Speaker 1: your palm, closing your eyes and feeling the granule slip
59:29
Speaker 1: through your fingers. As you watch the grains of sand
59:34
Speaker 1: fall to the ground, you begin to understand the magnitude
59:40
Speaker 1: of God's numerous thoughts about you. The first verse of
59:46
Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred and thirty nine says, you have searched me, Lord,
59:53
Speaker 1: and you know me. You know when I sit, and
59:57
Speaker 1: when I rise, receive my thoughts from afar. You discern
1:00:04
Speaker 1: my going out and my lying down. You are familiar
1:00:08
Speaker 1: with all my ways. As you let this beautiful passage
1:00:16
Speaker 1: settle over you, let it be a confirmation that God
1:00:21
Speaker 1: is indeed the gatekeeper of your heart. Listen again to
1:00:30
Speaker 1: these words. You discern my going out and my lying down.
1:00:37
Speaker 1: You are familiar with all my ways. You see, a
1:00:44
Speaker 1: gatekeeper is attentive to who is going out and who
1:00:49
Speaker 1: is coming in. He perceives things from afar and keeps
1:00:54
Speaker 1: careful watch over every territory he has been assigned. Oh,
1:01:02
Speaker 1: my friend, your heart is part of God's territory. He
1:01:08
Speaker 1: protects your boundaries. He stands watch over every region of
1:01:13
Speaker 1: your being, heart, mind, body, and soul. Gracious, Heavenly Father,
1:01:24
Speaker 1: thank you, Thank you for loving us so much that
1:01:29
Speaker 1: you care about every detail of our lives. Lord, as
1:01:34
Speaker 1: this child sleeps tonight, let them feel your supernatural presence
1:01:40
Speaker 1: surrounding them with absolute protection and peace. Let nothing interfere
1:01:48
Speaker 1: with their security in knowing you are with them. I
1:01:55
Speaker 1: pray for the best night's sleep they've had in a
1:01:59
Speaker 1: long time, and I ask that they will wake up
1:02:03
Speaker 1: tomorrow free from every burden, care, and concern. Please continue
1:02:12
Speaker 1: to be with them, Lord, as we journey through the
1:02:15
Speaker 1: scriptures and learn more about your role as gatekeeper of
1:02:20
Speaker 1: our hearts. In the holy name of your son, Jesus. Amen.
1:02:30
Speaker 1: Now let's hear our key passage from the New Living Translation.
1:02:36
Speaker 1: It says, take control of what I say, O Lord,
1:02:43
Speaker 1: and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil.
1:02:49
Speaker 1: Just as a boat drifts out to sea, pulled by
1:02:52
Speaker 1: the current, we too can be lured away. But with
1:02:58
Speaker 1: God as our anchor, we are fastened securely to him.
1:03:05
Speaker 1: Imagine yourself resting in a small boat on a lake.
1:03:11
Speaker 1: The gentle waves cause the vessel to sway back and forth,
1:03:15
Speaker 1: rocking you to sleep. Because you are securely fastened to
1:03:21
Speaker 1: the Savior, there is no worry about drifting out to sea.
1:03:28
Speaker 1: He keeps you anchored, tethered and close to his heart.
1:03:36
Speaker 1: Beneath the soft glow of moonlight, Reflecting peacefully upon the water,
1:03:43
Speaker 1: you rest soundly in the comfort of the boat's hull,
1:03:48
Speaker 1: rocked back and forth gently peacefully. Jesus is with you,
1:04:00
Speaker 1: my friend. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
1:04:09
Speaker 1: The sounds of the night are like nature's lullaby, steady, rhythmic,
1:04:17
Speaker 1: and peaceful. You hear the distant sound of cicadas offering
1:04:23
Speaker 1: their night song, a continuous vibration of sound that lulls
1:04:29
Speaker 1: you deeper into a state of rest. There are occasional
1:04:35
Speaker 1: calls from owls one to another as they camouflage themselves
1:04:40
Speaker 1: in the branches of the tree and keep watched through
1:04:43
Speaker 1: the night. You hear the waves lap against the side
1:04:49
Speaker 1: of the boat, keeping invisible time with a steady meter
1:04:54
Speaker 1: of gentleness and peace. Your soul is content in the
1:05:03
Speaker 1: rhythms of the night as nocturnal creatures take their flight.
1:05:11
Speaker 1: Your mind is at rest under Heaven's gaze, moon and
1:05:16
Speaker 1: stars their canopy rays. Your heart is kept every moment
1:05:23
Speaker 1: of time by his faithful promise. You are mine, Holy God,
1:05:35
Speaker 1: Thank you for your loving kindness displayed in the life
1:05:39
Speaker 1: of this listener. The ways in which you keep them
1:05:44
Speaker 1: in the fold of your grace are too numerous to count.
1:05:52
Speaker 1: As they sleep, Lord, please fill their dreams with peaceful
1:05:57
Speaker 1: thoughts of your magnificent creation. Take them on a night's
1:06:03
Speaker 1: journey into nature, where the open sky is their blanket
1:06:07
Speaker 1: of peace, and Earth's elements are reminders of your majesty.
1:06:17
Speaker 1: Thank you, Father for the beauty you created, Beauty for
1:06:21
Speaker 1: us to enjoy for the time we've been given. We
1:06:26
Speaker 1: give you all the praise, honor, and glory in Jesus' name. Amen,
1:06:36
Speaker 1: continue to rest quietly as I read comforting scriptures about
1:06:40
Speaker 1: God's protection. The Lord is faithful. He will establish you
1:06:48
Speaker 1: and guard you against the evil one. He who dwells
1:06:54
Speaker 1: in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in
1:06:58
Speaker 1: the shadow of the alma Might. The name of the
1:07:03
Speaker 1: Lord is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into
1:07:09
Speaker 1: it and is safe. You are my hiding place. You
1:07:16
Speaker 1: will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs
1:07:20
Speaker 1: of deliverance. Hear the Holy Spirit's song of deliverance over you.
1:07:30
Speaker 1: He rejoices over you with singing. The Lord is faithful
1:07:37
Speaker 1: to you. He is the one who establishes your heart
1:07:42
Speaker 1: and stands guard over your soul. Dwell in the shelter
1:07:49
Speaker 1: of the Most High. Abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
1:07:56
Speaker 1: Let the name of the Lord be a strong tower
1:07:59
Speaker 1: for you. As I speak the name Jesus, feel the
1:08:07
Speaker 1: fortress of his presence surround you with safety tonight. The
1:08:15
Speaker 1: Lord is your hiding place, your place of refuge, your
1:08:21
Speaker 1: place of peace. Allow your entire being to be surrounded
1:08:30
Speaker 1: with songs of deliverance, the sweetest songs you've ever heard.
1:08:39
Speaker 1: As the old hymn goes, there have been names that
1:08:44
Speaker 1: I love to hear, But never has there been a
1:08:49
Speaker 1: name so dear to this heart of mine as this
1:08:53
Speaker 1: name divine, this precious, precious name of Jesus. Let the
1:09:03
Speaker 1: precious name of Jesus flow over you as you sleep
1:09:07
Speaker 1: contentedly in his presence. There is no other name in
1:09:12
Speaker 1: heaven above or on Earth below that is more exalted, honored, adored,
1:09:21
Speaker 1: and glorified than Jesus. Allow this familiar melody of words
1:09:29
Speaker 1: to cover you as you sleep. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's
1:09:41
Speaker 1: just something about that name, Master Savior Jesus. Like the
1:09:51
Speaker 1: fragrance after the rain, You know, there's nothing quite like
1:09:58
Speaker 1: the sweet fragrance after a cleansing rain from Heaven. The
1:10:03
Speaker 1: drops of water from Heaven's storehouses cleanses the earth and
1:10:08
Speaker 1: leaves us with a heavenly fragrance that cannot be described.
1:10:15
Speaker 1: Let the sweetness of God's cleansing presence fill your senses now, refreshing, restorative,
1:10:25
Speaker 1: and pleasant. For it is good to sing praises to
1:10:32
Speaker 1: our God. It is pleasant and a song of praise
1:10:37
Speaker 1: is fitting, for wisdom will come into your heart, and
1:10:43
Speaker 1: knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Allow the pleasantness
1:10:50
Speaker 1: of God's holy presence to bring you peace and contentment tonight.
1:10:58
Speaker 1: There is no other person, place, or thing that can
1:11:02
Speaker 1: offer this kind of deep internal peace. Your heavenly Father
1:11:11
Speaker 1: is the gatekeeper of your heart. Nothing you desire compares
1:11:16
Speaker 1: with him. He sees your going in and going out,
1:11:22
Speaker 1: and he is with you every step of the way.
1:11:29
Speaker 1: His wisdom leads you on paths of righteousness for his
1:11:33
Speaker 1: name's sake. Knowledge from your Creator guides you on the
1:11:38
Speaker 1: narrow path. The Holy Spirit guards your heart under lock
1:11:45
Speaker 1: and key, the lock of eternal salvation and the key
1:11:51
Speaker 1: of Jesus your Savior. Sleep in the serenity that comes
1:11:58
Speaker 1: from knowing you are are kept safe in the Lord.
1:12:03
Speaker 1: Nothing can stand against you. Set a guard over my mouth. Lord,
1:12:14
Speaker 1: keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not
1:12:19
Speaker 1: let my heart be drawn to what is evil. Gracious God,
1:12:27
Speaker 1: in the stillness of this moment, please assure this listener
1:12:34
Speaker 1: of your faithful protection. Give them an overflow of your
1:12:39
Speaker 1: peace so that they will sleep soundly through the night.
1:12:47
Speaker 1: Continue your safe keeping over this child and their loved ones.
1:12:53
Speaker 1: Please restore them as they sleep and strengthen them to
1:12:59
Speaker 1: face another day with hope, joy and peace. In the
1:13:05
Speaker 1: name of your Son, Jesus Amen. Today's definition of a
1:13:14
Speaker 1: gatekeeper is someone who takes it upon themselves to decide
1:13:19
Speaker 1: who gets access or does not have access. If we
1:13:25
Speaker 1: relate this to our heavenly Father, as we abide in
1:13:30
Speaker 1: his son, he is the one to decide who has
1:13:36
Speaker 1: access to our hearts. When we abide in Him and
1:13:43
Speaker 1: he abides in us, nothing has access that isn't allowed
1:13:49
Speaker 1: by His spirit. Oh, what a comforting thought. I encourage you,
1:13:57
Speaker 1: my friend, to surrender all access to the Father tonight,
1:14:03
Speaker 1: the very depths of your heart to him, and experience
1:14:08
Speaker 1: the freedom that comes from letting go by the mercies
1:14:15
Speaker 1: of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
1:14:21
Speaker 1: and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Mercies
1:14:28
Speaker 1: of God, overflowing, grace, abounding more and more. How good
1:14:36
Speaker 1: it is to rest in the endless love of God.
1:14:43
Speaker 1: As the gate of your heart closes at the end
1:14:47
Speaker 1: of a long day, your gatekeeper stands watch and secures
1:14:54
Speaker 1: your boundary. And as the sun rises on a new day,
1:15:00
Speaker 1: the gait of your heart safely opens. As the Savior
1:15:04
Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness, your heart is protected.
1:15:16
Speaker 1: It is safeguarded from everything unholy. The Lord has built
1:15:22
Speaker 1: a fortress around you, the sanctuary of peace and tranquility.
1:15:31
Speaker 1: Sleep in the peace of the Holy Spirit, who dwells
1:15:36
Speaker 1: in you. His beautiful characteristics are made fruitful in you.
1:15:45
Speaker 1: You represent Him in the way you think, act, believe,
1:15:51
Speaker 1: and speak. The Spirit guards your tongue and sets a
1:15:56
Speaker 1: standard for your speech, and his standard is not burdensome.
1:16:05
Speaker 1: First John chapter five, verse three says, for this is
1:16:10
Speaker 1: the love of God that we keep his commandments, and
1:16:14
Speaker 1: his commandments are not burdensome. Just as a parent sets
1:16:21
Speaker 1: a standard for their child because they love them and
1:16:24
Speaker 1: want what is best for them, so God establishes his
1:16:29
Speaker 1: laws on our hearts. As Proverbs chapter six, verse twenty
1:16:36
Speaker 1: three says, the commandment is a lamp and the law
1:16:42
Speaker 1: a light. Allow the law of God's love to flow
1:16:47
Speaker 1: through every fiber of your being as you rest securely
1:16:52
Speaker 1: in him. He is with you, and how he loves
1:17:00
Speaker 1: you feel the light of his presence. Continue to be
1:17:07
Speaker 1: with you as you sleep deeply in His care. You
1:17:13
Speaker 1: can trust, your gatekeeper, your watchman, your guardian. Not one
1:17:21
Speaker 1: evil thing will be allowed to enter as you remain
1:17:26
Speaker 1: in him. Set a guard, Oh Lord, over my mouth,
1:17:32
Speaker 1: keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not
1:17:36
Speaker 1: incline my heart to hear any evil thing. My eyes
1:17:43
Speaker 1: are upon you, Oh God, the Lord. In you, I
1:17:47
Speaker 1: take refuge. The Lord is your strong power in the
1:17:55
Speaker 1: righteousness of Christ. You run to Him and our saved.
1:18:03
Speaker 1: The Lord is your retreat, a hiding place for you
1:18:07
Speaker 1: to find the rest you seek. Rest in the shelter
1:18:13
Speaker 1: of his comfort. Tonight, as he gently closes the gate
1:18:20
Speaker 1: of your heart and securely fastens the lock of salvation,
1:18:27
Speaker 1: sleep soundly, free from every concern. Your life is enclosed
1:18:37
Speaker 1: by the Father's love, wholly guarded and completely kept. Heavenly, Father,
1:18:50
Speaker 1: I pray for this beloved listener to be completely surrendered
1:18:55
Speaker 1: to you tonight as they sleep deeply in your Let
1:19:03
Speaker 1: the words of the scriptures flow through them and remind
1:19:07
Speaker 1: them of your faithfulness, remove all restlessness, and settle them
1:19:16
Speaker 1: into a full night's rest. I ask that you continue
1:19:23
Speaker 1: to be their refuge and peace, and I thank you
1:19:28
Speaker 1: for keeping their heart in mercy, love and truth. In
1:19:35
Speaker 1: the beautiful name of Jesus. I pray, Amen, it is
1:19:42
Speaker 1: my sincere hope that you have received assurance of God's
1:19:46
Speaker 1: protection over your heart tonight, as you have positioned yourself
1:19:51
Speaker 1: to seek him. I ask that He will continue to
1:19:56
Speaker 1: draw you near in comfort and peace, within the love
1:20:02
Speaker 1: and care of your heavenly gatekeeper. I close this sleep
1:20:07
Speaker 1: meditation with a gentle reminder from the scriptures. I am
1:20:14
Speaker 1: with you, and We'll keep you wherever you go. Let
1:20:21
Speaker 1: this promise surround you tonight, for the Lord is with
1:20:27
Speaker 1: you and we'll keep you wherever you go. You can
1:20:34
Speaker 1: count on it. Thanks again for joining me for this
1:20:41
Speaker 1: sleep story, and as always, continue to abide in Christ.
1:20:56
Speaker 1: When you think of a gatekeeper, you might imagine someone
1:21:00
Speaker 1: standing guard in front of a gated entrance or exit.
1:21:04
Speaker 1: This is the simplest description of what a gatekeeper does.
1:21:09
Speaker 1: In the Bible, gatekeepers were chosen as trusted people to
1:21:14
Speaker 1: guard cities, properties, palaces, and other important places. This sleep
1:21:22
Speaker 1: story is about the most important gatekeeper of all, the
1:21:28
Speaker 1: one and only gatekeeper of our heart, our Father in Heaven.
1:21:36
Speaker 1: Our focused passage comes from Psalm one hundred and forty one,
1:21:39
Speaker 1: Verses three and four. It says, set a guard over
1:21:45
Speaker 1: my mouth. Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.
1:21:51
Speaker 1: Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil.
1:21:59
Speaker 1: My hope is that by the end of this sleep story,
1:22:04
Speaker 1: the words of this psalm will be planted deep in
1:22:07
Speaker 1: your heart as a personal prayer to the Lord. Not
1:22:13
Speaker 1: only does God guard what comes into our hearts, he
1:22:18
Speaker 1: also directs what goes out, especially as we entrust ourselves
1:22:25
Speaker 1: to Him. As you depend fully on God, you can
1:22:32
Speaker 1: be sure of his love and protection over every area
1:22:37
Speaker 1: of your life. You can rely on him to help
1:22:43
Speaker 1: you speak what is right and believe what is true.
1:22:48
Speaker 1: You can count on Him to guard every area of
1:22:52
Speaker 1: your heart. Tonight, we'll be hearing from the scriptures about
1:22:59
Speaker 1: how God, god fulfills his role as our ultimate protector.
1:23:07
Speaker 1: I'm so grateful you've decided to join me as we
1:23:10
Speaker 1: hear more about our faithful Father, the gatekeeper of our heart.
1:23:18
Speaker 1: Please take a few moments to settle into bed and
1:23:22
Speaker 1: make yourself comfortable. Fix your mind on God. Let your
1:23:30
Speaker 1: thoughts of Him be unclouded by the worries of the day.
1:23:36
Speaker 1: He is with you. He loves you. Inhale deeply and slowly,
1:23:46
Speaker 1: letting your lungs fill with air. Now exhale gently and slowly,
1:23:59
Speaker 1: feeling the ten leaving your body. It is time to
1:24:06
Speaker 1: let all concerns go. Release them to the Lord and
1:24:12
Speaker 1: know that he can handle them. Roll your shoulders back
1:24:19
Speaker 1: a few times, feeling them unwind. Let your arms lie
1:24:27
Speaker 1: gently at your sides, and your legs grow heavy. Inhale again,
1:24:37
Speaker 1: this time holding your breath for just a moment, and
1:24:42
Speaker 1: exhale from your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to be
1:24:50
Speaker 1: with you. Ask him to cover you with peace. In
1:24:57
Speaker 1: the name of Jesus silence. Pray for God's protection over
1:25:03
Speaker 1: you and your entire household. Feel the assurance that you
1:25:10
Speaker 1: have in God. He is with you and He loves you.
1:25:17
Speaker 1: Trust that God is the gatekeeper of your life, not
1:25:22
Speaker 1: only your physical surroundings, but also of your heart. Continue
1:25:30
Speaker 1: to breathe in and out, letting each breath relax you
1:25:39
Speaker 1: more and more. You are held in the Father's care.
1:25:46
Speaker 1: You are safe in his presence, You are covered by
1:25:51
Speaker 1: His spirit, and you are secure in His son. Feel
1:25:58
Speaker 1: your whole body so render to the safe keeping of
1:26:02
Speaker 1: the Father. You are surrounded by his love. Believe that
1:26:12
Speaker 1: your sleep will be deep and refreshing Tonight as you
1:26:16
Speaker 1: put your trust in the one who cares for you.
1:26:23
Speaker 1: Now feel the first stages of sleep come over you
1:26:29
Speaker 1: as I pray for God's blessing and favor. Heavenly Father,
1:26:37
Speaker 1: please allow this beloved child to feel completely surrounded by
1:26:43
Speaker 1: the protection of your presence. With each inhale, fill them
1:26:50
Speaker 1: with the peace that comes from your spirit, and with
1:26:55
Speaker 1: each exhale, help them release every thought, care, and concern. Lord,
1:27:04
Speaker 1: let them know you are faithful in guarding them through
1:27:09
Speaker 1: every hour of the night. Please assure them of your role,
1:27:16
Speaker 1: your charge as gatekeeper of their heart. I pray that
1:27:23
Speaker 1: the words of Psalm one hundred forty one, Verses three
1:27:27
Speaker 1: and four will become a personal prayer for them, that
1:27:32
Speaker 1: they will call on You to set a guard over
1:27:35
Speaker 1: their mouth, keep watch over their lips, and not allow
1:27:41
Speaker 1: their hearts to turn to any evil thing. For you
1:27:48
Speaker 1: deliver us from all that comes against us. You are
1:27:54
Speaker 1: our refuge in times of trouble. Thank you, Lord, being
1:28:00
Speaker 1: with us. We commit this sleep story to you as
1:28:05
Speaker 1: a time of comfort, rest and peace. We trust you,
1:28:12
Speaker 1: Lord in all things and in every way, in the
1:28:17
Speaker 1: precious name of your Son Jesus Amen. In the Old Testament,
1:28:27
Speaker 1: Gatekeepers are mentioned as trusted men chosen to guard specific
1:28:32
Speaker 1: regions or territories. The Bible says those chosen to be
1:28:38
Speaker 1: gatekeepers at the thresholds were registered by genealogy in their villages.
1:28:45
Speaker 1: The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust
1:28:49
Speaker 1: by David and Samuel. Let the thought of trust settle
1:28:57
Speaker 1: deep into your mind for a moment. If you were
1:29:03
Speaker 1: to list all the ways you can trust God with
1:29:08
Speaker 1: your life, I imagine you would run out of paper. Oh,
1:29:15
Speaker 1: my friend, You can trust the Lord with your physical surroundings,
1:29:21
Speaker 1: the place where you live, work, and find community. You
1:29:28
Speaker 1: can trust God with your circle of friends, family, and acquaintances.
1:29:36
Speaker 1: You can trust the Lord with your needs, wants, desires,
1:29:40
Speaker 1: and dreams. He cares about every detail. It was Jesus
1:29:48
Speaker 1: who said in Luke chapter twelve, verse seven, Indeed, the
1:29:54
Speaker 1: very hairs of your head are all numbered. And in
1:29:59
Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred and thirty nine, verses seventeen and eighteen,
1:30:03
Speaker 1: we read these words, how precious are your thoughts about me?
1:30:08
Speaker 1: Oh God, they cannot be numbered. I can't even count them.
1:30:15
Speaker 1: They outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up,
1:30:20
Speaker 1: you are still with me. God is still with you,
1:30:28
Speaker 1: my friend, right here, right now. He is with you
1:30:33
Speaker 1: in the name of his son Jesus. His thoughts about
1:30:39
Speaker 1: you outnumber the grains of sand on each beach. They
1:30:44
Speaker 1: are uncountable. Imagine holding a handful of sand from the beach.
1:30:53
Speaker 1: You look at each individual grain, unique in size, shape,
1:30:59
Speaker 1: and color. You roll the grains of sand around in
1:31:03
Speaker 1: your palm, closing your eyes and feeling the granule slip
1:31:09
Speaker 1: through your fingers. As you watch the grains of sand
1:31:15
Speaker 1: fall to the ground, you begin to understand the magnitude
1:31:20
Speaker 1: of God's numerous thoughts about you. The first verse of
1:31:27
Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred thirty nine says, you have searched me, Lord,
1:31:33
Speaker 1: and you know me. You know when I sit and
1:31:38
Speaker 1: when I rise. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You
1:31:43
Speaker 1: discern my going out and my lying down. You are
1:31:48
Speaker 1: familiar with all my ways. As you let this beautiful
1:31:55
Speaker 1: passage settle over you, let it be a con information
1:32:00
Speaker 1: that God is indeed the gatekeeper of your heart. Listen
1:32:10
Speaker 1: again to these words. You discern my going out and
1:32:15
Speaker 1: my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways.
1:32:24
Speaker 1: You see, a gatekeeper is attentive to who is going
1:32:28
Speaker 1: out and who is coming in. He perceives things from
1:32:33
Speaker 1: Afar and keeps careful watch over every territory he has
1:32:38
Speaker 1: been assigned. Oh, my friend, your heart is part of
1:32:45
Speaker 1: God's territory. He protects your boundaries. He stands watch over
1:32:52
Speaker 1: every region of your being, heart, mind, body, and soul. Gracious,
1:33:03
Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, thank you, Thank you for loving us so
1:33:08
Speaker 1: much that you care about every detail of our lives. Lord.
1:33:14
Speaker 1: As this child sleeps tonight, let them feel your supernatural
1:33:20
Speaker 1: presence surrounding them with absolute protection and peace. Let nothing
1:33:28
Speaker 1: interfere with their security in knowing you are with them.
1:33:35
Speaker 1: I pray for the best night's sleep they've had in
1:33:39
Speaker 1: a long time, and I ask that they will wake
1:33:43
Speaker 1: up tomorrow free from every burden, care, and concern. Please
1:33:52
Speaker 1: continue to be with them, Lord, as we journey through
1:33:55
Speaker 1: the scriptures and learn more about your role as gatekeeper
1:34:00
Speaker 1: of our hearts and the holy name of your son Jesus. Amen. Now,
1:34:12
Speaker 1: let's hear our key passage from the New Living Translation.
1:34:17
Speaker 1: It says, take control of what I say, O Lord,
1:34:23
Speaker 1: and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil.
1:34:29
Speaker 1: Just as a boat drifts out to sea, pulled by
1:34:32
Speaker 1: the current, We too can be lured away, but with
1:34:38
Speaker 1: God as our anchor, we are fastened securely to him.
1:34:45
Speaker 1: Imagine yourself resting in a small boat on a lake.
1:34:51
Speaker 1: The gentle waves cause the vessel to sway back and forth,
1:34:55
Speaker 1: rocking you to sleep. Because you are securely fastened to
1:35:02
Speaker 1: the Savior, there is no worry about drifting out to sea.
1:35:08
Speaker 1: He keeps you anchored, tethered and close to his heart.
1:35:17
Speaker 1: Beneath the soft glow of moonlight, reflecting peacefully upon the water,
1:35:23
Speaker 1: you rest soundly in the comfort of the boat's hull,
1:35:28
Speaker 1: rocked back and forth gently, peacefully. Jesus is with you,
1:35:40
Speaker 1: my friend. He will never leave you, nor forsake you.
1:35:49
Speaker 1: The sounds of the night are like nature's lullaby, steady, rhythmic,
1:35:57
Speaker 1: and peaceful. You hear the distant sound of cicadas offering
1:36:04
Speaker 1: their night song, a continuous vibration of sound that lulls
1:36:09
Speaker 1: you deeper into a state of rest. There are occasional
1:36:15
Speaker 1: calls from owls one to another as they camouflage themselves
1:36:20
Speaker 1: in the branches of the tree and keep watch through
1:36:23
Speaker 1: the night. You hear the waves lap against the side
1:36:29
Speaker 1: of the boat, keeping invisible time with a steady meter
1:36:34
Speaker 1: of gentleness and peace. Your soul is content in the
1:36:43
Speaker 1: rhythms of the night as nocturnal creatures take their flight.
1:36:51
Speaker 1: Your mind is at rest under Heaven's gaze. Moon and
1:36:56
Speaker 1: stars their canopy rays. Your heart is kept every moment
1:37:03
Speaker 1: of time by his faithful promise. You are mine, Holy God,
1:37:15
Speaker 1: Thank you for your loving kindness displayed in the life
1:37:20
Speaker 1: of this listener. The ways in which you keep them
1:37:24
Speaker 1: in the fold of your grace are too numerous to count.
1:37:32
Speaker 1: As they sleep, Lord, please fill their dreams with peaceful
1:37:37
Speaker 1: thoughts of your magnificent creation. Take them on a night's
1:37:43
Speaker 1: journey into nature, where the open sky is their blanket
1:37:47
Speaker 1: of peace, and earth's elements are reminders of your majesty.
1:37:57
Speaker 1: Thank you, Father for the beauty you created, beauty for
1:38:01
Speaker 1: us to enjoy. For the time we've been given, we
1:38:06
Speaker 1: give you all the praise, honor, and glory in Jesus name. Amen.
1:38:16
Speaker 1: Continue to rest quietly as I read comforting scriptures about
1:38:21
Speaker 1: God's protection. The Lord is faithful. He will establish you
1:38:29
Speaker 1: and guard you against the evil one. He who dwells
1:38:35
Speaker 1: in the shelter of the Most High will abide in
1:38:38
Speaker 1: the shadow of the Almighty. The name of the Lord
1:38:44
Speaker 1: is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it
1:38:49
Speaker 1: and is safe. You are my hiding place. You will
1:38:57
Speaker 1: protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
1:39:05
Speaker 1: Hear the Holy Spirit's song of deliverance over you. He
1:39:10
Speaker 1: rejoices over you with singing. The Lord is faithful to you.
1:39:19
Speaker 1: He is the one who establishes your heart and stands
1:39:24
Speaker 1: guard over your soul. Dwell in the shelter of the
1:39:29
Speaker 1: Most High, Abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Let
1:39:36
Speaker 1: the name of the Lord be a strong tower for you.
1:39:42
Speaker 1: As I speak the name Jesus, feel the fortress of
1:39:49
Speaker 1: his presence surround you with safety. Tonight. The Lord is
1:39:56
Speaker 1: your hiding place, your place of refuge, your place of peace.
1:40:06
Speaker 1: Allow your entire being to be surrounded with songs of deliverance,
1:40:13
Speaker 1: the sweetest songs you've ever heard. As the old hymn goes,
1:40:22
Speaker 1: there have been names that I love to hear, But
1:40:27
Speaker 1: never has there been a name so dear to this
1:40:31
Speaker 1: heart of mine, as this name divine, this precious, precious
1:40:38
Speaker 1: name of Jesus. Let the precious name of Jesus flow
1:40:45
Speaker 1: over you as you sleep contentedly in his presence. There
1:40:51
Speaker 1: is no other name in heaven above or on earth
1:40:55
Speaker 1: below that is more exalted, honored, adored, and glorified. Then, Jesus,
1:41:06
Speaker 1: Allow this familiar melody of words to cover you as
1:41:11
Speaker 1: you sleep. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name,
1:41:25
Speaker 1: Master Savior, Jesus. Like the fragrance after the rain, you know,
1:41:36
Speaker 1: there's nothing quite like the sweet fragrance after a cleansing
1:41:41
Speaker 1: rain from heaven. The drops of water from Heaven's storehouses
1:41:46
Speaker 1: cleanses the earth and leaves us with a heavenly fragrance
1:41:51
Speaker 1: that cannot be described. Let the sweetness of God's cleansing
1:41:58
Speaker 1: presence fill yourself senses now, refreshing, restorative, and pleasant. For
1:42:09
Speaker 1: it is good to sing praises to our God. It
1:42:14
Speaker 1: is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting, for
1:42:20
Speaker 1: wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be
1:42:25
Speaker 1: pleasant to your soul. Allow the pleasantness of God's holy
1:42:31
Speaker 1: presence to bring you peace and contentment tonight. There is
1:42:38
Speaker 1: no other person, place, or thing that can offer this
1:42:44
Speaker 1: kind of deep internal peace. Your heavenly Father is the
1:42:52
Speaker 1: gatekeeper of your heart. Nothing you desire compares with him.
1:42:59
Speaker 1: He sees you're going in and going out, and he
1:43:03
Speaker 1: is with you every step of the way. His wisdom
1:43:10
Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
1:43:16
Speaker 1: Knowledge from your Creator guides you on the narrow path.
1:43:22
Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit guards your heart under lock and key,
1:43:27
Speaker 1: the lock of eternal salvation and the key of Jesus
1:43:32
Speaker 1: your Savior. Sleep in the serenity that comes from knowing
1:43:40
Speaker 1: you are kept safe in the Lord. Nothing can stand
1:43:46
Speaker 1: against you. Set a guard over my mouth. Lord, keep
1:43:54
Speaker 1: watch over the door of my lips. Do not let
1:43:59
Speaker 1: me my heart be drawn to what is evil. Gracious God,
1:44:08
Speaker 1: in the stillness of this moment, please assure this listener
1:44:14
Speaker 1: of your faithful protection. Give them an overflow of your
1:44:20
Speaker 1: peace so that they will sleep soundly through the night.
1:44:27
Speaker 1: Continue your safekeeping over this child and their loved ones.
1:44:34
Speaker 1: Please restore them as they sleep, and strengthen them to
1:44:39
Speaker 1: face another day with hope, joy and peace. In the
1:44:46
Speaker 1: name of your Son Jesus Amen. Today's definition of a
1:44:54
Speaker 1: gatekeeper is someone who takes it upon themselves to decide
1:44:59
Speaker 1: who gets access or does not have access. If we
1:45:05
Speaker 1: relate this to our heavenly Father, as we abide in
1:45:11
Speaker 1: his Son. He is the one to decide who has
1:45:16
Speaker 1: access to our hearts. When we abide in Him and
1:45:23
Speaker 1: he abides in us. Nothing has access that isn't allowed
1:45:29
Speaker 1: by His spirit. Oh, what a comforting thought. I encourage you,
1:45:37
Speaker 1: my friend, to surrender all access to the Father tonight,
1:45:43
Speaker 1: the very depths of your heart to Him, and experience
1:45:48
Speaker 1: the freedom that comes from letting go by the mercies
1:45:55
Speaker 1: of God. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
1:46:01
Speaker 1: and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Mercies
1:46:09
Speaker 1: of God, overflowing grace, abounding more and more. How good
1:46:16
Speaker 1: it is to rest in the endless love of God.
1:46:24
Speaker 1: As the gate of your heart closes at the end
1:46:27
Speaker 1: of a long day, your gatekeeper stands watch and secures
1:46:34
Speaker 1: your boundary. And as the sun rises on a new day,
1:46:40
Speaker 1: the gate of your heart safely opens. As the Savior
1:46:45
Speaker 1: leads you on paths of righteousness, your heart is protected.
1:46:56
Speaker 1: It is safeguarded from everything unholy. The Lord has built
1:47:02
Speaker 1: a fortress around you, a sanctuary of peace and tranquility.
1:47:11
Speaker 1: Sleep in the peace of the Holy Spirit, who dwells
1:47:17
Speaker 1: in you. His beautiful characteristics are made fruitful in you.
1:47:25
Speaker 1: You represent Him in the way you think, act, believe,
1:47:31
Speaker 1: and speak. The Spirit guards your tongue and sets a
1:47:37
Speaker 1: standard for your speech, and his standard is not burdensome.
1:47:45
Speaker 1: First John five, verse three says, for this is the
1:47:50
Speaker 1: love of God that we keep his commandments. And his
1:47:55
Speaker 1: commandments are not burdensome. Just as a parent sets a
1:48:01
Speaker 1: standard for their child because they love them and want
1:48:05
Speaker 1: what is best for them, so God establishes his laws
1:48:10
Speaker 1: on our hearts. As Proverbs chapter six, verse twenty three says,
1:48:19
Speaker 1: the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light.
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Speaker 1: Allow the law of God's love to flow through every
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Speaker 1: fiber of your being as you rest securely in him.
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Speaker 1: He is with you, and how he loves you feel
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Speaker 1: the light of His presence. Continue to be with you
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Speaker 1: as you sleep deeply in his care. You can trust
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Speaker 1: your gatekeeper, your watchman, your guardian. Not one evil thing
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Speaker 1: will be allowed to enter as you remain in him.
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Speaker 1: Set a guard. O Lord over my mouth, keep watch
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Speaker 1: over the door of my lips. Do not incline my
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Speaker 1: heart to hear any evil thing. My eyes are upon you,
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Speaker 1: O God, the Lord in you, I take refuge. The
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Speaker 1: Lord is your strong power. In the righteousness of Christ.
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Speaker 1: You run to Him and are saved. The Lord is
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Speaker 1: your retreat, a hiding place for you to find the
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Speaker 1: rest you seek. Rest in the shelter of his comfort.
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Speaker 1: To night, as he gently close the gait of your
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Speaker 1: heart and securely fastens the lock of salvation. Sleep soundly
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Speaker 1: free from every concern. Your life is enclosed by the
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Speaker 1: Father's love, wholly guarded and completely kept. Heavenly, Father, I
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Speaker 1: pray for this beloved listener to be completely surrendered to
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Speaker 1: you tonight as they sleep deeply in your presence. Let
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Speaker 1: the words of the scriptures flow through them and remind
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Speaker 1: them of your faithfulness. Remove all restlessness, and settle them
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Speaker 1: into a full night's rest. I ask that you continue
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Speaker 1: to be their refuge in peace.