Latest / Abide Meditation App / Blessings for Quality REST [Drift to Sleep in 7 Minutes with Abide] - Abide Meditation App p3
Transcript
- 0:05Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to this sleep story from Abide. I'm
- 0:10Speaker 1: Bonnie Curry and I'm so glad you're joining me for
- 0:13Speaker 1: this meditation titled they will be filled. As we all know,
- 0:21Speaker 1: God created us with internal signals that indicate hunger or thirst.
- 0:27Speaker 1: In fact, every creature on earth inherently knows when it's
- 0:33Speaker 1: time to eat or drink. However, the Father planted a
- 0:39Speaker 1: deep desire within the soul of every human being, a
- 0:44Speaker 1: hunger and thirst that can only be filled by the savior,
- 0:49Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. It was Jesus himself who said, blessed are
- 0:57Speaker 1: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
- 1:02Speaker 1: be filled as we are blessed by the beatitudes. Tonight
- 1:09Speaker 1: we'll find out what it means to be filled by
- 1:12Speaker 1: the Lord and satisfied in the inmost parts of our hearts, minds, bodies,
- 1:20Speaker 1: and souls. Oh, my friend, I can't wait to share
- 1:26Speaker 1: with you the divine blessings that come from seeking the
- 1:31Speaker 1: righteousness of Christ. For in him is an overflow of
- 1:37Speaker 1: righteousness that springs up like a fountain that never runs dry.
- 1:45Speaker 1: Our peaceful journey will lead us to the fountain of
- 1:48Speaker 1: abundance and allow us to tap into his well of righteousness.
- 1:56Speaker 1: Please keep in mind I'm not talking about self righterighteousness
- 2:00Speaker 1: in any way, but rather the pure and holy righteousness
- 2:07Speaker 1: found in our Lord and Savior. He invites us to
- 2:13Speaker 1: partake of his holiness through a deep hunger and thirst
- 2:17Speaker 1: for all things pertaining to him. This longing is like
- 2:23Speaker 1: a deer that pants for water and is finally satisfied
- 2:28Speaker 1: when a bubbling brook is found. So let me welcome
- 2:35Speaker 1: you again to this sleep story taken from Matthew five,
- 2:39Speaker 1: verse six. They will be filled now. Please turn off
- 2:48Speaker 1: the lights and eliminate any distractions. Find a comfortable position
- 2:57Speaker 1: and take a moment to relax. If it's been a
- 3:05Speaker 1: taxing day, try to clear your mind from the events
- 3:10Speaker 1: that took place. Let all of your problems and concerns
- 3:17Speaker 1: go for now. They can't serve you. As you try
- 3:21Speaker 1: to fall asleep, I encourage you to think only of
- 3:27Speaker 1: one thing, the righteousness of Jesus. Breathe deeply of his
- 3:37Speaker 1: holiness as you in vision what his righteousness looks like.
- 3:46Speaker 1: Maybe you're picturing a soothing light surrounding you in a
- 3:50Speaker 1: warm glow. Perhaps you imagine Jesus full of radiant joy,
- 3:57Speaker 1: reaching out to you with a smile that's says I
- 4:01Speaker 1: love you, oh my friend. His righteousness is beautiful and holy,
- 4:11Speaker 1: inviting and pleasing to the soul. It pierces the darkness
- 4:17Speaker 1: with pure and glorious light. Let his light bring you
- 4:24Speaker 1: a great sense of peace. Now inhale good and exhale.
- 4:38Speaker 1: Adjust the covers if needed, and allow yourself to sink
- 4:43Speaker 1: deeper into the bed. It feels so wonderful to relax
- 4:52Speaker 1: after a long day. If any of your muscles or tents,
- 4:59Speaker 1: go ahead and release the tension now from head to toe.
- 5:09Speaker 1: Let go of all stress. If your jaw is clenched,
- 5:19Speaker 1: let it falls slightly open. If your shoulders are hunched,
- 5:26Speaker 1: release them gently. Feel your arms, abdomen, legs and feet
- 5:38Speaker 1: grow heavy as they unmind. Now take another slow breath,
- 5:46Speaker 1: in hold it for just a second and exhale. Hear
- 5:55Speaker 1: the words of Jesus again. You will be filled by
- 6:04Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. You are filled
- 6:08Speaker 1: with every good thing. Let the imagery of being filled
- 6:15Speaker 1: with the beauty of God's Spirit bring you peace tonight.
- 6:21Speaker 1: He is with you, He loves you, and he fills
- 6:28Speaker 1: you to the full. Let's pray, Lord God as this
- 6:37Speaker 1: listener calms their mind and body, Please move through them
- 6:43Speaker 1: with a deep sense of peace through the comfort of
- 6:49Speaker 1: your love. Fill their minds with pleasant things as they
- 6:54Speaker 1: let go of all worry and stress. Lord, I ask
- 7:01Speaker 1: that you fill this beloved child with every blessing that
- 7:06Speaker 1: you have prepared for them. Replace every negative thought with
- 7:13Speaker 1: thoughts of your righteousness, the righteousness of your son. I
- 7:22Speaker 1: pray that you will fill their room with your spirit,
- 7:26Speaker 1: so that they will know without a doubt you are
- 7:30Speaker 1: with them. Please guard their entire household tonight and grant
- 7:38Speaker 1: them security as they sleep peacefully in your holy presence.
- 7:45Speaker 1: We commit this meditation to you, Lord, and ask for
- 7:49Speaker 1: wisdom concerning the beatitudes that Jesus taught. Please teach us
- 7:56Speaker 1: what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and
- 8:01Speaker 1: show us what it's like to be filled by You,
- 8:05Speaker 1: completely satisfied in your Son. For it is in his
- 8:10Speaker 1: name we pray Amen. Tonight, I'd like to begin our
- 8:19Speaker 1: story with a question, what does it mean to be
- 8:24Speaker 1: truly satisfied? And is it even possible? So often we
- 8:32Speaker 1: focus on what we lack or what we wish we had.
- 8:38Speaker 1: This is the human condition. But God, God knows exactly
- 8:46Speaker 1: what we lack. He sees what we most desire, and
- 8:52Speaker 1: he knows what we need before we even ask. As
- 8:58Speaker 1: Matthew chapter six verse says, the Father knows exactly what
- 9:04Speaker 1: you need before you even ask him. If you've ever
- 9:11Speaker 1: had the joy of sitting by the ocean at sunset,
- 9:15Speaker 1: and you've likely experienced a fulfilling sense of contentment, perhaps
- 9:23Speaker 1: at that moment you try to memorize the experience, capturing
- 9:28Speaker 1: it in your mind, heart, and soul. These kinds of
- 9:34Speaker 1: experiences are blessings from the Lord, and certainly they ought
- 9:40Speaker 1: to be cherished. However, they cannot fully satisfy. Before long,
- 9:49Speaker 1: our fondest memories ebb away, just as the tide recedes
- 9:53Speaker 1: and the sun sets into the deepest part of the sea.
- 10:00Speaker 1: The most brilliant of sunsets, infiltrating the sky with glorious
- 10:05Speaker 1: colors of orange, red, yellow, and amber, eventually fade into
- 10:11Speaker 1: the gray dusk of night. But God, the one who
- 10:17Speaker 1: satisfies our souls not by human means, but by the
- 10:22Speaker 1: glorious righteousness of his Sun, fills us to overflowing with
- 10:27Speaker 1: blessings that never fade away. Perhaps you've heard the familiar
- 10:35Speaker 1: words of Isaiah, Chapter forty, verse eight. The grass withers,
- 10:41Speaker 1: the flower fades, but the word of our God will
- 10:46Speaker 1: stand forever. Please let this scripture resonate with your heart
- 10:53Speaker 1: for a moment. The temporal things of earth, such as
- 10:59Speaker 1: grass and flowers, will fade away, but the eternal word
- 11:05Speaker 1: of God stands forever. Likewise, the righteousness of Christ does
- 11:13Speaker 1: not fade like the sunset, nor does it change, shift
- 11:18Speaker 1: or ebb with the tides of life. It is constant, steadfast,
- 11:25Speaker 1: and sure. Hungering and thirsting for His righteousness requires us
- 11:32Speaker 1: to turn our cravings for worldly things into a deep
- 11:37Speaker 1: longing for everything Jesus offers, My friend, Do you know
- 11:46Speaker 1: what amazing things Jesus offers you Right now? His hand
- 11:54Speaker 1: is extended to you as a faithful guide who will
- 11:58Speaker 1: never lead you astray, as love surrounds you so completely
- 12:06Speaker 1: that nothing can come between you and your Savior. For
- 12:14Speaker 1: I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels,
- 12:20Speaker 1: nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
- 12:27Speaker 1: nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
- 12:34Speaker 1: will be able to separate us from the love of
- 12:38Speaker 1: God in Christ. Jesus, our Lord, rest assured of the
- 12:44Speaker 1: unwavering love of God over you tonight, allow your soul
- 12:50Speaker 1: to long for Jesus even more, for He is your
- 12:56Speaker 1: living hope. Be satisfied, perhaps for the first time in
- 13:02Speaker 1: a long time, with the absolute peace and satisfaction only
- 13:09Speaker 1: Jesus gives. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
- 13:18Speaker 1: for they will be filled. Holy God, Thank you for
- 13:27Speaker 1: being our satisfaction and our peace. We rest in you tonight.
- 13:34Speaker 1: Letting go of all worldly pursuits, Please lead this listener
- 13:41Speaker 1: to the peaceful waters of Your abundance, giving them a
- 13:46Speaker 1: deep thirst for more of You, Lord, help them realize
- 13:52Speaker 1: that they cannot truly be filled with anything besides You,
- 14:00Speaker 1: they fall asleep in your presence. Please fill them with
- 14:05Speaker 1: boundless contentment, not constrained by Earth's de mand's or man's definitions. Instead,
- 14:14Speaker 1: shower them with holy contentment found in the unity they
- 14:20Speaker 1: have with You. Thank you, Lord for the comforting words
- 14:26Speaker 1: from the scriptures that fill our minds with holy things
- 14:30Speaker 1: and assure us that you are who you say you are.
- 14:37Speaker 1: Please continue with us on this sleep journey in search
- 14:41Speaker 1: of the righteousness of Christ, for it is in his
- 14:47Speaker 1: name we pray. Amen. Now, if you're still having trouble relaxing,
- 14:58Speaker 1: try inhaling deeply for several seconds, then release your breath
- 15:08Speaker 1: as slowly as you can. Continue this breathing pattern if
- 15:17Speaker 1: you find that it helps. And as you do, please
- 15:22Speaker 1: listen to these comforting words from John Chapter one. And
- 15:29Speaker 1: the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we
- 15:34Speaker 1: have seen his glory, glory as of the only son
- 15:40Speaker 1: from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore
- 15:48Speaker 1: witness about him and cried out, this was he of
- 15:53Speaker 1: whom I said, he who comes after me ranks before me,
- 15:59Speaker 1: because he was before me. And from his fullness we
- 16:05Speaker 1: have all received grace upon grace. What a beautiful promise
- 16:14Speaker 1: for our soul. We have all received grace upon grace. Oh,
- 16:23Speaker 1: my dear friend, let these words echo in your mind.
- 16:28Speaker 1: Grace upon grace, from the fullness of Christ in us,
- 16:37Speaker 1: we have received grace and truth. For by grace you
- 16:44Speaker 1: have been saved through faith. And this is not your
- 16:48Speaker 1: own doing, It is the gift of God. As you
- 16:59Speaker 1: breathe deeply reflect on the most precious gift you've ever
- 17:05Speaker 1: been given, the gift of salvation. Because you have been saved,
- 17:14Speaker 1: you are now in a relationship with Jesus, the Savior
- 17:19Speaker 1: of the world. You want to follow him, be led
- 17:25Speaker 1: by him, and learn from him. His righteousness is what
- 17:30Speaker 1: you desire, and you hunger and thirst for it more
- 17:35Speaker 1: than any desire on earth. And because of Him you
- 17:42Speaker 1: are in Christ, Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,
- 17:48Speaker 1: righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Let the words in Christ
- 17:58Speaker 1: Jesus fill your soul. To be in Christ means to
- 18:06Speaker 1: abide in him, remain with him, and follow after him.
- 18:16Speaker 1: Jesus is your wisdom, He is your sanctification, He is
- 18:23Speaker 1: your redemption. Because of this, you are indeed a child
- 18:30Speaker 1: of God. Behold what manner of love the Father has
- 18:37Speaker 1: given to us that we should be called the children
- 18:41Speaker 1: of God. God's children are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, clean, holy,
- 18:51Speaker 1: pure and just. There is nothing we can do on
- 18:56Speaker 1: our own to become righteous. As the prophet Isaiah once said,
- 19:03Speaker 1: all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. But then
- 19:09Speaker 1: he said, yet, o Lord, you are our father. We
- 19:17Speaker 1: are the clay, You are the potter. We are all
- 19:21Speaker 1: the work of your hands. To night, let the potter
- 19:28Speaker 1: mold you into a vessel of noble purposes. Let him
- 19:34Speaker 1: fashion you into a child after his own heart. Feel
- 19:40Speaker 1: your mind, body, and will submit to the Father's hands
- 19:45Speaker 1: which are gentle, compassionate, skillful, and loving. You are his masterpiece,
- 19:56Speaker 1: created in Christ Jesus for good works, works he instilled
- 20:02Speaker 1: in you to come to fruition for His glory and
- 20:06Speaker 1: your good Please rest soundly as I pray over you again,
- 20:15Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, I pray for your child tonight as they
- 20:20Speaker 1: listen to these words of comfort and peace. I ask
- 20:27Speaker 1: specifically that you fill them with an intense longing for
- 20:31Speaker 1: your path of righteousness. Lord. If they have feared off
- 20:38Speaker 1: the narrow path in any way, I pray that you
- 20:42Speaker 1: will gently lead them back to you. Now, thank you
- 20:48Speaker 1: for your faithful hand that leads us without condemnation. For
- 20:55Speaker 1: when we remain in your son, we are whole and complete,
- 21:01Speaker 1: not lacking anything. Continue to bless this child with good things,
- 21:10Speaker 1: things that fill them to the full and satisfy their
- 21:14Speaker 1: deepest longings. And the precious name of Jesus. I pray Amen.
- 21:24Speaker 1: When Jesus spoke the words, blessed are those who hunger
- 21:29Speaker 1: and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. He
- 21:35Speaker 1: meant for us to grasp something far more important than
- 21:39Speaker 1: physical hunger. I believe he used the words hunger and
- 21:45Speaker 1: thirst because he knew we would understand the implication. Just
- 21:53Speaker 1: as we hunger for nourishment to fuel our bodies, keeping
- 21:57Speaker 1: us energized and able to do our work, Jesus invites
- 22:03Speaker 1: us to hunger for his righteousness to fuel our souls
- 22:08Speaker 1: and equip us for every good work. If a vehicle
- 22:14Speaker 1: is filled with the wrong fuel, it won't be able
- 22:18Speaker 1: to travel the distance, And so it is with our
- 22:22Speaker 1: Christian walk. Without the infilling of God's Spirit and the
- 22:28Speaker 1: fuel of Christ in us, we will find ourselves broken
- 22:32Speaker 1: down on the side of the road, unable to continue
- 22:35Speaker 1: on the journey. Oh, how we need the righteousness of
- 22:41Speaker 1: Jesus in us as the world tries to fill us
- 22:46Speaker 1: with every unholy thing. We need to be so full
- 22:51Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit. There is no room for things
- 22:55Speaker 1: that do not satisfy. Isaiah said, why do you spend
- 23:04Speaker 1: money for what is not read and your wages for
- 23:08Speaker 1: what does not satisfy. Listen carefully to me and eat
- 23:15Speaker 1: what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
- 23:23Speaker 1: Dear friend, let your soul delight itself in abundance. Allow
- 23:31Speaker 1: yourself to partake in true bread and living water without
- 23:37Speaker 1: thought of human desire. Allow Jesus to fulfill every longing
- 23:43Speaker 1: you have. He is more than enough. As you hunger
- 23:50Speaker 1: and thirst for him. He will fill you with the
- 23:56Speaker 1: very things he promised when he said, let not your
- 24:02Speaker 1: heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
- 24:10Speaker 1: In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were
- 24:15Speaker 1: not so, I would have told you I go to
- 24:19Speaker 1: prepare a place for you. And if I go and
- 24:23Speaker 1: prepare a place for you, I will come again and
- 24:28Speaker 1: receive you unto myself, that where I am there you
- 24:35Speaker 1: may be also. Not only are you promised eternity with
- 24:42Speaker 1: Jesus in a place he has prepared for you, but
- 24:47Speaker 1: you have been promised his presence throughout your time in
- 24:52Speaker 1: this world, Jesus said in John chapter fourteen, Verses seventeen
- 24:59Speaker 1: and night eighteen. And I will pray to the Father,
- 25:05Speaker 1: and he will give you another helper, that he may
- 25:09Speaker 1: abide with you forever. The Spirit of Truth, whom the
- 25:14Speaker 1: world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.
- 25:22Speaker 1: But you know him, for he dwells with you and
- 25:27Speaker 1: will be in you. I will not leave you orphans.
- 25:32Speaker 1: I will come to you. My friend. Jesus has prayed
- 25:40Speaker 1: to the Father on your behalf, and because of his prayer,
- 25:46Speaker 1: you have been given a helper, the very spirit of God,
- 25:51Speaker 1: to abide with you forever. This blessing is the greatest
- 25:58Speaker 1: fulfillment and satisfaction we could ever receive, for He dwells
- 26:05Speaker 1: within you in all fullness, as Paul prayed. Now to
- 26:12Speaker 1: him who is able to do immeasurably more than all
- 26:16Speaker 1: we ask or imagine, according to His power that is
- 26:21Speaker 1: at work within us. To Him be glory in the
- 26:26Speaker 1: Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen,
- 26:38Speaker 1: except the divine help given to you by the one
- 26:43Speaker 1: who is able to do immeasurably more than all you
- 26:48Speaker 1: could ask or imagine. When you hunger for the bread
- 26:56Speaker 1: that is never used up and the water that never
- 27:02Speaker 1: runs dry, you are filled with a constant source of
- 27:07Speaker 1: nourishment and hydration that enables you to live in the
- 27:11Speaker 1: power of God. His righteousness includes love, mercy, grace, justice, holiness, peace, joy,
- 27:30Speaker 1: light and life. Let these holy attributes flow through you
- 27:38Speaker 1: as a current of electricity flows through an appliance, enabling
- 27:43Speaker 1: it to do what it was made to do. Please
- 27:48Speaker 1: hear the words of righteousness again as I say them slowly, Love, mercy, grace, justice, holiness, peace, joy,
- 28:17Speaker 1: light and life. O Righteous Lord, Thank you for being
- 28:28Speaker 1: who you are and dwelling in us as we navigate
- 28:32Speaker 1: through this world. We are humbly grateful for the help
- 28:38Speaker 1: you give us. Day after day. We need you, Lord.
- 28:46Speaker 1: As this dear child sleeps peacefully tonight, I pray for
- 28:52Speaker 1: a continual flow of your righteousness to course through their
- 28:56Speaker 1: veins and fill their hearts with your truth. Please, God,
- 29:04Speaker 1: help them move from a place of constant activity and
- 29:08Speaker 1: busyness and carve out time to meet with You. Hunger
- 29:15Speaker 1: for sweet manna from heaven and thirst for water from
- 29:20Speaker 1: the rock. As you once told Moses, strike the rock
- 29:27Speaker 1: and water will come out of it. So you lead
- 29:32Speaker 1: us to yourself, the rock of our salvation. Lord. As
- 29:42Speaker 1: this listener sinks even deeper into sleep tonight, I pray
- 29:49Speaker 1: that they will hunger and thirst for your will and
- 29:53Speaker 1: your way. Give them a longing that can only be
- 29:59Speaker 1: filled by your presence and peace and the precious name
- 30:05Speaker 1: of Jesus. Amen. Now let's meet with Jesus on the hillside.
- 30:14Speaker 1: As he shared some of the blessings that would follow
- 30:17Speaker 1: those who loved him. He began with, Blessed are the
- 30:24Speaker 1: poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
- 30:30Speaker 1: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- 30:36Speaker 1: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- 30:42Speaker 1: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
- 30:48Speaker 1: they will be filled tonight. Be filled by God, the
- 30:56Speaker 1: one who has an endless supply of love. For you. You
- 31:02Speaker 1: receive the Kingdom of Heaven as you humble yourself before
- 31:06Speaker 1: his throne. Let your gentle Father dry every tear as
- 31:12Speaker 1: he comforts you. Embrace his abundant provision as you seek
- 31:19Speaker 1: him with a heart of meekness. Befilled, my friend, like
- 31:28Speaker 1: a picture of crystal clear water that remains full even
- 31:33Speaker 1: though it is poured out. Be filled by living water
- 31:38Speaker 1: that overflows your soul. You are loved, You are blessed,
- 31:49Speaker 1: You are satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ, Gracious God.
- 31:58Speaker 1: In the stillness of this hour, we rest fully in you.
- 32:05Speaker 1: Nothing has a hold on us but your righteous right
- 32:10Speaker 1: hand Lord. It is your righteousness we seek above earthly ideas, opinions,
- 32:18Speaker 1: and philosophies, for everything is brought into submission under your
- 32:26Speaker 1: divine authority. What peace there is knowing you are God
- 32:32Speaker 1: and you are good. Please continue to bless this child
- 32:38Speaker 1: with your presence and peace tonight in the name of Jesus. Amen,
- 32:49Speaker 1: let's listen again to this sleep story based on the
- 32:52Speaker 1: blessing of being filled with the righteousness of God. I'd
- 32:59Speaker 1: like to begin in our story with a question, what
- 33:03Speaker 1: does it mean to be truly satisfied? And is it
- 33:07Speaker 1: even possible? So often we focus on what we lack
- 33:15Speaker 1: or what we wish we had. This is the human condition.
- 33:22Speaker 1: But God, God knows exactly what we lack. He sees
- 33:30Speaker 1: what we most desire, and he knows what we need
- 33:34Speaker 1: before we even ask. As Matthew chapter six, verse eight says,
- 33:42Speaker 1: the Father knows exactly what you need before you even
- 33:47Speaker 1: ask him. If you've ever had the joy of sitting
- 33:53Speaker 1: by the ocean at sunset, you've likely experienced a fulfilling
- 33:59Speaker 1: sense of contentment. Perhaps at that moment you try to
- 34:06Speaker 1: memorize the experience, capturing it in your mind, heart, and soul.
- 34:14Speaker 1: These kinds of experiences are blessings from the Lord, and
- 34:19Speaker 1: certainly they ought to be cherished. However, they cannot fully satisfy.
- 34:27Speaker 1: Before long our fondest memories ebb away, just as the
- 34:33Speaker 1: tide recedes and the sunsets into the deepest part of
- 34:37Speaker 1: the sea. Even the most brilliant of sunsets, infiltrating the
- 34:44Speaker 1: sky with glorious colors of orange, red, yellow, and amber,
- 34:50Speaker 1: eventually fade into the gray dusk of night. But God,
- 34:56Speaker 1: the one who satisfies our souls, not by human means,
- 35:02Speaker 1: but by the glorious righteousness of His Son, fills us
- 35:07Speaker 1: to overflowing with blessings that never fade away. Perhaps you've
- 35:14Speaker 1: heard the familiar words of Isaiah, chapter forty, verse eight.
- 35:20Speaker 1: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of
- 35:25Speaker 1: our God will stand forever. Please let this scripture resonate
- 35:32Speaker 1: with your heart for a moment. The temporal things of earth,
- 35:39Speaker 1: such as grass and flowers, will fade away, but the
- 35:44Speaker 1: eternal word of God stands forever. Likewise, the righteousness of
- 35:53Speaker 1: Christ does not fade like the sunset, nor does it change,
- 35:58Speaker 1: shift or ebb with the tides of life. It is constant, steadfast,
- 36:05Speaker 1: and sure hungering and thirsting for His righteousness requires us
- 36:13Speaker 1: to turn our cravings for worldly things into a deep
- 36:18Speaker 1: longing for everything Jesus offers. My friend, do you know
- 36:27Speaker 1: what amazing things Jesus offers you? Right now? His hand
- 36:34Speaker 1: is extended to you as a faithful guide who will
- 36:38Speaker 1: never lead you astray. His love surrounds you so completely
- 36:46Speaker 1: that nothing can come between you and your Savior. For
- 36:54Speaker 1: I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels,
- 37:01Speaker 1: nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
- 37:08Speaker 1: nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
- 37:14Speaker 1: will be able to separate us from the love of
- 37:18Speaker 1: God in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. Rest assured of the
- 37:25Speaker 1: unwavering love of God over you tonight, allow your soul
- 37:31Speaker 1: to long for Jesus even more, for he is your
- 37:36Speaker 1: living hope. Be satisfied, perhaps for the first time in
- 37:43Speaker 1: a long time, with the absolute peace and satisfaction only
- 37:49Speaker 1: Jesus gives. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
- 37:59Speaker 1: for they will be filled. Holy God, thank you for
- 38:07Speaker 1: being our satisfaction and our peace. We rest in you tonight.
- 38:14Speaker 1: Letting go of all worldly pursuits, Please lead this listener
- 38:22Speaker 1: to the peaceful waters of your abundance, giving them a
- 38:26Speaker 1: deep thirst for more of You, Lord, help them realize
- 38:32Speaker 1: that they cannot truly be filled with anything besides You.
- 38:40Speaker 1: As they fall asleep in your presence. Please fill them
- 38:45Speaker 1: with boundless contentment, not constrained by earth's demands or man's definitions. Instead,
- 38:55Speaker 1: shower them with holy contentment found in the unity they
- 39:00Speaker 1: have with you. Thank you, Lord for the comforting words
- 39:06Speaker 1: from the scriptures that fill our minds with holy things
- 39:11Speaker 1: and assure us that you are who you say you are.
- 39:17Speaker 1: Please continue with us on this sleep journey in search
- 39:22Speaker 1: of the righteousness of Christ, for it is in his
- 39:27Speaker 1: name we pray. Amen. Now, if you're still having trouble relaxing,
- 39:39Speaker 1: try inhaling deeply for several seconds. Then release your breath
- 39:48Speaker 1: as slowly as you can. Continue this breathing pattern if
- 39:58Speaker 1: you find that it helps, And as you do, please
- 40:03Speaker 1: listen to these comforting words from John chapter one. And
- 40:10Speaker 1: the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
- 40:15Speaker 1: have seen his glory, glory as of the only son
- 40:21Speaker 1: from the Father full of grace and truth. John bore
- 40:28Speaker 1: witness about him and cried out, this was he of
- 40:33Speaker 1: whom I said, he who comes after me ranks before me,
- 40:39Speaker 1: because He was before me. And from his fullness we
- 40:46Speaker 1: have all received grace upon grace. What a beautiful promise
- 40:55Speaker 1: for our soul. We have all received grace upon grace, Oh,
- 41:03Speaker 1: my dear friend, Let these words echo in your mind.
- 41:09Speaker 1: Grace upon grace, from the fullness of Christ. In us,
- 41:18Speaker 1: we have received grace and truth. For by grace you
- 41:25Speaker 1: have been saved through faith. And this is not your
- 41:29Speaker 1: own doing. It is the gift of God. As you
- 41:39Speaker 1: breathe deeply reflect on the most precious gift you've ever
- 41:45Speaker 1: been given, the gift of salvation. Because you have been saved,
- 41:55Speaker 1: you are now in a relationship with Jesus, the savior
- 41:59Speaker 1: of the world. You want to follow him, be led
- 42:05Speaker 1: by him, and learn from him. His righteousness is what
- 42:11Speaker 1: you desire, and you hunger and thirst for it more
- 42:15Speaker 1: than any desire on earth. And because of Him, you
- 42:23Speaker 1: are in Christ, Jesus who became to us wisdom from God,
- 42:28Speaker 1: righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Let the words in Christ
- 42:38Speaker 1: Jesus fill your soul. To be in Christ means to
- 42:47Speaker 1: abide in Him, remain with him, and follow after him.
- 42:56Speaker 1: Jesus is your wisdom, He is your sanctification, He is
- 43:03Speaker 1: your redemption. Because of this, you are indeed a child
- 43:11Speaker 1: of God. Behold what manner of love the Father has
- 43:18Speaker 1: given to us, that we should be called the children
- 43:22Speaker 1: of God. God's children are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, clean, holy,
- 43:31Speaker 1: pure and just. There is nothing we can do on
- 43:37Speaker 1: our own to become righteous. As the prophet Isaiah once said,
- 43:44Speaker 1: all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. But then
- 43:49Speaker 1: he said, yet, o Lord, you are our father. We
- 43:57Speaker 1: are the clay, You are the We are all the
- 44:02Speaker 1: work of your hands. Tonight, let the potter mold you
- 44:10Speaker 1: into a vessel of noble purposes. Let him fashion you
- 44:15Speaker 1: into a child after his own heart. Feel your mind, body,
- 44:22Speaker 1: and will submit to the Father's hands, which are gentle, compassionate, skillful,
- 44:30Speaker 1: and loving. You are his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus
- 44:38Speaker 1: for good works, works he instilled in you to come
- 44:43Speaker 1: to fruition for His glory and your good. Please rest
- 44:50Speaker 1: soundly as I pray over you again, Heavenly Father, I
- 44:57Speaker 1: pray for your child tonight as they listen to these
- 45:02Speaker 1: words of comfort and peace. I ask specifically that you
- 45:09Speaker 1: fill them with an intense longing for your path of righteousness. Lord,
- 45:17Speaker 1: If they have feared off the narrow path in any way,
- 45:22Speaker 1: I pray that you will gently lead them back to you. Now,
- 45:27Speaker 1: thank you for your faithful hand that leads us without condemnation.
- 45:35Speaker 1: For when we remain in your son, we are whole
- 45:40Speaker 1: and complete, not lacking anything. Continue to bless this child
- 45:48Speaker 1: with good things, things that fill them to the full
- 45:53Speaker 1: and satisfy their deepest longings. And the precious name of Jesus,
- 45:59Speaker 1: I pray amen. When Jesus spoke the words blessed are
- 46:09Speaker 1: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
- 46:13Speaker 1: be filled. He meant for us to grasp something far
- 46:19Speaker 1: more important than physical hunger. I believe he used the
- 46:24Speaker 1: words hunger and thirst because he knew we would understand
- 46:30Speaker 1: the implication. Just as we hunger for nourishment to fuel
- 46:36Speaker 1: our bodies, keeping us energized and able to do our work,
- 46:42Speaker 1: Jesus invites us to hunger for his righteousness to fuel
- 46:47Speaker 1: our souls and equip us for every good work. If
- 46:54Speaker 1: a vehicle is filled with the wrong fuel, they won't
- 46:58Speaker 1: be able to travel the distance, and so it is
- 47:02Speaker 1: with our Christian walk without the infilling of God's Spirit
- 47:08Speaker 1: and the fuel of Christ in us, we will find
- 47:12Speaker 1: ourselves broken down on the side of the road, unable
- 47:15Speaker 1: to continue on the journey. Oh, how we need the
- 47:20Speaker 1: righteousness of Jesus in us as the world tries to
- 47:26Speaker 1: fill us with every unholy thing. We need to be
- 47:31Speaker 1: so full of the Holy Spirit. There is no room
- 47:35Speaker 1: for things that do not satisfy. The prophet Isaiah said,
- 47:43Speaker 1: why do you spend money for what is not read,
- 47:47Speaker 1: and your wages for what does not satisfy. Listen carefully
- 47:53Speaker 1: to me and eat what is good.