Speaker 1: I'm Bishop T. D. Jakes, inviting you to unwind your
Speaker 1: mind and spirit with Tonight's sleep Psalm by the rivers
Speaker 1: of Babylon. There we sat down, Yes, we wept when
Speaker 1: we remembered Zion, Psalm one thirty seven, Verse one. Dear God,
Speaker 1: as I laid down to rest my weary head, I
Speaker 1: pray to be delivered from the darkness surrounding me. Just
Speaker 1: as the Israelites were held captive in Babylon. I feel
Speaker 1: trapped by my thoughts and anxiety. But Lord, you led
Speaker 1: the Israelites out of captain. You are mighty and established
Speaker 1: your glory. Please guide me out of this captive state
Speaker 1: of mind. I ask that you break the chaine of
Speaker 1: fear and doubt and release me from the grip of
Speaker 1: sin that holds me down. Let your light cast out
Speaker 1: the shadows that haunt me, and your love washes away
Speaker 1: the stains of my transgressions. May your grace be a
Speaker 1: soothing balm to my soul, and may your mercy lift
Speaker 1: my burden heart. Guide me through the night with your
Speaker 1: gentle hand as I surrender my worries to your care.
Speaker 1: May the morning bring new hope and joy, and may
Speaker 1: I rest in knowing your love. Thank you for always
Speaker 1: being my refuge and strength and never leaving me to
Speaker 1: face my troubles alone. In Jesus' solely name, I pray
Speaker 1: amor I'm Bishop td Jakes, inviting you to unwind your
Speaker 1: mind and spirit with Tonight's Sleep Song. Prepare your heart
Speaker 1: for this devotional from the Book of Psalms, guiding you
Speaker 1: into a RESTful embrace under you his watchful eyes. Thank
Speaker 1: you for joining me, Bishop td Jakes, for tonight's episode
Speaker 1: of the Sleep Psalms podcast. If this episode blessed you,
Speaker 1: follow the podcast so you never miss a nightly encouragement.
Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Grace. For tonight's Sleep Psalm by pray dot Com.
Speaker 2: We will be meditating on Psalm one hundred and thirty seven.
Speaker 2: Invite the presence of God as you get ready to
Speaker 2: meditate on his word. Invite his voice to speak to
Speaker 2: your heart and to renew your mind with His truth.
Speaker 2: Close your eye and take a deep breath. As your
Speaker 2: lungs fill with air. Imagine the presence of the Lord
Speaker 2: filling your room. Hold your breath for a few seconds,
Speaker 2: rest in the light of his presence. Exhale slowly, and
Speaker 2: allow his presence to fill your heart with His hope
Speaker 2: and peace. Take another deep breath. Focus on relaxing your body.
Speaker 2: Concentrate on the areas that are tense. Exhale slowly and
Speaker 2: release the stress in your muscles. Take a few more
Speaker 2: deep breaths. With each inhale, contract a specific area of
Speaker 2: the body with each exhale. Relax each area of your
Speaker 2: body until your muscles and joints are softened. From your
Speaker 2: neck and shoulders to your fingers and toes. Open your
Speaker 2: heart to the Lord. Clear your mind of any anxious
Speaker 2: or distracting thoughts. Focus your thoughts on God and his word.
Speaker 2: Take one more deep, cleansing breath. Exhale, and surrender your
Speaker 2: thoughts to the Lord. As your mind quiets, be prepared
Speaker 2: to receive his word. When our world falls apart and
Speaker 2: everything completely changes, we sometimes look back to a simpler
Speaker 2: time of our past and mourn what we have lost Tonight,
Speaker 2: Lift any sorrow, grief, and pain to the Lord and
Speaker 2: find comfort in his presence. Psalm one hundred thirty seven
Speaker 2: from the King James version says the rivers of Babylon,
Speaker 2: there we sat down, Yea we wept when we remembered Zion.
Speaker 2: We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Speaker 2: For there they that carried us away captive required of
Speaker 2: us a song, and they that wasted us required of
Speaker 2: us mirth. Sang sing us one of the songs of Zion.
Speaker 2: How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
Speaker 2: If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand
Speaker 2: forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let
Speaker 2: my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If
Speaker 2: I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy, Remember, O Lord,
Speaker 2: the children of Edom, in the days of Jerusalem, who said,
Speaker 2: raise it, raise it even to the foundation thereof O
Speaker 2: daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. Happy shall
Speaker 2: he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Speaker 2: Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little
Speaker 2: ones against the stones. Sometimes we think our walk with
Speaker 2: God should only be filled with happy and joyful times.
Speaker 2: We try to only focus on the positive things in
Speaker 2: our life. We think we should be able to sing
Speaker 2: the Lord's songs of joy from the mountain tops even
Speaker 2: when life is hard. But when some of our darkest
Speaker 2: hours come, we fall apart. Our spirit is so heavy
Speaker 2: it cannot be lifted. Our hearts are so cold, Our
Speaker 2: hope and joy are nowhere to be found. No, God
Speaker 2: does not leave you when joy cannot be found on
Speaker 2: your lips. No, he will listen to your He will
Speaker 2: listen to your pain, and he will sit with you
Speaker 2: in your sorrow. Find comfort in his presence and in
Speaker 2: his love. Tonight, take a deep breath. Lift any sorrow
Speaker 2: and pain to the Lord. Exhale slowly and surrender your
Speaker 2: thoughts and feelings to him. Feel his hands carry you
Speaker 2: through the difficult nights, lightening your heart and spirit. Take
Speaker 2: another deep breath. Be filled with the strength of the Lord.
Speaker 2: Exhale slowly and allow his strength to sustain you through
Speaker 2: the night. Think of a time when you were angry
Speaker 2: with God because you lost someone you loved, or you
Speaker 2: suffered at the hands of another person. Confess any anger
Speaker 2: and bitterness that is still in your heart. Confess any
Speaker 2: doubts you have of the Lord's goodness. Breathe in his
Speaker 2: mercy and love. Breathe out your sin and sorrow. Know
Speaker 2: God is close to the broken hearted, and he wants
Speaker 2: you to draw him near in your pain. Think of
Speaker 2: a difficult time when God comforted you with his love
Speaker 2: and peace and sustained you with his strength. Thank Him
Speaker 2: for the ways he comforts you. Thank Him for his
Speaker 2: presence in the midst of your pain and suffering. Thank
Speaker 2: Him for carrying you through those difficult moments. Think of
Speaker 2: a person who is struggling with some type of loss,
Speaker 2: the loss of a friend or family member, the loss
Speaker 2: of a dream, or the loss of a home. Pray
Speaker 2: God will near to them and comfort them with his hope,
Speaker 2: love and peace. Pray He will heal their hearts and
Speaker 2: soothe their souls. Cry out to the Lord. Tell him
Speaker 2: about your struggles, Tell him about your pain and sorrow.
Speaker 2: Know he will hear your cries and he will draw
Speaker 2: near to you during difficult times. Pray for the Lord's
Speaker 2: people who are being persecuted and attacked tonight. Pray the
Speaker 2: Lord will cover them with his protection and sustain them
Speaker 2: with his provision. Pray for the Lord's people who are
Speaker 2: grieving the loss of a loved one. Pray God will
Speaker 2: comfort them with his love and help them find rest.
Speaker 2: Pray for the Lord's protection over your family. As you sleep,
Speaker 2: Pray you will rest safely in His hands through the night.
Speaker 2: Take a deep breath. Feel the clean air refresh your lungs.
Speaker 2: Exhale and release any tension that is still lingering from today.
Speaker 2: Take another deep breath, be filled with the hope and
Speaker 2: peace of the Lord. Exhale slowly and allow his hope
Speaker 2: to strengthen your bones and his peace to soothe your
Speaker 2: soul as you rest tonight.