find rest for your soul as you listen to this peaceful bible meditation for sleep and relaxation
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hello there all across the globe tonight
soldiers and first responders stand watch to keep you safe
some try to catch some shut eye in unsafe forward regions the conditions are uncomfortable
there's a military technique that is said to help anyone fall asleep in just two minutes
and it might just change your life
the u.s army found that it worked for 96 of people who tried it over a period of six weeks
so you may need to come back to the sleep meditation a few times to find success
the technique is thought to have been developed by army chiefs during world war
ii to ensure soldiers and pilots didn't make life-threatening mistakes due to exhaustion
for our brothers and sisters in harm's way sleep is a weapon
the military sees sleep as a survival tactic so tonight prepare to do battle for the rest you need
the same can be said for civilians
a good night's rest is critical for our emotional and physical well-being
tonight we focus on this old technique of muscle relaxation
breathing and visualization tricks anyone can do
even the slightest glowing light can sabotage your sleep and make falling asleep more difficult
so make sure all the lights are out
before we begin let's pray
jesus i give you all of my fears the darkest thoughts and the troubles of my heart
i lay all these things down at the foot of the cross
i choose to take the lightest path on this road with you
my comforter and my friend put my trust in you i place all of my concerns into your hands
lord be in my dreams transform them as i sleep
for all the challenges and tugs on my heart only you can safely keep
i wait on you to be my guide my lead my defense
i serve only you and pray for peace
lord jesus i ask that your endless grace would surround me
every day for you took all the brokenness of the world to the cross and rose again
dear lord guard my mind my heart and my soul and lead me in the way of hope
as i serve i lean on your wisdom your love and your strength
and look forward to a time when a new day dawns and your glory reigns
oh my lord at this moment all is calm
and sleep beckons me
in the name of jesus
amen
with that get comfortable some people start by sitting on the edge of their bed
while others crawl into bed
tonight we will work to relax all areas of your body part by part
maybe in your mind's eye visualize a tired
and weary soldier using these same techniques thousands of miles away
protecting your freedoms
so you can live in peace
the journey to a place of rest for your soul begins with scripture and prayer
in psalm 116 5-7 the psalmist writes gracious is the lord and righteous our god is merciful
the lord preserves the simple when i was brought low he saved me
return o my soul to your rest for the lord has dealt bountifully with you
we do not know the exact nature of the psalmist's prayer request but we do know that his life seemed
to be in danger in some way and he is grateful to god for rescue for answering his prayer
knowing that you are protected by god
breathe slowly
deeply
and regularly
take all the wrinkles out of your forehead
relax your scalp
just let go
now
let your jaw sag let it drop open
relax the rest of your face muscles even relax your tongue and lips just let them go loose
breathe slowly
gently relax your facial muscles
first tighten them up in a wincing motion
and then slowly let your muscles naturally loosen
and let your tongue fall in any which way in your mouth
once your face feels like a deflated piece of putty
let the gravity pull your shoulders naturally down toward the ground
let your arms dangle too
one side at a time
while doing this breathe in
and out listening to the sound of your breath
jesus loves you very much
he wants you to be rested to better serve him
let's go after your arms
talk directly to your arm muscles first talk to your right bicep tell it to relax go limp
do the same to your right forearm and now to the right hand and fingers
your arm should feel like a dead weight resting on your leg
repeat the relaxation process with your left arm
breathe slowly
with each breath let your chest relax further and then let gravity relax your thighs and lower legs
your entire upper body has been exposed to relaxation
and a warm pleasant feeling comes over you you feel good
a sense of well-being invades your body
now for your lower body
talk to your right thigh muscles let them go to a dead weight on the bed
let the meat hang on the bones
go through the same routine for the right calf muscles
then all the muscles of your right ankle and foot
tell your legs to totally relax
first the left leg
allow your leg to become heavy
moving all the way down to your foot
repeat the process with your right leg the thigh calf
ankle and foot
once your body feels like nothing more than a loosely formed lump of clay
try to clear your mind of distractions
your thoughts come naturally let them pass
just keep your body loose and limp
focus on jesus your messiah and comforter
as you begin to nod off
visualize that it is a warm spring day
and you are lying in the bottom of a canoe on a very serene lake
you're looking up at the blue sky
with lazy floating clouds
do not allow any other thought to creep in just concentrate
on this picture and keep foreign thoughts out
particularly thoughts with any movement or motion involved
allow this relaxing moment to consume you
you now are in a velvet hammock
gently swaying in a pitch-black room
thinking about none of your earthly concerns
focus only on the lord
abba father
push away all thoughts that might keep you from a restful sleep
jesus loves you so much
that in philippians 4 god's word says do not be anxious about anything
but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to god
and the peace of god which transcends all understanding
will guard your hearts and your minds in christ jesus
gracious is the lord and righteous
our god is merciful the lord preserves the simple
when i was brought low he saved me return oh my soul to your rest
for the lord has dealt bountifully with you
almighty god
we know that everything is in your sovereign control thank you god that you are with us always
that your presence is mighty and you hear the prayers of this dear one
i ask that you would show yourself strong on their behalf
remind them that nothing is too difficult for you
and you are leading and protecting them through the journey of life
covering them in your care
we know and believe beyond any doubt that your power and love will never fail
abba i petition you now
to encamp your angels around this beloved one that no harm will come to your child or their household
in the strong yet precious name of jesus i pray amen
once again be covered by the words of the psalmist
gracious is the lord and righteous
our god is merciful the lord protects the simple when i was brought low he saved me
return o my soul to your rest for the lord has dealt bountifully with you
for you have delivered my soul from death my eyes from tears my feet from stumbling
as you drift into a deep sleep
know that jesus made the way
so you could have a relationship with god and be with him forever may you rest
in christ
we hope this relaxing bible meditation brought you peace
click the join button below to upgrade to an abide youtube channel membership to unlock
channel perks like early access to new videos before they premiere special members only videos
live chat premieres loyalty badges discount codes and more for access to more bible meditations that
can be enjoyed ad free at a length and with an audio background of your choosing download the
abide app from the link in the description below or in the itunes or google play store