Ending your day with prayer is a wonderful way to let go of stress and find peace before falling asleep. No matter what you faced today, talking to God through a night prayer will renew your faith and help you experience true rest. Evening prayers also help you reflect on all the events throughout your day and the ways that God has been present with you.
If you stay in touch with me and absorb what I say, you can achieve anything. (NLT) John 15:7
Making petitions to God is something we are obligated to do. One of the most elementary reasons to pray is that God ordered it. Becoming a disciple is dedicating oneself fully to God’s will.
“Stay on the lookout and pray for help from above. You’ll cave in to temptation if you don’t. The mind and heart are on board, but the physical self is lagging. New Living Translation of Matthew 26:41
Then Jesus used a parable to drive home the point that constant prayer was essential. (Lucas 18:1)
Furthermore, make your requests known to the Holy Spirit at all times. Don’t forget this while you keep praying for and keeping an eye on God’s saints. (NIV) Bible verse cited (Ephesians 6:18)
What’s the Point if I Can’t Pray?
If you find yourself at a loss for words in prayer, have faith that the Holy Spirit will direct you:
When we are weak, the Spirit makes us strong. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf when we have no idea what to pray for. The Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of the righteous in accordance with God’s purpose, and anybody who studies our hearts will know the thoughts of the Spirit. Romans 8:26–27, New International Version
Prayer For Sleep And Anxiety
Bless us with rest tonight, Jesus, and a good night’s sleep. Forgive us for the things we did today that did not honor you. Thank you for loving us so much and that you know us through and through. We need your help every day, and we thank you for the strength you give and for helping us know that with you, even hard things are possible. Bless our family and our home, and keep us safe through the night. May your angels guard us and watch over us, just like you promised.
You’ve told us we are just like sheep. And that you lead us and guard us like a shepherd. You know our names, and you make us feel special and loved. When we hurt, you help us feel better. Thank you, Jesus, for your good care and for giving us [mom/dad/parents/foster parents/pastors] to help. Thank you for the Bible, and for teaching us stuff in life that helps us grow. Bless the people in our world, and help them to know you love them, too. Thank you for all the people who help us so much: teachers, doctors, policemen, and firemen—and so many more.
Thank you for your good plan for our lives. Help us to obey you and love you more and more. When we awake in the morning, put a smile on our face and your purpose in our hearts, ready to start a new day. We love you, Jesus. Good night. In Jesus’s precious name, Amen. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
For A Good Night’s Sleep
Grant me a good night’s sleep tonight, God, so that I can awake refreshed and ready to begin another day loving you. Thank you again for blessings so undeserved and too numerous to count. I love being your child, and I long for the word “faithful” to describe my service to you, each day of every year. When I awake in the morning, may it be with a joyful smile, not a grumpy spirit. May your protection and your presence bathe this place with peace and safety against the enemy. Good night, Lord. In Jesus’s name, Amen. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Before You Go to Bed
Father, thank you for holding me together today. I needed you, and you were there for me. Thank you for every bit of love, mercy, and grace that was shown to me though I did not deserve it. Thank you for your faithfulness even in my suffering. To you alone be the glory. Amen. – Topher Haddox
Goodnight, evening prayer for bedtime and sleep
At the End of A Hard Day
Father, I can barely lift my eyes to you. It’s all I can do to cry out for help. Please extend your grace to me this day. Help me to see that you are in this and that you are with me. Help me to remember that you are not surprised or taken off guard by the events of this day. Forgive me for my fears about this day.
Forgive me for how I have complained and muttered about how hard this day has been. Forgive me for forgetting that you are with me. Forgive me for forgetting who I am because of what your Son, Jesus Christ, has done. Forgive me for failing to remember the glorious truths and riches I have because of the gospel. Father, hear my prayer. Grant me gospel hope in the midst of this hard day. Help me to cling to your grace, your wisdom, and your strength. ~ Christina Fox
A Beautiful Prayer to End the Day
Heavenly Father, my day is drawing to an end, and I’m ready to turn in. But before I do, I have to thank you for your faithfulness today. It’s always a good day, even when things may not go the way I plan, or when the world seems in chaos because you are in control.
For all the times when I was aware of your help today, all the times when your unseen presence seemed so near, thank you, God. But for all the ways you worked behind the scenes, unknown to me, moments when heaven-sent angels moved on my behalf in ways I’ll never know, thank you for those also, Lord. Amen. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
For Sweet Sleep
Heavenly Father, who gives rest to His children – will You wash over me a peace that passes all understanding as I lay down to sleep tonight? I ask that You would ease the load of the burdens I am carrying. My desire is to be an effective mother, wife, and friend and I know my attitude, energy level, and spiritual life will not be sufficient to do this if I don’t have the deep spiritual rest You long to give me. Be merciful, O Lord, and give sweet sleep to Your child. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Lysa TerKeurst
A Bedtime Prayer to Stop an Anxious Heart
Dear Lord, please help me trust You and empower me through Your Spirit to stop my emotions from bossing me around. I want to quit worrying about what might happen and focus on what has already happened by remembering and praising You for Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Renee Swoop
Prayer for a Reset
Lord, I long for those moments early in my faith when I felt your closeness, your joy, your energy and zest for life. I confess that the daily grind has ground down my passion for you. I confess that I allow the cares of the world to choke out the joy of the gospel. Lord, turn my heart toward you again. Fix my eyes on you, fix my heart on you. Help me have a reset in my faith and in my life, starting today. Renew my heart, renew my life for you and your ways. Help me see the daily routines of life as moments to gracefully submit to your will. Thank you for being the Lord of my life everyday. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Jennifer Waddle
Giving Thanks Evening Prayer
Dear God, we thank you tonight for the good day and for the special way you take care of us all the time. Thank you for the fun times outside and the quiet times inside, and for helping us learn new things every day.
Thank you for creating us special, exactly the way you wanted. Thank you for protecting us throughout the day. Forgive us for the wrong things we do. Thank you for loving us even when we disobey or try to do things our way. Help us to always choose your way, God, because it’s always best. We pray for all the people who don’t know you, and that they will come to understand your love for them, too.
Bless our family and thank you for good times together and apart. Bless our friends and those we love, including our grandparents, our aunts and uncles and cousins. Thank you for our home and a place to sleep and good food to eat. Help us rest well, give us peaceful dreams, and send your angels around our home to protect us throughout the night. Teach us to trust you and to love you more and more. You are good; you are great; and you are faithful, God. And we love you. Good night. In Jesus’s precious name, Amen. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Night-time Blessing Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank you that your favor has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that you are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that you know what concerns us, and you cover us, as with a shield. We ask for your guidance so that we might walk fully in your blessing and goodness today. We ask that your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from. Establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfillment all that you have given us to do in these days. We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of your goodness and love. Give us a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and make us strong by your huge favor and grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Debbie McDaniel
For True Rest
Dear Lord, break me of the need to be busy pursuing a sense of self-worth. Make me secure in who You are and who You’ve made me to be, and as a result, teach me what it means to truly rest. Help me catch my breath. In Jesus’ Name, Amen ~ Max Lucado
To Sleep Worry Free
Lord, I’ve shouldered my cares as if I’m the one in control. Help me become like a child, handing all my stresses, worries and responsibilities to You, my faithful Father. I trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Amy Carroll
Forgiveness at the End of the Day
Forgive me for any foolish actions on my part today or things I did without first asking your blessing or wisdom. Those are moments I’d rather forget, but I’m so grateful for your forgiveness when I ask. I never want to go to bed without clearing the air between us, Lord. Our friendship means too much, and your holiness deserves that. Thank you for loving me just as I am. In Jesus Name, Amen. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
A Short Night-time Prayer (2 Timothy 1:7)
For God’s not given me a spirit of fear,
But a spirit of love,
and of power, and a sound mind,
To live each day and glorify his name.
Popular Child’s Bedtime Prayer, 18th Century
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Alternative Version for Children:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
Watch and guard me through the night,
and wake me with the morning light.
Amen.
At the End of a Dissapointing Day
Lord, thank You for working in my life, even in ways that look like failure. Help me keep my eyes on You and not on my situation. Help me trust You more, especially when I face what looks like a disappointment. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Glynnis Whitwer
For Loved Ones
As I close my eyes tonight, I’m praying for loved ones around me, for friends and those who need to know you, Lord. I’m praying that your love, like the billions of stars in the night sky outside, will touch them and help them see who you really are. I pray for our world and those in it. I pray for their needs as well as my own. ~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Short Prayer Before Sleep
For Peaceful Sleep
Dear Jesus, teach me to daily lay my burdens at your feet. Show me I can trust in your loving care. Grant me, your beloved, the nourishing blessing of rest and peaceful sleep. ~ Rachel Olsen
To Rest Well
Dear Lord, thank You for rest. Thank You that I can rest while You continue to hold everything together. Help me rest well and worship You through rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Rachel Olsen
Rest from Striving
Dear God, I’m realizing it’s not my curse that I believe I’m not enough; it’s my sin that I keep trying to be. Thank You for the reminder that life with You means I can rest, and I have nothing to prove. Will You continue to show me Your freedom, Your power and my need to stop striving to please You and instead just live life with You? In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Jennifer Allen
Father, We Thank Thee
Father, we thank thee for the night,
And for the pleasant morning light;
For rest and food and loving care,
And all that makes the day so fair.
Help us to do the things we should,
To be to others kind and good;
In all we do, in work or play,
To grow more loving every day.
— Rebecca Weston – 1890
For the Overwhelmed Heart
Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed, overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your Word which gives me strength and refuge. Help me not to run to lesser things. Draw me to run to You first. Help me get into the habit of taking my “overwhelmed” and placing it under your will. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Jennifer Rotheschild
Evening Prayer of Confession
Gracious Lord, give us the courage to seek forgiveness. Remind us that confession is never a mistake; it frees us from the chains of the enemy. We know we cannot hide our hearts from you. Help us to let go of our bitterness and fear, and purify us with the knowledge that you have taken away every sin. In your name, Amen.
Bedtime Prayer For Protection
A few years ago when our family was walking through a very difficult trial, I found myself there. Night after night, I was awakened by this deep hurt and burden in my heart. In fact, it seemed worse at night. Because problems and difficult times can easily feel more intense in the middle of the darkness and quiet, when you can’t sleep, or you feel alone, and your mind becomes a battlefield.
I prayed, cried, and wrestled with my thoughts and fears. And truly, the only thing I found that brought peace and comfort to my soul was God’s Word.
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“His words are living, active, and powerful.”
“His words are living, active, and powerful.”
I would say out loud every single verse that came to my mind, praying His powerful reminders back to Him. Sometimes I would read chapter after chapter until sleep came again. I would awaken, the Bible still laying open, right over my heart. It didn’t make all our problems go away. It wasn’t a magical, instant solution. When I woke up, the difficulties were still there. But through time, I realized this: my mind, heart, and spirit were being renewed day by day, night by night. God’s peace, healing, and comfort were washing over me every time I spoke His words, believing them to be true.
His words are living, active, and powerful. They are the only thing that can bring us true peace in this life, whether it be through the brightness of day or in the darkest of night.
If you’ve found yourself there recently, struggling to sleep, or wrestling with worries and cares through the night, here’s a few powerful verses and a prayer to help you focus your heart and mind on God:
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A Prayer to Pray When You Can’t Sleep:
A Prayer to Pray When You Can’t Sleep:
Dear God,
We’re in need of your peace and truth to soothe our hearts and spirits right now. When we find ourselves awake in the middle of the night, the pressing needs and worries we’re facing can feel so overwhelming. We ask for your Mighty Power to surround us. Thank you that you have set us free and you’re far greater than anything we face in this life. We lay our burdens before you, every single one, and we know that they’re much safer in your hands than our own. We surrender to you every anxious thought. We choose to find rest in you. We choose faith over fear. Thank you that you are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of uncertainty or trouble.
We confess to you Lord, that sometimes our worries seem too big, we don’t see a way out of our current situation, and we can’t understand what you’re doing. But we know that you see the big picture and thank you that you are with us in it all. Help us to trust you more. Thank you for your reminders that you are faithful and sure. Thank you that through every weakness and hard place, your strength is displayed in our lives. We just can’t do it on our own. We’re weary, we’re hurting. But you can work miracles, in us, and through us. We know that you will turn this circumstance around for good somehow. We believe that you are fully able to bring us through this storm to the other side of the troubles we’ve faced, into a new season of healing and light. We choose to hope in you.
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“…your word reminds us over and over that we never have to be afraid.”
“…your word reminds us over and over that we never have to be afraid.”
Thank you for your promise that it’s your peace alone that will guard and protect our hearts and minds in Christ, as we pray about all that concerns us. In the dark, in the quiet, at these times we feel so alone, would you please refresh and renew our spirits in you again. Lord, we know that your word reminds us over and over that we never have to be afraid. We know that you are close and your protection and presence are powerful. We thank you for your covering and reminders that you have stationed your angels around us to guard us in all our ways. Thank you that you never sleep or slumber, for you are constantly watching over us, always aware, and we are safe and secure in you.
We pray for your blessings to surround us, that you would make every plan you’ve birthed in our hearts to succeed at just the right time. We pray that you would be opening doors, clearing pathways, closing the wrong roads, and setting up our way for tomorrow.
We love you Lord, and we thank you for your peace and presence in our lives. Thank you that you promise to go before us, that you’re covering us from behind, and you’re fighting our battles for us, even as we sleep.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
