Before I go to bed, I take a few minutes to pray because it helps me to focus on God and seek Him for peace and rest during the night time. One night, I decided to look up pre-written prayers and Psalms I could pray since I was lost as to what to pray for. I found these both to be helpful to me I didn’t know how to pray.
Do Christians have to pray every night? They do not have to pray every night, but many Christians do because they want to end their day thanking and praising God. Many Christians will also pray for rest and peace during their sleep.
Table of Contents
Since our days can easily be filled with worry or stress, we should be diligent about taking time each night to pray. We are able to be in conversation with God and ask for a restful night of sleep.
32 Bedtime Prayers
These 32 prayers can all be spoken being you go to bed. They will help you rest your mind and spirit as you focus on God while you pray.
10 Prayers Before Bed
These 10 prayers would each be a wonderful prayer to say. They focus on different topics from safety to forgiveness. You can also use these prayers as a springboard to start your prayer with and then go on to pray your own words.
1. Prayer for 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
2. Prayer for Safety
“Holy Spirit, please encircle me, come hold me safe and secure. Wrap my mind up with your truth. Guide my thoughts and calm my fears. Steady my emotions, Lord that you would guide my feelings, may I not be overcome by upset. Sustain my soul, with vision for the future, and hope for tomorrow. I need you. Amen.” Unknown
3. Prayer for Cleansing
“Lord Jesus, please cleanse my thoughts of anger and worry. I know that worry is not your will for me. Please provide for all my needs as you promise in your word. I give to you all my fears, cares and troubles, as you have told me to do. Bring peace and comfort to my heart and help me to rest in you and have peace. Forgive me of any sins I have committed today and fill my heart with your love.” Unknown
4. Prayer for God’s Presence
“The day is done; O God the Son, look down upon thy little one! O Light of Light, Keep me this night and shed round me, thy presence bright. I need not fear if thou art near; Thou art my Savior kind and dear.” Unknown
5. Prayer of Thanks
“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
6. Prayer of Confession
“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 every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Jennifer Waddle
7. Prayer of Praise
“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
8. “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
8. Prayer of Repentance
“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.” Unknown
9. Prayer for Others
“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
10. Prayer for Trust
“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
22 Prayers & Scriptures for Rest & Peace
These 22 prayers and Scriptures for rest and peace can help you calm yourself before bed. There are also prayers against worry and fear which can cause you to feel restless at night.
1. Prayer for Peace
“Almighty God, radiant with light, cast your goodness to shine upon me. Most wonderful Lord, the creator of all things, hold your truth to shield me. Majestic King who reigns over all, slay with great love all the shadows around me. Prince of Peace, glorious and true, lift your arms of strength to cover me. All this night through. Amen” Unknown
2. Psalm 23:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
3. Prayer Against Worry
“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
4. Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
5. Prayer to Wind Down & Sleep
“Dear Father in Heaven, here, safe with you, I drink in your peace. Help me to sift through the many experiences, feelings, and thoughts I have encountered today. I allow myself to rest, to wind down and to be still. Help me to surrender all I am to you, my fatigue, my concerns, my hopes, and fears. As I sleep tonight, I choose to hold your hand. I choose to live with you. I choose to believe, I choose to trust, I choose you always. Amen.” Julia Palmer
6. Psalm 4:8
“In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
7. Prayer for a Restful Night
“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
8. Isaiah 26:3-4
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal.”
9. Prayer Against Fear
“The day is done; O God the Son, look down upon thy little one! O Light of Light, Keep me this night and shed round me, thy presence bright. I need not fear if thou art near; Thou art my Savior kind and dear.”
10. Psalm 56:3
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
11. Prayer for Rest in Heart
“Lord, thank You for providing a rest for my soul that’s not attached to a person or experience. You created me for this rest, and I accept it now. Help me fully trust You with my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Glynnis Whitwer
12. John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
13. Prayer Giving Burdens to God
“Father, you know my worries and care for my troubles. So I give these heavy concerns to you. I lay these situations at your feet. The empty cross is a place of rest, where I can reflect upon your resurrection and the moment when love overcame. Thank you that your love in me can transform the landscape of my life. I walk with peace into the new day and put my hope in you. Nothing is outside of your redeeming love, might I rest now in the knowledge that you will light my path and guide my life. Amen.” Unknown
14. Philippians 4:6-7
“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.”
15. Prayer for Calmness
“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.” Saint John of the Cross
16. 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.”
17. Prayer for Faith & Peace
“God, teach us what it means to have faith in silence. When we face trials that are beyond our understanding, help us to find peace. Help me be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. You set all things in accordance to your time. Remind us to wait patiently, and find peace in your plan.” Dick Woodward
18. Job 11:18
“Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety.”
19. Prayer for Your Mind
“Loving God, please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart. My soul is like a turbulent sea. I can’t seem to find my balance so I stumble and worry constantly. Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose and walk the path you’ve laid out for me.
I trust your Love God and know that you will heal this stress. Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night. Please bring me clarity with the light of God. Amen.”
Unknown
20. Proverbs 3:24
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
21. Prayer Against Anxiety
“Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will.”
22. Psalm 4
Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
Tremble and[d] do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
Search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.
Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.”
I hope you will begin to use these prayers before you go to bed. They can help to encourage you and bring peace to your heart as you seek God, bring Him praise, and speak your worries to Him. God loves and cares for you more deeply than you can even understand or know. Pray and ask Him to be with you and to reveal Himself to you, even more, the next day.