Saying a bedtime prayer before going to sleep is common among Christians, so learning a few easy bedtime prayers is relatively simple for new believers. The most important thing to remember when saying any prayer, at any time of day, is to give your whole heart to your prayer to God. If your prayer before bed is one you say all the time, focus on what you’re saying. Pay attention to the words and mean them with your whole heart.
Suggestions for Easy Bedtime Prayers
You can use popular or common examples for your nighttime prayers, but you can also create your own easy bedtime prayers yourself. The key is to say what you mean and mean what you say. A prayer given without thought is not as meaningful as one given in the spirit of prayer. In this way, your Christian nighttime prayer will mean more than one spoken without even thinking about the words.
One easy prayer before bed that many children learn goes something like this:
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.
Your easy bedtime prayers can also ask for other things, such as forgiveness for something you did, or to offer thanks for a good day. Your bedtime prayers can focus on something you’ve been struggling with in your personal or professional life. It could be one that asks for help and guidance when facing difficulties, prayers for you or your family, or offering thanks even for a beautiful day.
It’s nice to be noticed for the little things, isn’t it? It stands to reason that God would appreciate praise for His creation – not just the world around you, but you yourself! Here are a few other ideas to help you get started:
Thank you Lord in heaven, for the love and mercy You have shown me. You have blessed my day. I thank You for my friends, my family, and my memories of those who have gone to heaven. I pray that I never take them for granted. In Your name I ask, Amen.
In fact, prayers can cover any subject you can think of. The Christian believer can also pray for spiritual strength, and for wisdom when reading their Bible and getting to know God, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit on a personal level.
Before bed, people can pray for personal goals and for strength to overcome challenges in reaching those goals, but always remember to give thanks and gratitude for what you have, now, in the moment. None of us know what is going to happen tomorrow or next week, let alone a year from now. God does. Be patient. Be faithful.
Blessings are given to those who keep God’s Commandments, and our prayers, while always heard, are answered according to His will. After all, Jesus Himself told us that God the Father knows what we need before we even ask – Matthew 6:8.
Another common prayer is one that reassures us that God and His Son are always with us, even in trying and frightening times. A well-known verse found in the book of Psalms, Chapter 23 is a popular Christian nighttime prayer, known as the Psalm of the Divine Shepherd.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; he leads me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, 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 runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
You don’t have to memorize a prayer before bed. Before you go to sleep, open your Bible and read a short passage, such as the words of Jesus Christ found in the four books of the Gospels of the New Testament, or turn to Psalms and Proverbs for guidance and wisdom.
Say Your Easy Bedtime Prayers With Meaning
All your prayers should be said with meaning. They should also be humble in spirit, recognizing the power of God. Your easy bedtime prayers don’t have to be a certain length or complicated in nature. We are cautioned by Christ not to use prayer just to repetitively ask of something for ourselves, such as winning the lottery. Remember - ‘For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.’
When you pray, whether you’re saying easy bedtime prayers you make up or those you read, take the time to truly understand the words you’re conveying to God in your heart. The Christian nighttime prayer is often one that asks something of God, and is spiritual in nature. Even an easy nighttime prayer can offers strength, comfort, and hope for anyone who offers that prayer with good intentions and at the same time accepts that God is the one who is in charge of all, and in His wisdom, He will give you the answer that you need, but perhaps not always necessarily the one that you might want.
A Prayer Before Bed Strengthens the Spirit
Common and easy bedtime prayers often request support when struggling with a variety of challenges we face in our everyday lives. The Lord knows your weaknesses, and if you allow Him, He will give you the strength you need in every aspect of your life. An earnest prayer said before bed that is rooted in your trust in God to know what’s best for you is a wonderful way to end the day, to focus on your personal relationship with God, and His strength to guide and protect you in your daily endeavors.
