Saying a bedtime prayer is one of my favorite evening routines to do daily. The best time to commune with God is when life begins to quiet down and you’re less busy. This is the time when you reflect on your day and offer thanksgiving to the Father.
I can’t tell how much my prayer life has been impacted just by spending a few minutes to end my day with prayer. Even if it’s just 5 minutes, I can’t go to sleep without reflecting on the day and praising God.
And when I wake up, I feel refreshed and ready to conquer the day. There’s a scripture in Ephesians 4:26 that says, ‘Let not the sun go down upon your anger’. So if someone offends me that day, I ensure that I forgive before I go to bed. There is power in evening prayers!
How to end the day with God?
In every storybook, there is an end. And to every day there is an end! A storybook typically ends with a resolution to the problem the characters face in the book.
Similarly, your day should end with peace and moments of reflection.
So before you get cozy and drift off to dreamland, take a moment to think back on your day. Think about the good stuff that made you smile and the not-so-great moments too.
Give thanks for all the good things that came your way and ask The Lord for a little help in areas where you could use a hand. This little evening routine isn’t just about growing spiritually but also getting to know yourself better.
And when you finally close your eyes, you’ll know that God is watching over you and ensuring you’re safe!
Here is an example of what should be included in your evening prayer:
- Reflect on blessings
- Express gratitude for the day
- Seek forgiveness for mistakes
- Pray for loved ones
- Surrender worries to God
- Ask for peaceful sleep
Sample End-of-Day Prayer
Dear God,
Lord, I thank you for this day, and as I reflect on today’s blessings I am filled with gratitude for Your unwavering love and grace. Thank You for guiding me through the day and for the opportunities and challenges that have helped me grow.
Please forgive me for any mistakes or shortcomings I may have had today. Help me learn from them and become a better person tomorrow.
I lift my loved ones to You, praying for their health, safety, and happiness. May Your protective hand be upon them always.
I surrender all my worries and anxieties to You, knowing that You are in control. Grant me peace of mind and heart as I rest in Your presence.
8 End-of-Day Prayers To Say Before Bed
1. For A Peaceful Sleep
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24
What a powerful verse to meditate upon especially if you have a hard time falling asleep. This verse stresses that your sleep will be peaceful if you trust in God. Only when you trust in Christ Jesus, you find security and peace.
By ending the day with prayer, you’ll be certain that the Heavenly Father is watching over you granting sweet sleep.
Short Prayer for Peaceful Sleep
Dear Heavenly Father, grant me peaceful sleep tonight, as stated in Proverbs 3:24. You said when I lie down, my sleep will be sweet. Father, Let your love be my pillow and your protection be my blanket, as I surrender to your care. May your comforting unseen presence surround me through the night, so that I may wake up feeling restored and ready to face tomorrow. In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.
2. For Forgiveness
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
All we have to do is confess our sins to God, and He will cleanse and forgive us. When you start reading the Book of Job, in Chapter 1 verse 5; you’ll see how Joseph interceded for his children asking for forgiveness.
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
A prayer of forgiveness isn’t just perfect in your evening devotion but also in daily morning prayers.
So as you prepare to rest your weary eyes, take a moment to ask for forgiveness. Remember there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. So leave all your shortcomings and mistakes at the feet of Jesus.
3. For the Family
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Whenever I have nightly prayer with my family; we always recite that scripture. Praying this over your family is a great way to ask for God’s blessings, protection, grace, and peace to be upon them. It’s like everything in one.
To personalize this verse for your family, just replace you with whichever family’s name.
For example; The Lord bless (person’s name), and keep (person’s name); the Lord make His face shine on (person’s name) and be gracious to (person’s name); the Lord turn His face toward (person’s name) and give (person’s name) peace.
Pretty simple, right? Perfect to pray over your children and partner. And it doesn’t even take 2 minutes to do either. You can use this as a foundation and be more specific to what you’re asking of the Lord.
4. Spirit of Heaviness
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
You may be wondering what is this spirit of heaviness. Sometimes I refer to it as oppression. For a simple explanation, it’s anything that weighs you down. This could be manifested in various ways from insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, discouragement, or sadness.
Proverbs 13:12 states, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. So, life can kick you so hard that your heart becomes dark, and you walk around with a grumpy spirit. I was in that place at some point in my life.
But the Bible says that the Lord is here to heal your heart and soothe every worry. Isn’t that beautiful? The reason I recommend including this in your nighttime prayers is that when we are alone the enemy whispers lies to us.
A Short Prayer To Cast Off The Spirit of Heaviness
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You in prayer, seeking Your divine presence to lift the spirit of heaviness that weighs upon me. Your Word reminds me in Isaiah 61:3 that You provide a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. I declare that I am clothed in Your praise, and I cast off all feelings of heaviness from my heart and mind. Psalm 30:5 assures me that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. I hold onto Your promise of joy and peace, knowing that You are with me through every trial and tribulation. I release all burdens and anxieties to You, trusting in Your unfailing love and mercy. May Your light shine upon me, dispelling the darkness of despair and filling me with Your comforting presence. I thank You for Your faithfulness and the assurance that You are my refuge and strength in times of trouble. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
5. For Thanksgiving
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
I wrote a blog post 50 things that you can thank God for. So you’ll never run out of ideas. This is one of the many powerful prayers you can pray as this moves God to work on your behalf.
As the day draws to a close, I am certain that there is something to be thankful for. It doesn’t matter how small. This could be a joyful smile from someone, the morning light, or the fact that you’re safe.
Of recent, I found myself giving thanks for the difficult times because through them my faith is built. Remember each day is precious, so it is worth praising God about it.
6. For Guidance
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8
Have you ever been overwhelmed because you know where you’re supposed to be but don’t know how to reach it? Yep, the story of my life!
Whenever you face uncertain times, God is more than willing to guide and teach you. In fact, there is so a lot of wisdom you can get from the word to lead you in the right direction.
After the end of the day, see which area of your life you need God’s guidance and pray accordingly. Many times we have tough decisions and are scared to make the wrong choice.
But with this powerful prayer for guidance, you don’t have to think about a challenging tomorrow.
7. Strength for Tomorrow challenges
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
You may be wondering why should we pray about strength for tomorrow’s challenges. The reality we live in is that things don’t always go as planned.
I may be having a wonderful day and someone with a negative spirit can easily mess that up for me. So how do I deal with such experiences without sinning or losing faith? God reminds us that He will give us strength to deal with the evil one so we should not worry.
The real test is how we respond to these challenges but if you put the following day in God’s hand and ask him to strengthen you, He’ll do just that.
8. For Reflecting
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5
This verse encourages self-reflection and self-examination to ensure that your faith is strong. At the end of each day, before going to sleep, I take a few moments to reflect on my thoughts, words, and actions throughout the day. I ask myself if I have lived in accordance with the Word of God.
I would analyze my day to see if I have treated others with kindness and compassion, and if I honored God with my choices. This practice helps me to identify areas for improvement and to seek forgiveness and guidance through prayer.
Prompts to ask when praying and reflecting on the day:
- Did I show love and compassion to others today, as God commands?
- Did I act with honesty and integrity in all my dealings?
- Did I practice forgiveness and grace towards those who wronged me?
- Did I seek God’s guidance and wisdom in my decisions and actions?
- Did I take time to thank God for his blessings and provisions throughout the day?
- Did I spend time in prayer and meditating on God’s word?
- Did I ask for forgiveness for any sins or shortcomings that I may have committed?
- Did I seek to serve others and be a light for Christ in all that I did?
- Did I express gratitude and praise to God for his faithfulness and love towards me?
- Did I surrender my worries and anxieties to God, trusting in his plan and provision for my life?
Final Statements on End-of-Day Prayer
In wrapping up this article on powerful prayers to say before bed, remember that this is the quietest time of day to reflect and give thanks to God. Evening prayers are just as important as morning prayers. You want to start the day with God and end with Him.
If your goal is a restful night then pray! Whether you follow a structured prayer devotion or have a full-blown bible study, your dreams and nights will be peaceful.
