Night Prayer: Short Prayers to End Your Day With God

A short night prayer you can pray right now

If you're already in bed and the lights are off, start here. Pray it slowly, in a whisper or in your head, and change any line so it fits your day.

"Father, thank you for this day, for the good parts I noticed and the ones I missed. Thank you for food, for the people who carried me, and for getting me this far. Forgive me for the words I wish I could take back and the things I left undone. I can't solve everything tonight, so I'm putting it in your hands. Watch over the people I love. Give me real rest, and wake me ready for whatever tomorrow brings. In Jesus' name, amen."

That's all it takes. A night prayer doesn't need to be long or polished. God isn't waiting for perfect words at the end of a long day.

Night prayers for different needs

Every evening feels different. Some nights you're grateful, some nights you're worn out, and some nights your mind won't stop. Here are ten short prayers for the nights you're likely to have. Pray the one that fits, or borrow a line from another.

To give thanks for the day

"Lord, before I close my eyes, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the small mercies I barely noticed: a kind word, a meal, a moment of quiet. Even on an ordinary day, you were with me. Help me fall asleep grateful. Amen."

For peaceful sleep

"Father, my body is tired and my mind is still running. Quiet me. Slow my thoughts and ease my breathing. You're awake while I sleep, so I don't have to keep watch tonight. Give me deep, restful sleep. Amen."

When worry keeps you awake

"Lord, I can't stop thinking about it, and you already know what it is. I've turned it over again and again, and lying here won't solve it. So I'm giving it to you for the night. Hold it until morning, and hold me too. Amen."

If anxiety follows you into the morning as well, these prayers for anxiety before work may help.

For forgiveness at the end of the day

"Father, as I look back on today, I see where I went wrong. I was impatient, I said things I shouldn't have, and I ignored what I knew was right. I'm sorry. Thank you that your mercy is bigger than my worst moment. Help me make it right tomorrow. Amen."

For your family and children

"Lord, I bring you my family tonight. Watch over my children while they sleep. Calm their fears, heal what hurts, and protect them in body and heart. Where we were short with each other today, bring us back together. Thank you for each one of them. Amen."

For someone who is sick

"Father, I lift up the person I love who is sick tonight. You know their pain better than I do. Give them rest, ease their body, and give wisdom to the people caring for them. Be close to them in the long hours of the night. Amen."

After a hard day

"Lord, today was hard. I'm tired and discouraged, and I don't have much left. I don't need to pretend with you. Thank you for carrying me through it. Let tonight's rest start to repair what today wore down. Amen."

For tomorrow's work or school

"Father, I don't know everything tomorrow will bring, but you do. I give you the meetings, the classes, the conversations and the tasks I'm dreading. Help me rest now instead of rehearsing it all. Go ahead of me into tomorrow. Amen."

When you're too tired to pray

"Lord, I'm too tired for many words. You know my heart. Thank you. Keep me. Amen."

If prayer has felt empty for a while, not just tonight, read our guide on praying when you feel spiritually dry.

A prayer of surrender

"Father, I'm letting go of this day. What went well, I give back to you with thanks. What went wrong, I leave with you. I can't control the night or tomorrow, but I trust you with both. Into your hands I put my life. Amen."

Psalms to pray at night

The Psalms are full of prayers for the night. Read one of these slowly before you sleep, then say it back to God in your own words. These are quoted from the King James Version.

• Psalm 4:8: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."
• Psalm 91:1–2: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."
• Psalm 121:3–4: "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
• Psalm 63:6: "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."
• Psalm 139:11–12: "If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."

Psalm 4:8 is a good one to memorize. It's short enough to pray with your eyes closed. If praying the Psalms helps you, try the same habit at the other end of the day with praying the Psalms in the morning.

A simple shape for your own night prayer

You don't need a script. If you want your own words, this simple shape works on almost any night:

• Thank God for one or two specific things from today.
• Look back on the day honestly, and confess what you need to.
• Name the worries you're carrying, and hand them over one by one.
• Pray for someone else: a family member, a friend, someone who is struggling.
• Rest. Tell God you trust him with the night, and let yourself sleep.

Some people like to write a few lines before turning off the light. If that sounds like you, our guide to keeping a prayer journal shows how to start small.

If you share a room and need to pray quietly, our tips for reading the Bible when you share a bedroom apply to prayer too. And if your "night" happens in the morning because you work late shifts, see Bible reading for night shift workers.

Night Prayer in church traditions

Some Christian traditions pray a set office at the end of the day, often called Night Prayer or Compline, with its own psalms and prayers. If that's what you're looking for, your church or prayer book will have the order it uses. This page is about personal prayer: short, simple words you can pray before you sleep.

End the night ready for the morning

One of the best things you can do at night is make the morning easier. After you pray, take a moment to set tomorrow's alarm in Koum, so your day starts with Scripture instead of your phone's notifications.

In Koum, you choose your alarm time, your Scripture source and how you'll prove the verse. You can set more than one alarm, each with its own time, repeat days, Scripture source and proof method. In the morning, the alarm stops when you prove the day's verse by scanning an open physical Bible, speaking it aloud or typing it. There's no snooze. Then your Morning opens into Prayer, where you can write or dictate a prayer and say Amen when you're ready, followed by a devotional and your journal.

Your prayers and journal stay in your private iCloud, never on Koum's servers, and you don't need an account or email.

If you're not sure what time to choose, read what time to set your Bible alarm, and our step-by-step alarm setup guide walks you through it. When the morning comes, start with these short morning prayers.