A prayer for the end of the day gives you words to bring your unfinished work, your worries and your tiredness before God as the light fades. Pray it in the evening, once the house is quiet or when you lie down to sleep. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Prayer for the End of the Day
Father, the day is ending, and I bring it to you as it is. Some of it went well, and I thank you for those moments. Some of it went badly, and I confess the words I said too quickly, the patience I did not have, and the things I chose to worry about instead of trusting you. Forgive me, and help me rest in that forgiveness tonight.
Lord, I am carrying tomorrow already: the calls I need to make, the bills on the table, the conversation I have been putting off, and the people I love who are hurting in ways I cannot fix. I cannot solve these tonight. Take them from my hands and hold them yourself. Give me only what I need for the next hour, and trust me with the rest.
Thank you that you do not sleep, and that you keep watch over my home and the people in it while I rest. Quiet my mind, settle my body, and let me lie down without rehearsing every problem again. Wake me in the morning with fresh mercy, as you promised. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, the day is done, and I am tired. Take what I could not finish and what I did not do well, and forgive me where I fell short. Hold the people I love and the worries I cannot carry tonight. Let me rest in you, knowing you are awake and faithful. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, the LORD alone, make me live in safety.
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Pray this verse slowly as you settle into bed. Name your fears one at a time, and then say the words of the psalm back to God as a statement of trust that you can rest because he is the one keeping watch.
Psalm 127:2
It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil; for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
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Read this psalm when you feel guilty for stopping work. Thank God that your rest is a gift he gives, and ask him to help you stop striving when the day is over.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Bring your weariness to Jesus in the words of this invitation. Tell him specifically what has worn you out today, and ask him to give you the rest he offers.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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When the day has been hard, pray these lines to remember that God’s mercy is not used up by yesterday. Ask him to show you his faithfulness again when you wake up.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
(WEB)
Take the worries you listed in your prayer and hand them over one by one. Say the name of each worry to God and ask him to take it, since he cares for you.
How to Pray This Prayer
Pray this prayer in the last quiet part of your evening, after the dishes are done or once the lights are low, and before you pick up your phone for the night. Sit or kneel beside your bed, or stand at the kitchen sink where you can see the room. If it helps, open your hands in your lap as you pray, as a physical way of setting down what you have been holding all day.
If you share a home, you can pray this prayer together with a spouse, a roommate or a child who is old enough to join in, taking turns reading a paragraph each. You can also pray it for someone else who is struggling, using their name in place of the word “I” for the first paragraph and asking God to carry them through the night.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord keep you through the night and meet you again in the morning. May he quiet every worry that has followed you home, and give you rest that is deeper than sleep. May his peace guard your heart and the hearts of the ones you love.
