This night prayer for my children is for the close of the day, when the house has gone quiet and you want to commit your kids to God before you sleep. Pray it at bedtime, at the bedside, or in the hallway after the last light goes off. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak the names and worries that are on your heart tonight.
Night Prayer for My Children
Father, thank you for this day with our children. Thank you for the laughter at breakfast, the homework finished at the kitchen table, the scraped knee that was kissed and made better, and the small kindnesses we saw them show to others. Some of the day was hard, and some of it we did not handle well. Forgive us where we fell short, and forgive them where they did. Teach us all to rest in your forgiveness tonight.
Now we lay them in your hands. Watch over them while they sleep. Guard their bodies from sickness and accident, their minds from fear, and their hearts from the lies that the world is so quick to tell them about who they are. Be near to the one who struggles to fall asleep and to the one who wakes from bad dreams. Give them a sense of your presence in the dark, so they know they are never alone. Keep the friends they trust, the teachers and coaches who guide them, and the future they cannot yet see.
We give you our worries about school, about friendships, about money, about the choices they will face tomorrow and years from now. We do not have to carry all of it alone. Let us sleep in your peace and wake to your mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, you know each of our children by name. Keep them safe tonight, give them rest, and surround them with your peace. Guard their hearts and minds while we sleep, and help them wake knowing you love them. Thank you for today, and we trust tomorrow to you. 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.
(WEB)
Pray this verse over your children as you tuck them in, asking God to give them the rest that only he can give, so that they can lie down without fear and sleep deeply.
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.
(WEB)
This verse reminds you that your children’s sleep and your own are gifts from God, and you can release the pressure to keep everything under your control. Pray it when you feel anxious about the next day.
Psalm 121:7-8
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
(WEB)
Use this promise of protection as you pray for your children’s going out and coming in. Ask God to guard their lives now and in every season ahead, whether or not you are there to watch over them.
Isaiah 54:13
All your children will be taught by the LORD; and your children’s peace will be great.
(WEB)
Pray that your children would be taught by the Lord, not only in what they learn at school but in the deeper wisdom of faith. Ask God to give them peace that grows along with their understanding.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
(WEB)
Bring this proverb before God as you pray for the path your children are walking. Ask him to guide their steps, to shape their character, and to draw them toward the good things he intends for them.
How to Pray This Prayer
Many parents find the end of the day the easiest time to pray, when the phones are put away and the lights are low. Stand or kneel beside each child’s bed for a moment, and place a hand on their shoulder or back while you speak. If they are old enough, let them pray a line or two with you. Keep it short on the nights you are exhausted; God hears a tired whisper as clearly as a long prayer.
If you are parenting with a spouse or another adult in your home, pray the prayer together, taking turns with the names of each child. You might also ask a grandparent, a friend, or a church small group to pray for your children on the nights you are apart from them. Keeping a simple list of their concerns on your nightstand can help you remember what to lift up as you pray.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord bless and keep each child you love. May he make his face shine upon them and be gracious to them. May they rest tonight in his peace, wake tomorrow in his mercy, and grow up knowing that they belong to him.
