This page offers daily prayers for police officers, written for the officer who wants to bring the weight of the job to God before, during, or after a shift. Pray it at the start of your day, in the car before you clock in, or at the end of a long night when you need to set something down. You can read the prayer aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak the words that come to you in your own language.
Daily Prayers for Police Officers
Lord, I come to you before I step out the door. You know what this shift will hold, even though I do not. Go ahead of me to every call, every traffic stop, every knock on a stranger’s door. Give me clear eyes to see what is actually happening, not only what I fear is happening. Steady my hands and my voice when adrenaline wants to take over. Let my first response be calm, honest, and fair, and let my judgment be wiser than my instincts when they run hot.
Protect my body and the bodies of my partners. Watch over my family while I am gone, and let my spouse and children feel your nearness when they wonder where I am. Keep me from carrying the hard things home in a way that hurts the people I love. When I see things that are heavy, grief and violence and cruelty, give me a place to bring them to you so they do not harden me. Remind me that the people I serve are people you love, including the ones who are angry at me, scared of me, or in the worst moment of their lives. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, I am heading into this shift needing you. Be with me on every call and in every hard choice. Give me wisdom, steady hands, and a calm heart. Protect my partners and my family while I am away. Help me treat everyone I meet with honesty and dignity, and bring me home safely to the people who are waiting for me. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(WEB)
Pray this when a call turns dangerous and you need to remember where your refuge is. Ask God to be the place you run to in your mind before your body has to act.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
(WEB)
Use this when you face a decision with incomplete information, which is most of the job. Ask God to guide your judgment in the moments when there is no time to think things through.
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)
Pray this for your coming and going, especially on night shifts and long drives. Ask the Lord to keep you and your partners safe as you leave and return.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
(WEB)
Let this guide how you treat people who are hard to like or hard to trust. Ask God to make you fair, merciful, and humble in every interaction, especially when power is in your hands.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
(WEB)
Pray this when fear begins to settle in after a hard call or a long stretch of bad news. Ask God to remind you that you are not facing the night alone.
How to Pray This Prayer
Many officers find it helps to pray the main prayer in the car before the shift starts, with the engine off and the radio quiet. Keep your hands still on the wheel or rest them on your knees, and let the words settle before you turn the key. If you have a few minutes at the end of a shift, pray the shorter version in the parking lot before you walk inside your house, so that you carry less of the day through your front door.
You can also share this prayer with a spouse, a chaplain, a trusted partner, or a friend who knows what your job costs. Ask them to pray the blessing over you before you leave, or pray it together when you return. Praying with someone else makes it harder to carry the weight alone, and it reminds you that the people who love you are standing with you too.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord go before every officer on this shift and walk beside each one through every call. May he steady their hands, sharpen their judgment, and guard their hearts from cynicism and despair. May they return home whole, and may their families feel the peace of God on the doorstep. The Lord keep you and bring you home.
