Bedtime Prayer from the Bible
“Mommy, I’m scared of the monster in the closet!”
“Well, Sweetheart, it can’t bother you because Jesus is keeping you safe,” I soothe.
A pause and he cries, “I’m still scared.”
Hmm, I think it’s time to start teaching him how to connect with Jesus himself, and it will not hurt to pray something God will want to answer because each idea is found in His Word.
Here is the version I am using tonight:
Dear Father,
I pray tonight for _____________ (my kids, our Compassion International girl, neighbor kids; family).
Please, send them sweet sleep that you give those you love. (Proverbs 3:24, Psalms 127:2)
Bind and rebuke Satan’s power so he won’t be able to hurt or deceive them. (Matthew 12:29, Jude 9, I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 11:3)
I ask that You would help them quickly get caught before sin has a chance to grab hold of them and destroy their lives. (Numbers 32:23, James 1:15, Galatians 6:8)
I pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Give them wisdom, counsel, gratitude, and humility. May they have courage, forgiveness, contentment, knowledge, understanding, and truth. I ask that they fear the Lord, have a sound mind, and the power they need to be more like Jesus every day. (Galatians 5:22, Isaiah 11:2, Ephesians 5:18-20, I John 5:6, II Timothy 1:7; II Corinthians 3:18)
Send Jesus with His mighty sword and His guardian angels to watch over and keep them safe all night and all day. (Revelation 19:15, Revelation 5:2, Matthew 18:10)
I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Evergreen and Deep
I have kept this prayer time with my children for more than a decade. Sometimes, their Daddy is home and handles bedtime, but most of the time it is me tucking in the kids. The prayer has gotten longer since that first night because I have added children or requests, as they’ve gotten older, that God would catch them early in their sin. Each year, as I read through the Bible, I watch for characteristics of the Holy Spirit to add; then I plug each thought in as I remember them.
Since I have the prayer memorized, there are many nights where my mind wants to be on autopilot. Often, it is a relief not to have to come up with something spiritual when my brain is fogged, or when life is pulling so hard at my thoughts that I struggle to stay focused on the requests I am making of God. For me, it helps to compress what I most want for my kids into a few phrases. I would rather work through my lack of focus than try to wing a prayer.
I have told the kids that my goal is to have them know these prayers so thoroughly that no matter where they are they can pray them for themselves, and know that Mommy is pleading on their behalf, too.
God has abundantly blessed these prayers.
Rarely do the kids come to me with nightmares, and not one of the little ones have been afraid of a monster in their room since I began these prayers. Around the time we started, I found myself struggling to not worry about my children’s future and safety. Asking for God’s daily protection has helped me relax in His power to work far beyond my limitations. There have been a handful of occasions where I have seen that angels have protected my little ones.
We still have the teen years to negotiate, but as of now their desire to live by God’s power has increased each year, and I am constantly reminded that God is ultimately the one in control, not me!
Cheri Fields is a 2nd generation homeschooler involved in learning and teaching at home since 1982. She currently teaches her seven kids in Michigan and has found ways to include them in the online ministry God has called her to, particularly as cohosts for their family’s podcast. You can find her at https://creationscience4kids.com. She is a member of the International Association of Creation and a graduate of the Institute for Children’s Literature.
