Just as we pray in the morning before we start our day, whether for work, school or whatever agenda we have, it is ideal that we also pray to God as our day ends. Just as we depend on God in the morning for the day that we are about to face, we thank God for the grace and mercy He has given us.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the day that I had today. Thank You for sustaining me and giving me the graces and mercies I needed to get through it. I pray that I shall have a refreshing rest. Keep my family and me safe as we all go to sleep. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
How To Pray Before Bed
Why do you pray to God before going to sleep?
While there is no precise biblical command that we should pray to God before going to sleep, there is sufficient reasoning as to why we should. First, God commanded us to pray to Him. In Philippians 4:6-7, God tells us to present our prayer requests to Him, and His peace, which transcends all understanding, shall guard our hearts and minds. In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus has guidelines on how we should pray, and He used the phrase “and when we pray . . .” Note that He didn’t say “if we pray.” He used “when,” which implies that we are expected to pray.
There is no specific command to pray at night before sleeping, but we should take note that the Bible commands us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and might, as written in Deuteronomy 6:5. Coupled with the commandment that we should have no other gods besides God, that also means we are to love God above everything else. Before sleeping, we usually spend 15 minutes scrolling through our social media, watching an episode of our favorite show, or doing other things, even essential things. So, there is no reason we cannot set a time to pray to God before sleeping. If we love God above all else and with all of our being, we will make time for Him. Everything in our lives adjusts for God, not the other way around.
Another reason why we should pray to God before going to sleep is that it is a time we get to commune with God and spend time with our Heavenly Father. Praying to God is coming before His throne of grace, as written in Hebrews 4:16. When we commune with God in prayer, we are the ones who benefit from it.
The Holy Spirit can sometimes speak to us through dreams, as written in Job 33:14-15. Though the authority of the Scriptures is still higher, there are moments when the Holy Spirit gives us dreams, and we need the ability to understand or remember them. That is also something that we can pray to God for.
Also, when we sleep, spiritual warfare might take place. In Ephesians 6:12, it is written that we do not just wrestle against flesh and blood but also with spiritual forces of darkness. That is why we sometimes have nightmares. However, we should remember that God, Who is in us, is greater than the enemy, who is of the world. We can pray to God for protection as we sleep and trust Him that He watches over us, His sheep, as we sleep soundly.
However, in the end, the most important reason we should pray before going to sleep should not be because it is a command and because we benefit from it. It should be because we delight in doing it because of our relationship with God. In 1 John 5:2-4, it is written that for the children of God, His commandments are not burdensome.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I always see praying before sleeping as something that I delight in and am excited about doing. Give me the discipline to put You above everything else and pray to You. Thank You because praying to You is a privilege You have given through Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
How To Pray Before Bed
How do we pray before going to sleep?
A good start in praying before going to sleep is thanking God for the day or even the days just past. Whether you had a good or a bad day, there are always a thousand things you can thank God for. You never know, but even if you had a bad day at work, God may have spared you from an accident going home, for example. The point is there are always a million things that God has been doing for us that we are both aware of and unaware of. The fact that you can live another day and be able to come home is in itself something to be thankful for. As written in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are to rejoice always and give thanks to God in all circumstances. You do this by thinking of the things you should thank God for that happened during the day and thank Him in prayer before going to sleep.
Father in heaven, thank You for giving me the strength to deal with our problems at work. I also thank You for keeping me safe from any accidents as I drove back home. Thank You for keeping my kids safe at school and providing the food we could eat today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
How To Pray Before Bed
Besides thanking God, before you go to sleep, you can also pray about matters concerning the next day and even the night that is about to come. What future concerns do you have? As you come up with those, present them to God in prayer. It could be to keep your family safe from burglars as you sleep. Or perhaps for grace as you face another day at work the next day. Whatever concerns you have, you can lift them to God in prayer.
Heavenly Father, I pray that You would keep my family and me safe as we sleep during the night. Protect our home from evil intentions. I also pray that tomorrow will be another great day. Give me the strength to face tomorrow and be productive at work. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
How To Pray Before Bed
It is essential to note that prayer is one of the undeserved privileges that God has given to us. Not only do our prayers not reach God if we are sinners, but we are also separated from Him because of our sins. It is through the finished work of Christ on the cross that the dividing wall of hostility between God and us has been broken down so we are adopted as God’s children. Such privilege is available for those who believe in the Gospel of Christ and repent. Not only can we pray to God, but also, we can call God our Heavenly Father.