Being in the military is inherently dangerous work. Though you could be an administrator on a military base in a war-torn nation or a cook on a Navy ship, that does not necessarily mean you are 100% safe. There is always a chance that your base or ship will come under attack. Even if the chances or frequency of harm could be low, being able to get through the night without being attacked is already a blessing. Thus, a goodnight prayer would be helpful wherever you are serving in the military.
Father in heaven, just as I depend on You for safety and protection as I fulfill my duties in the military, I also pray that You would keep me safe and sound as I rest during the night in our barracks. I know I can sleep well despite the volatility of our situation because, in the end, You are the One Who holds all things. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Good Night Prayer for Military
What can you pray in the night as military personnel?
There are many things that you can pray for as military personnel. One is for your and your fellow soldiers’ safety and protection. As you pray for safety and protection, you pray for it precisely as you rest. While a military base or Navy ship is guarded 24 hours a day and respective defenses are employed, there are still risks. There is still a chance of rockets, missiles, explosives, or other kinds of harm where you are sleeping. That is why you pray for safety and protection as you go to sleep.
Praying for safety and protection is an act of trust toward God because when you are asleep, you are unconscious despite being trained to be sensitive, aware, and responsive to your surroundings. You are still in one of your most vulnerable states. So, praying to God is trusting that you believe in His protection even at such times. In Psalm 4:8, David writes that he shall sleep and lie peacefully because God makes him dwell in safety.
You can also pray for many other things before you sleep. You can pray for whatever upcoming endeavors or missions you have. For example, if you know that an extensive campaign will be executed in the coming week – a specific mission or even a high-stakes mission – you can pray about it before you sleep. You can pray for God’s grace upon the people involved in the campaigns or missions. You can even get more specific by praying for strength for the units that will be executing the mission, wisdom for the top-ranking overseers of the campaign or mission, and excellence for the intelligence-gathering personnel whose reports may make or break the mission and determine if there could be casualties.
When you pray as military personnel, not everything you pray for will be related to your military life. If you have concerns about things back home, such as your family or even personal concerns, by all means, bring them up to God. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, it is written that we are to humble ourselves and cast our cares or burdens on God. While being in the military trains you to become tough so that you can make it on your own and not be a dead weight for your team, it is not so with God. You can be vulnerable and humble toward God by acknowledging that you need His help and want to cast your cares and concerns to Him. God wants you to cast your cares, concerns, and burdens on Him because He cares for you.
Another good prayer point to have as you sleep is a prayer of thanksgiving toward God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul teaches us that we are to thank God because that is what His will is for us in Christ. No matter what hardships you are currently experiencing, whether personal or in your work as military personnel, there is always something to be grateful for. The fact that you are still alive even though you cannot go back home is already something to be grateful for. If you pause and observe your life, you will find a million things you can thank God for.
Last, you can pray for your excellence as you serve in the military. We are talking about excellence because, as a Christian, you ought to be the salt and light, as written in Matthew 5:13-16, by being competent in what you do. A good question to ask yourself is, Can unbelievers see Christ in the way I work? Being the salt to the world means making things better and preserving that which is good. One way we do that is by being competent in our service. It is how you can be a blessing to the nation and your fellow service members.
That also leads to our second point concerning being the salt and light to the world—praying for your military ministry. Doing ministry is not just the military chaplain’s job. As a Christian, you should minister to your fellow service members. You do it primarily by preaching the Gospel to them. You become the light by pointing people to the world’s light, Christ. It is vital to understand that this task is critical; knowing that military persons face life and death daily, it is all the more urgent to preach the Gospel to them. It is written in Acts 4:12 that one can be saved only by the name of Jesus.
Father in heaven, I thank You because as I serve in the military, I can cast my cares and concerns toward You since You care for me. Help me to be the salt and light here where I am deployed and to live above reproach by being competent in my work. Give me the grace to be bold in preaching the Gospel. Keep us safe through the night as we rest. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Good Night Prayer for Military
How can I pray a goodnight prayer in the military?
Usually, military persons are not alone in their rooms unless they are high-ranking officers. While it isn’t difficult to pray in solitude with God, with other people around you have to ensure you are not distracted. If you are, the best thing you can do is find somewhere around the base or ship where you won’t be sidetracked.
As you sleep, you pray a goodnight prayer by presenting to God whatever prayers you have for Him. We already mentioned above some of the prayers you can pray to Him. But, generally speaking, you pray by lifting to God whatever concerns you want to tell Him. In Philippians 4:6-7, it is written that we are to present our prayer requests to God, and His peace that transcends all understanding shall guard our hearts and minds. These things do not necessarily have to be your concerns; you can also converse about casual matters.
As you pray, you can take note of the points we gave above and use them as a guide. You can include praying for safety through the night, military initiatives, personal concerns, thanking God, and being the salt and light where you are. Below is an example of this goodnight prayer for those in the military:
Father in heaven, as we rest and sleep tonight, keep us safe and sound from attacks on our base. I pray for those on guard duty to do their jobs well as we sleep soundly. I also pray that everything will go smoothly during our upcoming missions for the next few days. I pray that there are no casualties and that the mission objective shall be attained. Keep my family safe back home as I keep our nation safe here. Help me maximize my service by preaching the Gospel to my teammates and being good at what I do. Thank You, Father, for all the mercies You have given me daily. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
If you are reading this and you are not in Christ, the most important thing you should hear is the Gospel. Christian military members are secure whether they pay the ultimate sacrifice in service or not because they have eternal life in Christ. For them, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. As they live, they live their lives for Christ; if they die, it is gain because they get to be with God. Such a thing is available only for those who have repented and believe in the finished work of Christ.
If you are not in Christ, you will receive the full wrath of God because of your sins. It is only through Christ that the penalty of your sin is paid. If you believe that Christ paid for your sins on the cross and commit to following Him, then in Him you shall receive eternal life and forgiveness. Christ took our sins and gave us His righteousness so that when God looks at us, He sees Christ. Only through Christ are we reconciled and adopted as God’s children. Your enemies in the military can destroy the body but not the soul; God can destroy both, and He has made forgiveness and eternal life available through His Son to anyone who would believe in Him.