How To Pray Before Going To Bed

Praying before we go to sleep is a good practice for us to maintain. We come before God in prayer and commune with him after a long day, whether at work, school, home, or somewhere else. We pray to God before we go to bed, not out of our routine but out of delight. Like husbands sharing with their wives how their day went, or kids sharing with their parents how school was, we are to share how our day was with God. In other words, we do it because we are in a relationship with God, who is our Heavenly Father in Christ. We pray to God because God has first commanded us to pray to Him. God is the God that we worship, and praying to Him is one of the ways that we worship Him. But also, we should remind ourselves that we pray not just because God commanded us to pray but also because we delight in spending time with God and talking to Him. Just as children delight to spend time with their parents, so should it be when it comes to God and us. If we have been adopted as God’s sons and daughters, then we will desire the things that children of God desire, and one of those is to commune with Him.

Why should we pray before going to bed?

First, we should pray before going to bed because God commanded us to pray, as mentioned a while ago. If indeed we worship God, we will communicate with Him. And the way we communicate with God is through prayer. In Matthew 6:6, when Jesus was teaching about praying in secret, and not in the open to impress other people, Jesus said, “But when you pray.” He didn’t say, “if we pray,” as if that were an option, but He said, “when we pray.” It indicates that we are expected to pray to God. 

Matthew 6:6

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Many things happen when we talk to God in our prayers. One is that we get to pour out our souls before God. That is one of the good reasons why we should pray before going to bed. We can pour our hearts out to God if we have had a terrible day at work, school, or somewhere else. We can freely pour out our hearts before God and talk to Him about anything and everything. We humans always need someone to talk to regarding trials, difficulties, and problems. While we have our family and friends in whom we can confide, we should also confide in God. Our family and friends are not there with us every second, but God is. The Bible says that as we present our requests to God – whether those are fears, anxieties, confusion, etc. – the peace of Christ, which transcends all understanding, shall guard our hearts and minds in Christ.

Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As you talk to God, you can also reflect on the things that happened throughout your day. For example, if you fought with someone at work, you might think about why the situation led to a fight. Was it because you failed to do something? Was it your lack of patience? Were you already holding a grudge against the person you haven’t dealt with for a long time? As you ponder those things that happened during the day before going to bed, you also realize things. For example, suppose you realized when pondering that because you’d held a grudge toward a person for a long time now, that led to the fight. In that case, you can pray to God to give you the grace to let go of that bitterness, forgive the person for whatever offense he or she did to you, and show mercy. 

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Another reason why we should always pray before going to bed is that prayer is one of the means of grace that God has ordained. There are several means God has instituted for us to receive grace. Some of those are reading the Bible, fellowship with fellow believers, breaking the bread (communion), and others. If we need God’s grace – for example, grace to live a pure and holy life – how can we do that if we don’t even pray and read our Bible and connect with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? It is essential to keep our spiritual disciplines as Christians because this is also where we get to grow in our sanctification. One of the best ways to keep the spiritual discipline of praying to God is by praying before going to bed. If we can spare ten minutes scrolling through our social media, we can surely make time to pray to God and converse with Him before going to bed.

1 Timothy 4:7–8

7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

How to pray before going to bed?

The reasons we should pray before going to bed will serve as our guide on how we can pray to God at this time. One of the things that we have mentioned is that prayer is when you can pour out your heart before God. If something terrible happens in your day, you can pour it out to God. A great example of this is King David, who always cried out to God, as seen in Psalms. Pouring your heart out to God does not necessarily mean you are talking to God about just the bad things. You can also talk to God about the good things in life. If you are a single professional and there is a person you met that day that you like, you can talk to God about it. Also, if there are plans that you have for the upcoming days or weeks ahead, you can converse with God about them and pour your heart out. Praying to God and pouring your heart out to Him means talking to God about anything. Praying and talking to God is like talking to your family or a friend, though we revere God for He is God. We also talk to God as His children, for He is our Heavenly Father. We also have to remember that we can now come before God’s throne of grace and ask Him for grace and mercy in Christ.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Besides praying about anything to God – whether you have anxieties, fears, plans, something you are desiring, or anything that you would like to talk to God about – it is also important to pray prayers of thanksgiving. No matter what happened throughout your day, even if you had a bad day, there is always something to be grateful to God for. One you might consider could be that you were still able to have a good meal during the day. Another is that you were able to go to work, school, or your destination and return home safely. You have to thank God even more so if something happened in your day that is worth celebrating. Whatever good thing happens in your life, all credit belongs to God, Who works all things. The Bible teaches us that no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in, even times of difficulties and hardships, we are to rejoice always and give thanks to God, for it is God’s will. No matter what circumstance it is in, a grateful heart is evidence of a heart that the Holy Spirit has changed.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Here is an example of how you can pray to God before going to bed:

Heavenly Father, You are the God Who looks after me and sustains me. You are always with me. I had a hard time dealing with all the problems I had at work today. I pray that by the end of this week, my colleagues and I shall be able to solve these problems. Also, Father, tomorrow I will be meeting with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that we will have a fruitful fellowship and enjoy each other’s company. Thank You for all the grace and mercy that You have given me today; that I was able to keep up with my work, eat, and even arrive back home safely. As I go to bed, give me a refreshing rest and protect my loved ones and me from any harm while sleeping. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Indeed, God has commanded us to pray to Him, and we should obey His commandments. However, if we are in Christ and are adopted as God’s children, we will love God. If we love God, we will never see His commandments as burdensome but rather as things we delight in doing. That includes delighting in spending time in solitude with God and talking to Him before we go to bed.