Do you often feel anxious or caught up in the worries of your day when lying down for sleep each night?
Bedtime prayers for protection are the best way to ensure a safe and peaceful night’s sleep. But,
- How do we pray for God’s protection over us while we are sleeping?
- What are the best bedtime prayers of protection to cover you and your family throughput the night?
The truth is that you can just ask God to keep watch over you. It doesn’t have to be an elorborate or difficult conversation. But, to make it easier for you, below you will find 4 powerful bedtime prayer examples to help you get started!
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Praying for Protection Before Going to Bed
How often do we pray for protection? We pray for protection for our kids, for traveling mercies, surgeries, and other similar things, right?
But what about praying for protection before we lay our heads down at the end of a long day? God’s protection doesn’t just stop at night when we go to sleep, and it’s good to ask for it!
We want to make sure we have protection EVEN in our sleep. Satan never rests! The Bible says he comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10 NIV). We are MOST vulnerable when we sleep, so by praying these prayers, we can make sure we are on guard.
Praying for peaceful dreams and a good night’s rest will help us be able to wake up for a new day to seek out the Lord and what He has planned.
So how do we know what kind of bedtime prayers of protection to pray? I am glad you asked…
Bible Verses for Bedtime Prayer
When you don’t know what to pray, what better source to go to than God’s Word?! There are so many verses about worry, sleep, and finding rest in the Lord.
Use these verses of scripture to meditate on as your pray bedtime prayers of protection over yourself and your family.
- “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV
- “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24 NIV
- “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2 NIV – *this whole Psalm is a GREAT one to repeat every night before you lay down!
- “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.” Psalm 3:5 NIV
- “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NIV
Proverbs 3:24 is a favorite here in our house. I pray this over my four-year-old daughter and help her learn to pray it on her own too for times when she wakes up scared.
I can honestly say that there have been multiple times she has told me she had sweet dreams of Jesus! Wow!!
There isn’t anything more comforting as a parent than to know that God hears our prayers for our kids, and He shows Himself to them as well.
Bedtime Prayers for Protection
What is a good bedtime prayer of protection to cover us while we are sleeping?
Now that we have a better idea of what the Bible says about praying for peaceful sleep, let’s look at some actual prayers we can repeat each night, depending on whatever sleep situation you are struggling with!
I would encourage you to read one or all of these Bible verses above, and then repeat these prayers after, depending on what you need at the moment.
Use this sample bedtime prayer of protection to keep you and your family safe from any type of danger that may come during the night while you are sleeping.
“Father, thank you for being the Great Protector. Thank you for always keeping a watch over us. We know the enemy likes to attack when we aren’t alert and on guard, so thank you for always being on alert, even when we are sleeping. I pray for you to cradle us in your mighty arms of protection tonight and keep us safe while we rest in peaceful sleep. Amen.”
Bedtime Prayer of Protection for Sleep and Healing
How many nights do we lay down and we NEED the mighty healing hand of God over our lives? Or maybe someone we know needs it as well.
Use this sample bedtime prayer of protection against the physical and mental things that prevent your mind and body from healing.
“Father God, I thank you for who You are. You are the great physician. Tonight, I need your healing hand over my life. Please heal (what you need healing for) in the mighty name of Jesus. There is no place for physical illness here, and I ask You to decrease the pain and increase more of You. I pray for a restful night’s sleep so I can use my body to do good works for you each and every day. Amen.”
Bedtime Prayer of Protection Against Insomnia
I used to be a fantastic sleeper, until recently. Between the stresses of life, raising a child, and day-to-day to-do lists, it is hard to shut my brain off at night.
I know you can probably relate too!
My heart goes out to those of you who struggle with sleeping and insomnia! God understands, and here is a prayer you can cry out to Him in those moments before bed so you can have a restful night’s sleep, no matter how many hours it is.
Use this sample bedtime prayer of protection against insomnia to help you fall into a peaceful slumber.
“Father God, I thank You for today, and the blessings You have given me. God, You know my desire to sleep and I lift it up to You. I pray against the spirit of insomnia over my life, and ask that You replace it with Your peace and rest.
I pray for the hours of sleep that I do get to help me feel refreshed and ready to do Your almighty will tomorrow. I thank You in advance for the sleep You will bless me with tonight. Amen.”
Bedtime Prayer for Family Protection While Sleeping
Praying for protection over yourself, your home, and your family is one of the most important things you can do. Here is a simple prayer to pray each night before bed; you can personalize it for each member of your family or for your home as a whole!
Use this sample bedtime prayer for family protection before you close your eyes:
“Father God, I thank You for the continued protection you have given me and my family. Holy Spirit I ask that You enter into this home and place Your hand over each of my family members. I pray for protection against the enemy in this home, even while we sleep.
I pray we have sweet dreams of You, and a restful night’s sleep. Thank You for Your protection, and help us wake up feeling encouraged and ready to live out another day for Your kingdom and glory. We love You and give You the praise, Lord. Amen.”
Are you looking for some tools and tips to boost your prayer life? If so, be sure to visit our Prayer Resources Library where you’ll find everything you need to become a powerful prayer warrior!
Pray these Powerful Bedtime Prayers of Protection!
I pray that after reading this, you feel more encouraged about praying bedtime prayers of protection! Remind yourself of these Bible verses and let God’s Words wash over you.
Whether you are dealing with insomnia, needing healing, or want to pray general prayers of protection over your family, keep this list on hand to refer back to when you need it. Happy sleeping!
Mindy blogs over at Mindy Jones Blog where she writes about Christian motherhood, encouraging and helping moms to raise godly kids.
