Quiet time with God before bedtime is a great way to make sure you connect with our heavenly father after a busy day, and this can also be an important way to also make sure your children end their day with God, seeking Him, and building their relationship with Him. While kids love their Bible stories, they will also love it if you pray with them at night. This will show them that you are always there to help bring them closer to the Lord, and it will also speak of your commitment to pray every night. Let nighttime prayer be a habit your child/children develop so they can continue doing so as they grow older.
Here are three beautiful bedtime prayers to say with your child:
Simple Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; may God guard me through the night and wake me with the morning light. Amen.
If you are introducing your child to prayer, you can start off with this short one. Kids love rhyming words, so this one will be easy to remember. When your child grows older and is ready to recite more words, you can use the longer versions of this bedtime prayer. Here it is:
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take. If I should live for other days, I pray the Lord to guide my ways. Father, unto thee I pray, thou has guarded me all day; safe I am while in thy sight. Safely let me sleep tonight. Bless my friends, the whole world bless; Help me to learn helpfulness. Keep me ever in thy sight, so to all I say good night. Amen.
The prayer above is definitely longer and has more concepts in it. Make sure to takethe time to explain the sentences to your child before he/she tries to memorize it. This way, the prayer becomes more meaningful when he/she says it.
Thank You
Father, we thank thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light; For rest and food and loving care, and all that makes the day so fair. Help us to do the things we should, to be to others kind and good; In all we do, in work or play, to grow more loving every day. Amen.
The best way to end the day is to say a thank you prayer to the Lord. This will teach your child the importance of thanking the Lord for all the blessings and show appreciation. By being thankful to the Lord, this will teach your child not to take things for granted, may it be the food on your table or the beautiful trees in the neighborhood. Your child will be more aware of the blessings around him/her and realize how good the Lord is.
Protect Me
I won't fret and I won't worry. Instead I'll hurry to pray. I'll turn my problems into petitions and lift my hands in praise. I'll say goodbye to all my fears. His presence sets me free although I may not understand I feel God's peace in me. Amen.
For many kids, nighttime and the dark can be a little scary from time to time. They don't want to be left alone in their bedrooms, and also they have various things that can create stress for them at night, and also in the coming days. We can forget how daunting it can be for a little one to go to school each day, interacting with so many different children and adults in so many different new situations.
So, teach your child about this protection prayer. This prayer will teach your child to lift up his/her fears to the Lord. He/she will realize early on that God is our ultimate protector. As long as God protects us, one should not be scared.
God is delighted when you introduce Him to your children while they're young. He is even more pleased when kids learn how to pray as they talk to God directly. Even if they pray for small trivial things, if it is important to them it is important to their heavenly father, and He wants to hear about their worries, concerns and desires. What's important is for the kids to learn that God always listens, always loves them, and will always protect them if they put their faith and love in Him.
