15 Benefits of Night Time Prayer for Kids (Praying for Kids at Night)

During last Sunday’s service, I engaged the congregation in bringing up our children in prayer. We discussed how praying for your kids at night builds discipline and encourages a routine among them. By the end of the service, we had identified the Benefits of Night Time prayer for kids.

Night-time prayer helps the kids develop a personal relationship with God the Father. Proverbs 22:6 implies, ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it’. This means that when we teach our children to pray, they learn to speak for themselves to the Father and receive His comfort. They also grow up in the right manner, basing their lives on what the Word of God taught them since they were children.

In this article, I invite you to join me as we discover the importance of instilling prayer in kids. We will also uncover the answers to questions such as, how we should teach children to pray before bed, and examples of bedtime prayers for children that they can use. Read on to find the answers.

Why is it important that kids pray before sleep?

When children pray before sleep, they create a relationship with their Heavenly Father. It is important to always ensure your child prays before bedtime so that even as they grow up, they will remain disciplined and morally upright and be accountable for their actions.

Proverbs 14:26 says, ‘Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children, it will be a refuge.’ This means that when a child is aware of God and His power in their life, he prays constantly at bedtime, and this encourages them to be confident that they are under the refuge of the Lord. In the book of John 15:7, the scripture also encourages people to remain in the Lord so that He, too, will remain in them. When we do this, he will grant us whatever we ask for. This applies to children who say a prayer during bedtime since they involve themselves in God’s ways, and He lifts them.

God is also able to lift His children when they go before Him as they go to sleep (James 4:10). The Word shows how Jesus loved children so much that He wanted all of them to be taken to Him, so He would grant them rest. When we teach the children to humble themselves before Him in prayer as they go to bed, he saves them from sin and makes them wise in His ways (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

How do you teach kids to pray before going to sleep?

Praying for Kids at Night
Teaching kids to pray before going to sleep. Image source: Pixabay

Teaching kids how to pray before going to sleep encourages them to awaken their faith in God and create a relationship with Him.

Keep it simple

A child’s mind is not fully developed to grasp everything at once. So it is good that when teaching her to pray before bed, you keep it simple in a way that they will understand. Ask them to talk to God as their friend as they go to sleep. They can begin by thanking God for the good things He has done for them during the day and telling Him what is in their hearts that evening. Teach your child that going before their Heavenly Father before they sleep will grant them what they desire. This way, they will know that they can count on God for a happy life.

Pray with Them

Constantly pray before your children as they retire to bed so that they can grasp how to speak to God. I remember during our church missions when we were training Sunday school children to pray before bed. The children would listen keenly to how we recite our prayers, and after a week, they were using the same words we had taught them to speak to God during their bedtime prayers.

Children are special, and they mimic almost everything we do. This is why it is important to do the right thing in front of them. Praying with them as they go to bed helps them learn how to communicate with God and borrow it from you naturally. So consistently say the prayer in front of them before they sleep so that they can learn and, eventually, say it by themselves during bedtime.

Have a routine

Ensure that there is a routine in your household for praying before bedtime. This way, even on those days that you forget, your child will remind you and will take the initiative to pray for themselves at night.

10 benefits of bedtime prayers for kids

There are various benefits of bedtime prayers for children. They include:

Creates routine

When we teach our children to pray before bed, it creates a prayer routine in our homes. Children are very keen when it comes to sticking to a routine, which is why it is important to teach them about prayer while they are young.

Builds a relationship between them and their Heavenly Father

When we teach the children to pray during bedtime, we encourage them to have a relationship with God. This lets the children understand that they can sleep peacefully because God is watching over them. It also helps them know that God is ready to hear them as they retire to bed and listen to what is in their hearts.

Keeps them morally upright

Proverbs 22:6 suggests, ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it’. This means praying at bedtime with your children helps to establish their core values so that even as they grow up, they know and understand what the scriptures imply is right and wrong. Praying before bedtime allows a child to engage in godly things. This takes the children’s minds away from earthly evil things that they saw others do during the day, and instead, they dwell on the Word and in prayer before they retire to bed.

Teaches them to be thankful

Teaching our children to pray during bedtime encourages them to be grateful for God’s provisions. We encourage them to mention everything they believe God granted them during the day, including how good the day had been and the wonderful activities they engaged in that day, and this makes them aware of how important their Heavenly Father is in their lives. In turn, they stay thankful in their evening prayer, even during the hard times that they may soon encounter in the future.

Helps a kid relax

When the children go to bed and pray before sleeping, they feel relaxed and calm. Bringing up a child in prayer makes them understand that God will grant them rest and peace of mind even as they close their eyes. Children who might be afraid of the dark are made comfortable after being prayed for because they understand that God guards them against any bad people around them.

Offsets negative feelings

Sometimes your child might have had a bad day, or his emotions were triggered by something in the cause of the day. This can be calmed by a bedtime prayer. Teaching our children to pray before bed allows them to learn self-control, whereby their emotions will be managed. They understand that their Father in Heaven grants them peace and calms their negative feelings that they got during the day.

Helps Children be Compassionate and Forgiving

When we teach our children to go before God at bedtime, they understand in their little minds that there is a man much greater than anyone else, whom they must go before, and present their problems as they go to sleep. For this reason, they humble themselves before the Lord. They also understand that God would not want them to act uncontrollably or badly toward others, so they ask for forgiveness for how they treated others during the day. Additionally, they understand other peoples’ struggles and become compassionate, praying for those whom they had pity on during the day.

Builds Faith in God

Children who pray at bedtime hold on to their faith in God. The children pray diligently every night, trusting in Him for the things they think about and desire during the day. The nighttime prayers help them know that God’s plan for their lives is to give them the future that they hope for, only if they follow Him (Jeremiah 29:11). This helps them remain faithful to Him as they go about their duties during the day and trust Him to fulfil their desires when they talk to him at night.

Teaches Respect

Children who pray during bedtime grow to be respectful. A child understands that there is a supreme being whom he prays every night, who watches all his actions. This child understands that even in the dark, God watches him and sees all his deeds. For this reason, the child remains respectful to the Almighty and, equally, to his elders, in all that he does during the day so that they may pray about it at bedtime.

Strengthens Bond Between Child and Parents

When a child learns the routine of bedtime prayers, he will always look forward to this bonding time between himself and his parents. Prayer at bedtime allows the family to catch up and share stories of the Bible, as well as share in the unending love of God.

15 simple bedtime prayers for children

Benefits of Night Time Prayer for Kids
Bedtime prayers for children. Image source: Freepik

When we teach our children to pray, we build their faith in Jesus and encourage them to have a deep relationship with God. Bedtime prayers also give children peace as they sleep and help them understand that they are protected by God. This is why I have compiled these 15 simple bedtime prayers for children as a guide.

Prayer to say over your Children

Father, I thank you for my daughter. I thank you for blessing my child and granting her joy and peace in her life. As she goes to bed, may you grant her peace. Send your angels to guard her throughout the night and keep her safe and loved during the day tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen-Inspired by Pamela Palmer.

It is important to always say a prayer for our children. Let the children hear as we pray before they go to bed so that they can learn from us.

Heavenly Father, I pray for this child whom I love so much. Allow her to sleep throughout the night and be by her side even when she wakes up. May she also feel your love every day. And as she grows up, don’t leave her so that she can trust in you. Amen-Inspired by Kim Lugo.

Tell God what you desire for your child as she retires to bed. The Lord hears us, and He grants us our wishes.

Father God, I praise you for my son. I pray he would follow after you. I ask that you would protect him from all evil and harm and steady his steps. May he learn to follow your voice and hear your Word. Just like your people in the Bible, may my son be an example to believers in speech, purity, love, conduct, and faith. Protect Him during the night and send your angels to surround his bed, Amen. Inspired by (1 Timothy 4:12)

Mention scriptures as you say a bedtime prayer for your children, there is nothing as powerful as the Word of God.

Prayers for Toddlers

Lord, I thank You for the food that You fed us today and for Your protection. Bless me as I go to bed, bless my family too, and give us a new beautiful day tomorrow.

Toddlers may not have all the Words, so teach them to know the basics of prayer. As they go to bed, being grateful for their day and praying for a better one tomorrow is a powerful prayer.

Father God, thank you for taking care of me, my family, and my friends. Bless my sleep tonight, and take care of me until I wake up. Amen.

Let your child know that God hears them when they pray at night. They should also remember to pray for their loved ones every day.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me a fun day today with my friends. This night, help my body and mind rest. Help me have a good night’s rest and enjoy my day tomorrow, Amen-Inspired by Carson Cook.

As they go to sleep, your children should learn to ask God for what they need in prayer, and He will provide.

Prayer for Young Kids

Loving God, thank you for blessing our day today. Thank you that we went to school and returned home safely. I thank you for taking care of Mummy, Daddy, and me. As we go to sleep, please, Lord, guard us tonight. All this we ask, Amen.

Young kids can articulate more during their bedtime prayers, so teach them to mention their prayers, inclusive of everything they think should be prayed for.

Dear Loving Father in Heaven, help us tonight from the time we close our eyes until we open them tomorrow. Bless my parents with your love, and bless me too. Also, bless my teacher and classmates and help them to rise when they are well tomorrow so that I see them at school, Amen-Inspired by Pamela Palmer.

Teach your children to pray for others as well, even as they pray for themselves at night. This encourages them to know that they can uplift others in prayer.

Father, we thank you for the pleasant night you have given us, we are also grateful for rest, food, and care. Help us to do right as your Word encourages us to, and teach us to be kind and good to others in everything that we do-Inspired by Rebecca Weston.

Let your child trust God that her night will be peaceful because of Him. For this reason, she will pray to Him with thanksgiving in her life, for He is good.

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Inspired by (Matthew 6:9-13).

The Lord’s Prayer is also important during a child’s bedtime to-do list. Teach your kid the Lord’s Prayer as the first prayer she should learn to use when going to bed. It has so much power.

Prayer for Teens

Dear God, thank you that I can count on you to guide me. I am grateful that because of you, I had a good day. My prayer this evening is that I am battling peer pressure. I feel like my colleagues are engaging in the wrong activities that your Word condemns. Yet to be cool, I am pressured into doing what they do. I am afraid that I will make messes. Lord, help me not to follow people blindly. Teach me to have the strength to turn down wrong actions even when my friends insist that I do them. Teach me to boldly remain in your path and not the one that leads to destruction. Protect me and my family tonight, and allow us to see a new day tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen-Inspired by Natalie Regoli.

Teenagers battle with peer pressure every day. It is good to teach them that they can engage with God at bedtime because He is their friend, and speak to Him about their battles.

Lord, tonight I am before you, asking you to hold me and the emotions that overwhelm me. Sort my life on my behalf and only keep for me the good and true feelings. As I sleep tonight, walk in my dreams and renew my spirit. Because of your love, watch over me, dear Lord, Amen-Inspired by Lord’s prayer words.

Sometimes, teenagers are also overwhelmed with emotions, and they grow rebellious and are often misunderstood. This is why teaching your child to talk to God as they go to sleep is important since they can find solutions to these emotional confusions.

Prayer for Children Having a Hard Time Sleep

Dear Lord, today I had a difficult time at school. I felt bad about how the other children treated me. Sometimes I am lonely at school, and sometimes I hate how people talk badly about me. Lift my spirits, dear Lord. Help me to feel better and make me sleep well tonight. In Jesus’ name, I trust, Amen.

Teach your child to talk to God about how bad a day they had, to the point that they cannot sleep. God hears and grants them rest, promising them a better day on the next day.

Lord, I pray for my daughter tonight. She is restless, Father, and I don’t understand why. I pray against any sicknesses in her body or any fears her spirit may have. Your Word says in Psalm 3:5 that she will rest because God sustains her. Grant her rest Father, for you alone know what troubles her, Amen. Inspired by (Psalm 116:7).

A small child can be prayed for to get sleep on those nights that they grow disturbingly restless.

Lord, I can’t sleep tonight. I watched a bad movie, and I am scared. I have school tomorrow, and I am afraid that I might not be productive if I stay up late. Please, Lord, help me to sleep peacefully. Allow me to think about you in my sleep so that I can know that you are protecting me and I won’t have to be scared anymore, in Jesus’ name, Amen-Inspired by Lisa Loraine Baker.

Children are sometimes frightened or disturbed at night by unsettling things they experienced during the day. For this reason, they fail to sleep. A bedtime prayer can help them.

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