10 Prayers for Kids to Say Before Bed

Discover simple, fun, and powerful bedtime prayers for kids that you can teach or say along with your children before you say goodnight each day.

Everyone looks forward to nighttime because it is when you can finally get some peace and quiet after the stress of the day. For many Christian parents, it is also a time to lead their kids in prayers before bed.

Creating that routine of saying goodnight prayers before they fall asleep brings your children closer to God. It is also a great opportunity for your kids to learn more about Him, the supernatural real angels that look after them, and all they need to know to build their faith in God’s love.

These simple prayers help your children grow to see God as a close friend and this prompts them to trust Him wholeheartedly, even as they build a good prayer habit.

It is also a beautiful way for you to bond with your kids and get to understand them better.

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10 Popular Bedtime Prayers For Kids

The Lord’s Prayer

Like Jesus teaching His disciples to pray, this prayer is a great way to teach your kids the basics of prayer before bed- praise to God, gratitude, living for God’s kingdom, daily needs, forgiveness, and faith.

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name. 

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. 

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 

Amen.

Short Bedtime Prayer

A short children’s prayer for you to say together with your kids before they go to sleep. They can simply repeat the blessing after you as you pray together before bedtime.

Dearest Father,

Bless my mum, bless my dad and my siblings too.

Forgive me for all the bad things I did today. Help me not to do them again.

Watch over me as I go to sleep,

And when I wake up, guide me all day.

Bless my friends and teachers at school.

And bless the whole world so that everybody can be happy.

Powerful Night Prayer

This is a short bedtime prayer to speak blessings over your kids.

Parents can say this blessing over their children before they fall asleep.

Lord, 

I bless my children with every spiritual blessing.

I pray that Your hand of protection follows them all their lives.

Let Your favor constantly walk with them.

May they never know lack but only abundance all of their days.

Let the joy and peace of the Lord constantly fill their hearts.

The works of their hands are blessed and they stand out amongst others.

They will not grow weary in serving You but live lives that You delight in.

May they come to a revelation of Your love for them and show this love to others.

They will fulfill the purpose for which You have so beautifully and fearfully created them.

Shield them from the evil of this world and let their lights shine forth in every darkness.

Thank You, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer For A Peaceful Sleep

This is for when your child can’t seem to fall asleep for any reason. Teach them to say this prayer to help them relax and focus on the fact that God is with them.

God,

I’m about to go to sleep again. Sometimes I get bad dreams and get very scared. But mommy and daddy say that You are stronger than any monster.

I believe You’re the strongest person in the whole wide world.

So I’m asking You to protect me from all the bad things.

Help me to sleep really well today and not wake up because I’m scared.

Help me remember that You are always with me even when mommy and daddy are not here, so I don’t have to be scared.

Let Your angels watch over me as I put my head to sleep.

I love you, Jesus. Amen.

Gratitude Nighttime Prayer

This beautiful prayer of Thanksgiving is a great way to get your child aware of the many blessings that they should be thankful for each night before bed. They’ll go to sleep counting their blessings and filled with gratitude for all that they have.

Thank You, God, for the blessings today.

Thank You for my daddy and mummy who love me very much.

Thank you for the morning sun and the moon I see outside my window.

Thank you for my sisters and brothers.

Thank you for school and all my classmates and friends.

Thank you for all the food we have to eat and my toys.

And thank you, Jesus, for being my friend.

Thank You, God, for Loving Me!

There’s no better way to help your kids live in the awareness of God’s unfailing love than this bedtime prayer.  

Say this with them so that they can go to bed and wake up basking in the reality that they are deeply loved by God.

Thank you, Lord, because You love me so.

As long as the sun shines every morning and the moon shines at night, You love me.

Thank You for listening when I pray.

Thank You for Jesus who died for me.

Your love for me is bigger and wider than all the oceans of the world and even the sky.

Whether I’m good or bad, or sad or happy, You always love me and look after me.

And even when I’m not okay and don’t feel so good, You also love me just the way I am.

Prayer To Feel Safe in the Dark

Darkness can be a bit frightening for little children. Teaching them this kid’s prayer will help them understand that God is always with them, even on the darkest nights. Encourage them to say it anytime they feel scared when the lights go off.

Dear God,

Sometimes when mommy and daddy go to bed, I get scared because the lights are off.

My room looks really scary and I think there are monsters under my bed.

Please help me feel safe. Help me remember that if You are with me, I don’t have to be afraid.

Mommy and daddy say You are really shiny and bright so please be my nightlight.

Help me fall asleep and sleep till the morning when it’s bright outside too.

Thank you because You love me and You’re always listening to my prayers. Amen.

Short Prayer For My Daughter

Aside from teaching your children to talk to God before bed, it’s also important to pray for them. Use this short prayer to commit your girl child into the Lord’s hands.

Father,

I thank You for the gift of my daughter.

Thank You because she’s the most beautiful girl in the world and You’ve chosen to bless me with her.

Guide and protect her in everything she does. Teach her to walk in Your ways so that she can become the woman of purpose that You’ve called her to be. 

Help her to constantly discern good from bad, shun evil, and live to please You. Help her to be a light wherever she goes.

Tonight as she sleeps, send Your angels to watch over her and keep her. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Short Prayer For My Son

Bedtime blessings not only teach your son the importance of prayer but also show him how loved and important he is to you. You can use it to ask for God’s help in bringing your boy up and shaping him into the man of valor and integrity you’ll like to see him become.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for my son and for the gift of being his parent.

Father, I ask that Your eyes constantly watch over Him in all the ways that I can’t.

Keep him safe from every evil and give him the grace to stand firm in every trial.

May he triumph over every temptation that afflicts the boy child. Give me the wisdom to raise him right so that in the end, he will be all that You have formed him to become.

Breathe Your life into him again tomorrow morning so that he will wake up hale and hearty.

In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

A Short Bedtime Prayer For Protection

This is a short kids’ prayer asking their guardian angel to protect them as they sleep. It helps your child fall asleep with a sense of security.

My dear guardian angel,

Thank you for watching over me since I was born.

Please continue to watch over me when I sleep,

When I wake up,

When I go to school,

And even when I do my homework.

Always be at my side so that I can be strong.

Protect me from all the bad things and bad people.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Final thoughts 

At the end of a very long day, you’re probably almost desperate to get your children to bed, but it is very important to take a few minutes to give them a little background on the bedtime prayer for kids you’re about to say. 

You can carefully explain to them the meaning of each. Help them understand that they can always talk to God about anything going on in their lives. Help them know that He is always listening.