20 Best Bedtime Prayer For Kids

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Children praying is a simple but powerful habit that parents can teach their kids early on in life. Having a bedtime prayer for kids not only helps bring them closer to God, but it’s also a great way for you to bond with your kids in a meaningful and spiritual way. Though there are many different kinds of prayers for children to serve different purposes, one of the best powerful prayers for children is a prayer to say before bed. Much like other prayers, every family needs a bedtime prayer for kids as well.

What is a good prayer to say at night to your children then? Just like any other prayer, it all depends on intention. Whether you want your child to learn more about gratitude or wish for them to have the best night’s sleep, there is a bedtime prayer for kids that is sure to meet every child’s need. Here are 20 great night prayers for kids of all ages, and some that you can say to your children too.

1. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Prayer – The New England Primer

A classic bedtime prayer for kids that has several variations of its own, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is an excellent nighttime prayer to introduce your kids to the habit of praying before bed. Although simple, this prayer’s rhyming words make it an easy bedtime prayer for kids to remember.

Now I lay me down to sleep 
I pray the Lord my soul to keep. 
If I should live for other days, 
I pray the Lord to guide my ways. 
Lord, unto thee I pray, 
Thou hast guarded me all day; 
Safe I am while in thy sight
Safely let me sleep tonight. 
Bless my friends; the whole world blesses; 
Help me to learn helpfulness.
Keep me ever in thy sight, so to all, 
I say good night.

2. The Lord’s Prayer

There’s a reason why this is a prayer that many adults pray today. Beyond being a good bedtime prayer for kids, The Lord’s Prayer is a very meaningful one to teach your little ones how to pray.  After all, the Lord’s Prayer is Christ’s prayer, and there’s no better way to teach your kids how to pray than by teaching them the word of Christ.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.

3. Short Bedtime Prayer

Sometimes, keeping bedtime prayers short and sweet is the way to go. This short bedtime prayer is not only easy to remember but an effective one that they can pray on their own when they have bad dreams. So, teach your child this short but powerful prayer for peaceful sleep to reach them every night.

As I get ready for bed, please help ease the noisy thoughts in my head. I may wake up sometime in the night, but in the end, I know I’ll be alright. Please bless my family and those close to me that I love, for I know You’re always watching us up from above. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

4. Powerful Night Prayer

Having your kids repeat your prayers out loud is a great way for them to express their Christian faith. It eases them into declaring their pride as a follower of Christ through simplicity and humility. This is a powerful bedtime prayer for kids to say aloud as they repeat after you.

God of glory, God of light, I pray to You now in the night. I count all Your wonderful ways, that You may bless me through my days. You’re my help in times of trouble. When I call, You come on the double. I know Your name. I trust in You to guide me in everything I do. Make me strong to do Your will. I rest in You; now I’m still. Hear me now for Your name’s sake, watch over me until I wake. Amen.

5. Short Prayer For My Son

Prayer is a powerful and immediate way of showing love and affection to your children. While it is important to teach them bedtime prayers, it is even more important to pray for them. A thanksgiving bedtime prayer for your child is one of the best ways to express your love for them outwardly. 

Dear Lord, Thank You for blessing me with my son. I thank you for this wonderful gift of being a parent. Lord, watch over him every day. Lord, may you shine Your face upon him and keep him safe in Your arms. Bless him through life’s trials. Help him know right from wrong and to know that he is a child of God. I pray that he will have a good rest tonight and be refreshed tomorrow morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

6. Short Prayer For My Daughter

A good nightly prayer for your daughter is one that asks for guidance. This prayer for strength and guidance asks for the Lord’s wisdom and blessing – both in raising your daughter and for His intentions for her as she grows into a woman for Christ.

Father, You have given me the most precious gift in life. Keep my daughter safe in your angel’s watchful eye. Holy Spirit, fill her soul with faith and prepare her heart and mind for accepting you. Lord, please work through me to raise a child of God You will find favor inside our hearts so that our words and actions towards one another can be edifying and encouraging. Lord, please guide her every step each day forward until she sees You again. Amen.

7. Praying For My Family Prayer

Children praying with their families is a wonderful practice to establish early on. Not only do prayers for family strengthen your bond as a unit, it teaches children to pray for others beyond themselves as well. This is a good night prayer for kids of above three, as they can simply repeat after you as you pray together before bedtime.

Dearest Lord, thank You for my family. Thank You for my loving parents and my caring siblings. Please keep them safe from harm, and continue to protect us with Your amazing love. Thank you for giving us faith, and I pray that we always put You at the very center of our lives. May we grow as one loving family, a family that strives to do everything in Your name. Teach us to forgive one another because You are a forgiving God. All this we ask, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

8. Blessing Prayer For Children

Praying is an effective way of teaching your children how to be thankful for what they have. May this bedtime prayer be one that can remind both you and your children to count their blessings daily. 

Thank You, God, for all that I have. My parents, my family, and my friends are all blessings that You have given me. Please continue to shower me with Your love, for that alone is the greatest blessing I could ever have. Amen.

9. Prayer For A Peaceful Sleep

Some kids may struggle to fall asleep at night for various reasons. This prayer helps them ease their thoughts at the end of the day to refocus on  God’s love, which is true and everlasting, even as we sleep.

God, sometimes I get nightmares that wake me up in the night. But I know that You are more powerful than any bad dream. You are stronger and mightier than anything in this world so I have nothing to be afraid of. Help me to fall asleep quickly tonight and sleep until the morning. God, be my nightlight, forever a spark in the dark, to remind me I am never alone. Let me rest well in Your loving arms tonight and send angels to stand guard while I sleep, for all the days You have numbered me on Earth. Amen.

10. Bedtime Prayer For Protection

Many first prayers for children are directed to their respective guardian angels to teach them how to ask for protection through the night as they sleep. Here is one that you can pray together with your child. 

Angel of God, my guardian dear, please watch over me as I continue to be a child of Christ. Be ever at my side, to light and guard, and help me remain strong when facing challenges. Protect me from harm as I pray in the Lord’s name. Amen.

11. Short Children’s Prayer 

This bedtime prayer for kids is great for younger children who are still finding their footing in prayer. It also helps children to understand that God is like a friend who’d listen to them. 

Hi God, it’s me again. Thank You for a great day at school. I had a lot of fun in school and learned new things. But I also lost my temper today with a friend because we could not decide on what game to play. I hope that tomorrow we will be okay again. Thank You, Jesus, Amen.

12. Prayer For A Better Tomorrow

We all have our bad days, and it’s important to teach our kids that it’s okay to not be okay. This bedtime prayer for kids helps them find guidance in the Lord in order to pick themselves back up again and face tomorrow. Have them repeat this prayer after you. 

Heavenly Father, today wasn’t a good day, and I am not feeling okay. I don’t know what to do. So, if You can hear me God, please help me feel better so that tomorrow will be a better day than today. I know that You can help me feel better, God. Send Your guardian angels tonight so that I can have a good rest and have strength for tomorrow. Thank You, God, Amen.

13. Prayer For Gratitude

Praying is a simple but thought-provoking way of teaching your kids the concept of gratitude. Teach them how to thank God for everything He has blessed them with through this simple prayer.

Thank You, God, for creating this beautiful world for us to live in. The moon and the stars look so beautiful tonight! Thank You for blessing me with my family, and my friends and teachers in school. I thank You for this bed and this house too. Above all, thank You for loving me everyday. I hope to love You more too. Help me to have a good rest tonight. Amen.

14. Short Prayer For Guidance

With this prayer, children will learn to seek God for guidance and care, even on days without hardships. 

Lord in heaven, hear my prayer tonight. Please keep me in Your loving care. Be my guide in all I do and say. Bless mom, dad, grandma and grandpa who love me, too.  Amen.

15. Prayer To The Holy Spirit

Teach this prayer to help your children seek counsel in the Holy Spirit. With this prayer, your kids will know that they are never alone in life, as the Holy Spirit is there to watch over them.

Father in Heaven, I thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit that is with me everywhere I go. Some days are harder than others, but I know that everything will be alright, for Your Holy Spirit is always with me. He is the guardian angel that watches over me. God, remind me to ask the Holy Spirit for help when I get upset or when I do not know what to do in tests. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

16. Prayer for School 

Some kids may struggle with school. Whether academics or challenges in their social circle, all their struggles are valid. Regardless of what they may be, kids can be reminded that God is always by their side – through all the good times and the bad – with this prayer.

Dear God, thank You for school so that I can become knowledgeable. I know this is a blessing that comes only from You.  But school is also tough and sometimes I do not know what to do. I pray to God that You give me strength and wisdom so that I can become better in studies and become a better friend too, and my friends become better friends too. I pray that school will become more enjoyable. Nothing is impossible with You, Lord, and I sleep better at night, knowing that You are always with me. All things I do in Your name, Amen.

17. I Am A Child Of God Prayer – Robyn of DTLK Kids

With this prayer, parents can help reinforce their child’s faith in God. This bedtime prayer for kids will remind them that they are a child of God who lives to serve Him.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on You and to find my confidence in who You say I am. I know that I am a child of God, and I know that the Heavenly Father loves me just as I am today. I know that You have given me Your Holy Spirit to guide me, so that I may never feel alone or lost. Help me to stand strong in my faith and know that I am loved! In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

18. Prayer For Faith

Short and sweet, helps your kids understand that God is always watching over them, even when it doesn’t feel like it. This prayer will help fight their doubts and fortify their faith in the Lord.

I hear no voice, I feel no touch. Despite all this, I know that God is always near, in darkness as in light. He watches ever by my side, and hears my whispered prayer: the Father for His little child, whom He watches over, day and night, with love and care. Amen.

19. Prayer For Younger Children And Toddlers

This children’s bedtime prayer is perfect for those in the younger age range. The cadence in its rhymes makes it a great toddler’s prayer, and in its simplicity, it teaches kids to thank God for all the little things He provides.

Thank You God for the world so sweet. I Thank You, God, for the food we eat. Thank You God for the birds that sing. Thank You God for everything!

20. God Is My Friend Prayer – Michael J. Edger III MS

This prayer is a perfect one for parents to share with their children. It is excellent for younger kids who are still learning about the world and are getting in touch with their faith. Parents can recite this prayer out loud for their children to follow, making it the perfect prayer to strengthen your bonds as a family. 

God, my friend, it is time for bed. Time to rest my sleepy head. I pray to You before I do. Please guide me down the path that’s true. God, my friend, please bless my mother, all your children – sisters, brothers. Oh! And then there’s daddy, too – he says I am his gift from You. God, my friend, it is time to sleep. I thank You for a soul unique, and thank You for another day, to run and jump and laugh and play! God, my friend, it is time to go, but before I do I know You know, I am thankful for my blessing, too. And God, my friend, I love You.