Here's a short prayer before bed: "Lord, thank you for this day. Forgive me where I fell short, and carry what I couldn't finish. Watch over the people I love. I lay down my phone and my worries, and I rest in you. In Jesus' name, Amen."
The last thing most of us hold at night is a phone. These prayers are short enough to pray once it's face down on the nightstand. All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, which is in the public domain.
A prayer for any night
Lord, thank you for this day and everything in it, the good and the hard.
Forgive me where I fell short today, and help me forgive others.
Carry what I couldn't finish. Watch over the people I love.
I lay down my phone and my worries, and I rest in you.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
A prayer for peace when you can't switch off
Father, my mind is still running through today and tomorrow.
You never sleep, so I don't have to keep watch.
Quiet my thoughts, slow my breathing and give me your peace.
I trust you with everything I can't fix tonight. Amen.
"He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:3–4
A prayer for an anxious night
Lord Jesus, you said, come to me and I will give you rest.
I come tired, and I bring you the fear I'm holding.
Keep me safe through the night, and meet me again in the morning. Amen.
Based on Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
A prayer of thanks
God, thank you for food, for shelter and for breath.
Thank you for the people who loved me today and the ones I got to love.
Let my last thought tonight be of your goodness. Amen.
A short examen before sleep
The examen is an old way of praying back through your day. It takes about five minutes:
- Thank God for one specific gift from today.
- Ask for light to see the day honestly.
- Look back over the day, hour by hour. Where did you sense God? Where did you drift?
- Confess what needs forgiving, and receive it.
- Look ahead to tomorrow and ask for help with one thing.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." Psalm 139:23
A bedtime prayer for children
Dear God, thank you for today.
Thank you for my family and my friends.
Please keep us safe tonight, and help me sleep well.
I love you. Amen.
Bible verses for the night
"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Proverbs 3:24
"When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." Psalm 63:6
"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me." Psalm 3:5
Should I pray before or after putting my phone away?
After, if you can. Prayer at night gets crowded out the same way it does in the morning: one more video, one more message, and you fall asleep mid-scroll. Put the phone across the room or face down, then pray. If your Bible is on your phone, open it first and leave everything else closed.
How can I stop scrolling in bed?
Decide on a time, and let your phone keep it for you. In Prayer Latch you can add a lock time in the evening, like 9:30 pm, next to your morning one. At that time your chosen apps lock until you pray. It's the same habit at both ends of the day: God gets the first word and the last.
Pray before you scroll
Prayer Latch locks your chosen apps each morning until you pray. Your first 7 days are free, no card needed.
Updated October 22, 2026 by the Prayer Latch team at Janus Works LLC.