5 short bedtime prayers for kids (and how to make them a habit)
The lights are off, the water glass is on the nightstand, and your child is stalling. This is a good moment for a prayer. Not a long one. A short bedtime prayer for kids can be three lines, said the same way every night, until your child starts saying it with you.
Here are five original prayers you can use tonight, and a few tips to help the habit stick.
Why short prayers work at bedtime
Young children remember rhythm before they remember meaning. A prayer that is short and repeated becomes something they own. Later, when they are ready, they will start adding their own words.
Keep it to three or four lines. Use words a 5-year-old would use. And say it the same way for a week before you change anything.
1. A thank-you prayer
Thank you, God, for today,
for the people I love and the games I play.
Stay with me while I sleep tonight.
Amen.
A good first prayer, because every child can find something to be thankful for.
2. A prayer for when they are scared
Dear God, you are bigger than the dark.
You are with me when I'm brave and when I'm scared.
Help me rest, because you never sleep.
Amen.
Psalm 121 says God "will neither slumber nor sleep". You can read that verse together one night and show them where the last line comes from.
3. A sorry prayer
God, today I made a mistake.
I'm sorry, and I want to do better.
Thank you for loving me always.
Amen.
This one pairs well with the story of the Prodigal Son. The father ran to his son before he could even finish saying sorry. Children understand that picture right away.
4. A prayer for other people
Jesus, please look after ________ tonight.
Help them feel safe and loved.
And help me be kind tomorrow.
Amen.
Let your child fill in the name: grandparents, a friend from school, the dog. It teaches them that prayer is also for others.
5. A one-line prayer for tired nights
Goodnight, God. Thank you for loving me.
Some nights everyone is too tired. One line still counts.
How to make it a habit
- Same place, same time. After the story, before the light goes off.
- You go first. Say the prayer slowly. Let them join when they are ready.
- Let them add one thing. "Is there anything you want to tell God?" Then wait.
- Don't correct. If they say "thank you for pizza", that is a real prayer.
A Bible story before the prayer gives your child something to think about as they fall asleep. The Boy Who Came Home retells the Prodigal Son in 13 illustrated pages for ages 5 to 8, short enough for bedtime.