Faith & Life / Nightly Prayers
Quick Summary
Every night of the week has its own shape. Sunday night carries the glow of worship and the shadow of Monday. Wednesday night is the tired middle. Friday night is the exhale. Scripture gives words for each one. The psalmist promised to declare God's "faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92:2), every night.
This page gives you a night prayer for every evening of the week, Sunday through Saturday, each rooted in a verse of Scripture. You'll also find a prayer for the end of the whole week and a simple way to make night prayer a habit.
The Reason to Pray Every Night
The Bible pictures prayer as a daily rhythm. "Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17). Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). In the Bible, the day begins at sundown: "And there was evening and there was morning, the first day" (Genesis 1:5). Night prayer is a way of starting the next day with God before you sleep.
Praying a different prayer each night of the week keeps the habit fresh and lets each prayer fit the night you're actually having. Even a few moments in prayer can relieve your worries, lift your burdens, and increase your joy. For a morning prayer for each day, see Morning Prayers for Every Day of the Week.
Sunday Night: Peace Be With You
John 20:19
"When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week... Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'"
The risen Jesus first appeared to his gathered disciples on a Sunday evening. They were behind locked doors, afraid. He came anyway and spoke peace. Sunday night can bring its own anxiety, the "Sunday scaries" about the week ahead. Jesus still comes into locked rooms with the same word.
A Sunday Night Prayer
Risen Lord, thank you for this Sunday: for worship, for rest, for the people I saw today. As the week ahead starts to crowd my mind, come stand in the middle of my worries and say, "Peace be with you." I give you this week before it begins. Let me sleep tonight in your peace. Amen.
Monday Night: Don't Grow Weary
Galatians 6:9
"So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up."
Monday is often the hardest day to start and the most tiring to finish. Paul's encouragement fits the end of a long first day: keep going. The good you did today matters, even if no one noticed. The harvest comes later. For prayers for your work, see Morning Prayers for Work and Purpose.
A Monday Night Prayer
Lord, the week has started, and I'm already tired. Thank you for strength to get through today. Bless the work I did, and forgive what I did poorly. Help me not grow weary in doing good. Give me deep rest tonight and a fresh start tomorrow. Amen.
Tuesday Night: Cast Your Cares
1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."
By Tuesday night, the week's worries have usually shown themselves: the deadline, the conversation, the bill, the test result. Peter's word cast means to throw something heavy off yourself and onto someone else. Before you sleep, throw it all to God, because he cares for you. For more, see Prayer for Sleep.
A Tuesday Night Prayer
Father, here are the worries I'm carrying tonight. [Name each one.] I cast them on you, one by one. You care for me. Help me leave them with you until morning instead of picking them back up in the dark. Amen.
Wednesday Night: Strength for the Middle
Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Wednesday is the middle of the week, far from the last weekend and far from the next. Energy runs low. The psalmist admits his own strength can fail, and he names where real strength comes from. Many churches hold midweek prayer services or Bible studies on Wednesday nights for exactly this reason: to be refreshed in the middle. For more, see Bible Verses About Strength.
A Wednesday Night Prayer
God, I'm halfway through the week, and I'm running low. My body is tired and my heart is tired. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Fill me up tonight. Carry me through the rest of this week. Amen.
Thursday Night: Love One Another
John 13:34
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
Jesus spoke these words on a Thursday night, at the Last Supper, after he washed his disciples' feet. Thursday night is a good time to look back over the people in your week. Who did you love well? Who did you hurt or overlook? There is still time this week to make it right. Read more in Jesus and the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-23).
A Thursday Night Prayer
Lord Jesus, you loved your friends to the end and washed their feet. Thank you for loving me like that. Show me the people I need to love better this week. [Name them.] Forgive me where I was impatient or unkind. Give me humility tomorrow to serve the way you served. Amen.
Friday Night: Finished and Rest
Genesis 2:2
"And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done."
For many people, Friday night is the end of the work week. In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday, with candles, a blessing, and a meal. God himself rested when his work was finished. You are allowed to stop too. Christians also remember that Jesus died on a Friday, saying, "It is finished" (John 19:30). For more on rest, see Bible Verses About Rest and Sabbath and What Is the Sabbath in the Bible?
A Friday Night Prayer
Lord of the Sabbath, the week's work is done. Some of it went well and some didn't, and I give you all of it. Thank you for carrying me through. Teach me to rest the way you rested. Let tonight be a true exhale. Bless my family and my weekend with joy and peace. Amen.
Saturday Night: Ready for Worship
Psalm 122:1 and Hebrews 10:24-25
"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" (Psalm 122:1)
"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Saturday night is the eve of the Lord's Day. It's a good night to prepare your heart for worship: pray for your pastor, your church, and the people you'll see in the morning. Psalm 122 is a pilgrim song, sung by worshipers on their way to the temple. For worship resources, see Worship Resources.
A Saturday Night Prayer
God, tomorrow is your day. Prepare my heart for worship. Bless my pastor and everyone leading worship in the morning. Bless the people I'll sit with and the visitors who will come for the first time. Make me glad to go to your house. Let me rest well tonight and wake ready to praise you. Amen.
A Night Prayer for the End of the Week
Faithful God, another week is ending. Thank you for every morning you woke me and every night you kept me. Thank you for the work, the meals, the conversations, and the people. Forgive me for what I did wrong and what I left undone. Bless the week ahead before it begins. Your faithfulness has carried me every night, and I trust it to carry me again. Amen.
How to Make Night Prayer a Habit
Pick a cue. Pray at the same moment each night: after brushing your teeth, after the kids are in bed, or when you turn off the lamp.
Keep it short. One verse and one prayer from this page takes two minutes.
Review the day. Thank God for one gift, confess one wrong, and name one worry.
Pray for one person. See Night Prayers for Others.
End the same way every night. "Into your hand I commit my spirit" (Psalm 31:5) is a good closing line. See Night Prayers From the Psalms.
Night Prayers for the Week for Children
Sunday: Thank you, God, for church and family today. Amen.
Monday: Help me rest tonight, God, so I can do my best tomorrow. Amen.
Tuesday: God, I give you my worries. Please hold them for me. Amen.
Wednesday: Jesus, make me strong for the rest of the week. Amen.
Thursday: Help me be kind to everyone tomorrow, Jesus. Amen.
Friday: Thank you, God, for the weekend. Amen.
Saturday: God, I'm excited to go to church tomorrow. Amen.
Keep Praying
For night prayers for your family, see Night Prayers for Family. For each season of the church year, see Night Prayers for the Christian Year. For more evening prayers, visit Nightly Prayers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Sunday night prayer? Pray John 20:19, where the risen Jesus appeared on a Sunday evening and said, "Peace be with you." Thank God for the day and give him the week ahead.
What is a short Friday night prayer? "Lord, the week's work is done. Thank you for carrying me through it. Teach me to rest the way you rested. Amen."
What should I pray on Saturday night? Prepare your heart for worship. Pray for your pastor, your church, and the people you'll see in the morning. Psalm 122:1 is a good verse: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'"
Why pray every night? Scripture pictures prayer as a daily rhythm, "evening and morning and at noon" (Psalm 55:17). A nightly prayer closes the day with God and gives your worries to him before you sleep.
How long should a night prayer be? As long as you have. One verse and one prayer takes about two minutes. Many people start there and find the habit grows.
Does the Bible say the day begins at night? Yes. Genesis describes each day of creation as "evening and morning" (Genesis 1:5), and the Jewish day begins at sundown.
Works Consulted
Book of Common Worship. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Westminster John Knox Press.
Warren, Tish Harrison. Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep. InterVarsity Press.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.
