PARENTS > GENERAL RESOURCES > TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO PRAY

Bedtime Prayers

Keep It Simple

Just like mealtime prayers, these can be short and sweet as you tuck your child in at night and perhaps rub his/her back as you say a blessing. You can use a traditional blessing, make one up, or tell them some of the different people that love them (ending with a reminder that Jesus loves them too). It’s also easy to take turns saying one thing each of you is thankful for and one person or thing each of you wants to pray for. Our family calls this the “Thank you and Pray fors” prayer. 

Traditional Prayers

Bedtime can be a good time for your child to say a traditional, memorized prayer, like the Our Father or Hail Mary.

Bedtime Routines

Try to make this a sweet time of the day (even if you are impatient for them to go to sleep!).  Try to follow the same ritual every night – a predictable routine will help it go more smoothly.  Here are some tips:

• Turn the lights down low and turn off any media to prepare for bedtime.
  
• Read stories to young children or have quiet reading time with older children. You may invite them to snuggle with you on the couch or bed while you each read your own book or magazine.
  
• Say bedtime prayers together.
  
• Tuck your children in and give them a goodnight kiss while you remind them you love them. Add something you appreciated about them that day. Even older kids will soak this in as precious time.
  
• Remind your child he/she can talk to God in their minds about whatever they want to after you leave the room.
  

Books

You can find many books of bedtime prayers, but here are a couple we have found helpful:

More Prayer Ideas

Here are a couple other bedtime prayers you could use:

 Thank you, God, for a lovely day, 
for sun and rain, for work and play. 
For all my family and friends, 
and for you love, which never ends.
Amen.

Dear God, thank you for today. 
There were good parts I'd like to remember and bad parts I'd rather forget. Forgive me for the things I did wrong and help me to be better tomorrow. Thank you for all the good things and thank you for being with me in it all.
Amen.