Evening Prayers

Prayer is a devout petition to God or object of worship for thanksgiving, adoration, supplication, adoration, and worship. Usually, when people pray, they kneel on their knees in order to address God with respect. While praying people ask for peace and call upon God for His grace and mercy.

Psalm 42:8 reads, “By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”  In Christianity, people believe that praying at night is the ideal time to connect with God and seek his blessings because He is more likely to listen. We can also note that in the Holy Scriptures, Jesus spent a significant amount of time praying at night before making important decisions.

Praying at night is also important because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our day and express our appreciation and gratitude for the life we are living.

It gives us a moment to focus our energy on the things that matter the most in life. And it helps us form a stronger connection with God.

In this article, we will share examples of wonderful Catholic evening prayers that help enhance our fellowship with God by providing us silence and peace which are necessary for a productive connection.

Giving Thanks Goodnight Prayer – Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Dear God,
We thank you tonight for the good day and for the special way you take care of us all the time. Thank you for the fun times outside and the quiet times inside, and for helping us learn new things every day.
Thank you for creating us special, exactly the way you wanted.
Thank you for protecting us throughout the day.
Forgive us for the wrong things we do.
Thank you for loving us even when we disobey or try to do things our way.
Help us to always choose your way, God, because it’s always best.
We pray for all the people who don’t know you, and that they will come to understand your love for them, too.
Bless our family and thank you for good times together and apart.
Bless our friends and those we love, including our grandparents, our aunts and uncles and cousins.
Thank you for our home and a place to sleep and good food to eat.
Help us rest well, give us peaceful dreams, and send your angels around our home to protect us throughout the night.
Teach us to trust you and to love you more and more.
You are good; you are great; and you are faithful, God. And we love you. Good night.

The Confiteor

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel,
to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul,
to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.
Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel,
blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints,
to pray to the Lord our God for me.
May the Almighty God have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.
O most holy Virgin! be a mother to me: pray for me, now, and at the hour of my death.
O my good Angel! whom God has appointed to be my guardian, enlighten me, protect me, and guard me in all my actions. Amen.

An Evening Prayer for Daily Neglects

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings and all its merits.
First — To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Second — To purify the good I have done poorly this day and during all my life. Glory Be, etc. Third — To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and all my life. Glory Be, etc.

Night-time Blessing Prayer – Debbie McDaniel

Dear God, Thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank you that your favour has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that you are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that you know what concerns us, and you cover us, as with a shield. We ask for your guidance so that we might walk fully in your blessing and goodness today. We ask that your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from. Establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfilment all that you have given us to do in these days. We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of your goodness and love. Give us a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and make us strong by your huge favour and grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

18^th Century Catholic Children’s Bedtime Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
Watch and guard me through the night,
and wake me with the morning light.

Prayer for a Good Night’s Sleep

Heavenly Father, who gives rest to His children
– will You wash over me a peace that passes all understanding as I lay down to sleep tonight?
I ask that You would ease the load of the burdens I am carrying.
My desire is to be an effective mother, wife, and friend and I know my attitude,
energy level, and spiritual life will not be sufficient to do this if I don’t have the deep spiritual rest You long to give me.
Be merciful, O Lord, and give sweet sleep to Your child.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Catholic Prayer

O my God, I present myself before Thee at the end of another day, to offer Thee anew the homage of my heart. I humbly adore Thee, my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Judge! I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth itself; I hope in Thee, because Thou art faithful to Thy promises; I love Thee with my whole heart, because Thou art infinitely worthy of being loved; and for Thy sake I love my neighbour as myself.

Enable me, O my God, to return Thee thanks as I ought for all Thine inestimable blessings and favours. Thou hast thought of me, and loved me from all eternity; Thou hast formed me out of nothing; Thou hast delivered up Thy beloved Son to the ignominious death of the Cross for my redemption; Thou hast made me a member of Thy holy Church; Thou hast preserved me from falling into the abyss of eternal misery, when my sins had provoked Thee to punish me; and Thou hast graciously continued to spare me, even though I have not ceased to offend Thee. What return, O my God, can I make for Thine innumerable blessings, and particularly for the favours of this day? O all ye Angels and Saints, unite with me in praising the God of mercies, who is so bountiful to so unworthy a creature.
Amen.

Blessed Mother Prayer

Night is falling, dear Mother, the long day is o’er, And before thy loved image I’m kneeling once more, To thank thee for keeping me safe through the day, To ask thee this night to keep evil away.

Many times have I fallen today, Mother dear; Many graces neglected since last I knelt here. Wilt thou not in pity, my own Mother mild, Ask Jesus to pardon the sins of thy child? I am going to rest, for the day’s work is done,

Its hours and moments have passed one by one. And the God Who will judge me has counted them all; He has numbered each grace, He has counted each fall.

In His book they are written against the last day 0 Mother, ask Jesus to wash them away; For one drop of His Blood for which sinners was spilt Is sufficient to cleanse the whole world from its guilt. And if e’er the dawn I should draw my last breath;
If the sleep that I take be the long sleep of death,
Be near me, dear Mother, for Jesus’ dear sake
When my soul on Eternity’s shore shall awake.
Amen.

Prayer for Protection – St. Augustine

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight,
and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones.
Bless Your dying ones.
Soothe Your suffering ones.
Pity Your afflicted ones.
Shield Your joyous ones.
And all for Your love’s sake. Amen.

Prayer for Protection

Be present, O Lord, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, that we who are wearied with the work and changes of this fleeting world, may rest upon Thy eternal changelessness. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, whose unwearied eye neither slumbers nor sleeps, but continually watches in defence of thy servants; take me and mine, I beseech thee, into thy protection, and grant, that whilst my body is asleep, my soul may be awake to Thee, and that I may hereafter behold Thee in that blessed and heavenly country, where thou, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, rulest eternally, and where all the angels, with the blessed saints, are citizens forever. Amen.

Prayer for Blessings

Jesus Christ, my God, I adore You and thank you for all the graces You have given me this day. I offer You my sleep and all the moments of this night, and I beg of you to keep me without sin. Therefore, I put myself within Your sacred Side and under the mantle of Our lady, my Mother. Let Your holy angels stand about me and keep me in peace; and let your blessing be upon me.

Family Bedtime Prayer

Thank you God, for this day,
Thank you for our family.
We’re sorry for the things we did that didn’t make you happy.
Help us to be better people, help us love each other.
Help us honor you, our Father.
Bless the people of the world.
Bless our loved ones, far and near.
Finally, we lift up to You
This request for You to hear:
(Insert any special request)
We love You, Lord.

Read more: Morning Prayers

Prayer before sleep

Dear God, as I lay me down to sleep,
relax the tension of my body;
calm the restlessness of my mind;
still the thoughts which worry and perplex me.
Help me to rest myself and all my problems in your strong and loving arms.
Let your Spirit speak to my mind and heart while I am
asleep, so that, when I wake up in the morning,
I may find that I have received in the night-time,
light for my way;
strength for my tasks;
peace for my worries;
forgiveness for my sins.
Grant me sleep tonight, and tomorrow power to live.

Prayer of a Lay Apostle

Thanks, my God, for the day that is ending, thanks for the coming night. Bring sleep to the weary, bring repose to those I love, and give me rest until tomorrow.

All was not fine, perfect and beautiful today. Give me strength to do better tomorrow.

In this day that is ending I have not been what I should have been. Make me better, my God, less harsh towards others, more gentle, more patient. Make me too, more determined, more demanding of myself, more truthful in speaking, more faithful in my promises, more active in my work, more obedient and more submissive; let me be cheerful, too, and may tomorrow be a finer, fuller day than this.

Thanks, my God, for the day that is ending, thanks for the coming night. Bring sleep to the weary, bring repose to those I love, and give me rest until tomorrow.

The Wings of Sleep

O Lord our God, King of the Universe.
Let the wings of sleep fall upon my eyes,
And upon my eyelids.
O Blessed One,
Let me lie down in peace,
And rise in peace.
Into Your hand I entrust my spirit.

Read more: Prayer for the Dead