23 Best Night Prayers for Each Evening of the Week: Friday Night Prayers, etc

Prayer has been a significant practice of all religions throughout history.^[1]

Scholars consider prayer to be “religion’s primary mode of expression” — a personal, intimate conversation between the individual and the sacred presence of their religion.^[1]

In the U.S., prayer is an important part of daily life for many people. A survey from the Pew Research Center showed that more than half of Americans pray daily — even 20% of those who consider themselves to be unaffiliated with a particular religion.^[2]

The Bible also encourages frequent prayer: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people,” Ephesians 6:18 reads.^[3]

Nightly prayers offer the opportunity to reflect on each day and ask the Lord to watch over your life and the lives of those you care about.

Below, we have evening prayers for each night of the week — Monday through Sunday.

Scroll past the list for tips to help you personalize and write your own prayers.

Monday

1. Thank you, God, for the start to another week. Help me live in line with your Word through the rest of the week.
2. Lord, I lay in bed full of hope because you alone sustain me. Although this Monday was full of challenges, I choose to believe and trust in you. I surrender the week ahead to you and choose to rest in the warmth of your embrace, knowing that you are my ever-present help.^[4]
3. Holy Spirit, please encircle me. Hold me safe and secure. Wrap my mind up with your truth. Guide my thoughts and calm my fears as I walk forward through this week. Steady my emotions and sustain my soul with vision for the future, and hope for tomorrow. Amen.^[4]
4. Lord, sleep is a reminder that I am totally and completely dependent upon You. I don’t have infinite strength. I cannot keep working indefinitely. I need sleep to refresh me. As I drift off to sleep, it’s a clear reminder that I am not in control. I need You to sustain me through the night, through this week, and through my life. Please give me the grace of sleep and allow me to wake refreshed in the morning. Amen.^[5]

Tuesday

1. God, thank you for the strength and calmness you’ve provided me today. Despite a hectic start to the week, I feel confident that I can face the challenges that remain since you are by my side.
2. Heavenly Father, as my Tuesday draws to an end, I have to thank you for your faithfulness today. It’s always a good day — even when things may not go the way I plan, or when the world seems in chaos — because you are in control. For all the times when I was aware of your help today, and all the times your unseen presence will carry me through the rest of the week, thank you, God.^[4]

Wednesday

1. Lord, thank you for seeing me through to the middle of the week. Provide me with the wisdom, opportunities, and direction to continue to accomplish your will for my life.
2. Lord, the week so far has left my heart troubled. I do not want to go to bed feeling this way. Your word says we should not be anxious; I place everything that is making me anxious at your feet and choose to rest in your love tonight. Cover me through the night and grant me sleep. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.^[4]
3. Lord, my heart is overwhelmed. Overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your word, which will give me strength and refuge through the end of this week. Help me not to run to lesser things; draw me to run to You first. I place this week under Your will. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.^[4]
4. Lord, thank you for your grace and strength to run from Sunday until today, the middle of the week. Thank you for my [job/business]. Thank you for opening doors. This is the week that the Lord has made, and I rejoice in it. Although the week is still ongoing, and some of my expectations are yet to be met, I thank You. They will all be met, for Your word says that the expectation of the righteous will not be cut short. Thank you, heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.^[6]

Thursday

1. Lord, thank you for providing a place of refuge for me through the struggles of this week. Give me the confidence to end my work week with strength, so I can continue sharing your light through all that I do.
2. Heavenly Father, who gives rest to His children — will You wash over me a peace that surpasses all understanding as I lay down to sleep tonight? I ask that You would ease the load of the burdens I’ve carried this week. My desire is to be an effective [parent/employee/friend/etc.]. Grant me deep rest so my attitude, energy level, and spiritual life will sustain through the remainder of the week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.^[4]

Friday

1. Lord, thank you for giving me everything I need to follow the path you’ve set forward for my life. Thank you for giving me the strength to accomplish everything I did this week. As I approach this weekend, grant me rest and peace. Restore my body and mind so I can continue to let your light shine through me.
2. Lord, I long to feel your closeness, your joy, your energy and zest for life. I confess that the daily grind has ground down my passion for you. I confess that I allow the cares of the world to choke out the joy of the gospel. Lord, turn my heart toward you again as I rest this weekend. Fix my eyes and heart on you. Help me have a reset in my faith and in my life. Help me see the daily routines of life as moments to gracefully submit to your will. Thank you for being the Lord of my life every day.^[4]
3. Father, thank you for this week, for all the ways in which I have known you. For the sunrises and birdsong, for the music I’ve heard, for the meals, for the cozy home I live in, for my close family and special friends. Most of all, thank you for being beside me through each challenge and moment. May I dream good dreams and arise again tomorrow to thank you once more. Amen.^[4]
4. Lord God, many things have happened this week. Some good, some bad, some hard, some joyful. Before I go to sleep, I want to entrust all these things to You. Even though I can’t know how all these things will work out, I know that You are good, and I know that You will do good for me. Ultimately, I know that I can completely trust You. As I go to sleep, I declare my trust in You and ask for a restful weekend and Your guidance in the week ahead. Amen.^[5]

Saturday

1. God, thank you for allowing my family and me a restful day, and the peace of knowing that you are always watching over our lives. Provide me with continued calmness as we celebrate your greatness and presence through the remainder of this weekend.
2. Father, I thank You for the night, and for the pleasant morning light. For rest and food and loving care, and all that makes the day so fair. As we honor you in church tomorrow, help me to grow more loving and to be kind and good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.^[4]
3. Thank you, God, for this Saturday. Thank you for our family and the time we were able to spend together. Help us to be better people and to love each other. Help us honor you, our Father.^[7]

Sunday

1. Lord, thank you for another week of life, and the opportunity to live to my fullest potential. Guide me as I walk through the week ahead. Give me the confidence to succeed in my work, and keep my family safe and healthy.
2. Grant me a good night’s sleep, Lord, so that I can awake refreshed and ready to begin another week honoring you. Thank you for the numerous blessings you have given me. I long for the word “faithful” to describe my service to you, each day of every week.^[4]
3. Father, you know my worries and care for my troubles. I give these heavy concerns to you as I prepare for a new week. I lay these situations at your feet. Thank you that your love for me can transform the landscape of my life. I will walk with peace into the new week, and put my hope in you. Might I rest now in the knowledge that you will light my path and guide my life. Amen.^[4]
4. 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 light for my way, strength for this week’s tasks, peace for my worries, and forgiveness for my sins. Grant me sleep tonight, and tomorrow power to live.^[7]

Tips for Evening Prayers

Evening prayers are a chance to connect with God and take an inward look at yourself and your life.

You might want to use the opportunity to seek comfort, clarity, or forgiveness related to the struggles you’re facing.

You might also use your night prayers as a time for gratitude and positivity.

Keep these tips in mind to personalize your evening prayers:

• Think about your day. Consider what happened during the day — the good and the bad — and whether there’s anything you’d like to change. Evening prayers are a time to look back on the day and set good intentions for tomorrow.
• Call upon scriptures. Your favorite biblical passages can provide great inspiration for your evening prayers. Incorporate quotes such as Psalm 91’s “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,” or Psalm 4’s “In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
• Choose something unique to pray for each day. To keep yourself in the habit of praying nightly, you might want to assign a certain subject for your prayers for each day of the week. For example, you could pray for your family on Saturdays, your upcoming work week on Sundays, your friends on Mondays, your country on Tuesdays, etc.
• Give thanks. Studies by researchers at the universities of California, Miami, and Pennsylvania have shown that gratitude can make you happier and improve your overall well-being.^[8] Even the worst days have reasons to be grateful. Use the opportunity to show thanks to God for guiding you and remaining by your side through life’s struggles.