A Bedtime Prayer to Lie Down in Peace (Psalm 4)

I will lie down tonight and sleep in peace.
The day did not go perfectly, Lord,
and not everything is sorted out.
But You are with me, and that is enough.

David prayed this psalm with trouble all around him.
People were speaking against him.
Others were asking where any good could be found.
And still he lay down, and still he slept.

So I bring You what is still unsettled in me —
the worries I can name, and the ones I can't.
Here on my bed I search my heart and grow quiet.
You have given me more gladness
than a full table or a full harvest ever could.

It isn't my planning that keeps me safe,
or my worrying, or how tidy I left things.
You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
So I will lie down, and I will sleep.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this when you go to bed with things unsettled, such as a quarrel, a worry or a job left undone. Read it slowly in bed, and pause where it speaks of what is still unsettled in you.

A Verse to Hold On To

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." — Psalm 4:8 (BSB)