The Underground Church

Prayers at bedtime

Bedtime Prayer, from New England Primer

Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake.
I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to take;
And this I ask for Jesus' sake.
Amen.

Alternative wording (In my house we have used this variation):
Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
When in the morning light I wake.
Show me the paths that I should take.
Amen.

Another variant
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
thy angels watch me through the night,
And keep me safe till morning's light.

Now the light has gone away

Now the light has gone away;
Savior, listen while I pray.
Asking Thee to watch and keep
And to send me quiet sleep.

Jesus, Savior, wash away
All that has been wrong to-day;
Help me every day to be
Good and gentle, more like Thee.

Let my near and dear ones be
Always near and dear to Thee.
O bring me and all I love
To Thy happy home above.
Amen.

(Author: Frances Ridley Havergal, 1869, 1st Published in: Liederbuch fuer Kleinkinder-Schulen)

From the small catechism

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray You to forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen

(Martin Luther, the Small Catechism)

The day is past and over

The day is past and over,
All thanks, O Lord, to Thee!
O Jesus, keep me in Thy sight
And save me through the coming night.
Amen.

(Anatolius, 6th century)

Dear Father in Heaven, Look down from above

Dear Father in heaven,
Look down from above;
Bless papa and mama,
And those whom I love.

May angels guard over
My slumbers, and when
The morning is breaking,
Awake me.
Amen.

(Anonymous, published in Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921; Now available in the public domain.)

Savior, lay thy hand on me

Savior, lay Thy hand on me,
Bless me, and remember me.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

Watch oer a little child

Watch o'er a little child to-night,
Blest Savior from above,
And keep me till the morning light
Within Thine arms of love.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

In my Little Bed I Lie

In my little bed I lie:
Heavenly Father, hear my cry;
Lord, keep Thou me through this night.
Bring me safe to morning light.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

Lord, send me sleep

Lord, send me sleep that I may live;
The wrongs I've done this day forgive.
Bless every deed and thought and word
I've rightly done, or said, or heard.
Bless relatives and friends alway;
Teach all the world to watch and pray.
My thanks for all my blessings take
And hear my prayer for Jesus' sake.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

At the Close of Every Day

At the close of every day,
Lord, to Thee I kneel and pray.
Look upon Thy little child,
Look in love and mercy mild.
O forgive and wash away
All my naughtiness this day,
And both when I sleep and wake
Bless me for my Savior's sake.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

An Evening Hymn

Glory to thee, my God, this night,
for all the blessings of the light:
keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
beneath thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
the ill that I this day have done;
that with the world, myself, and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

Teach me to live, that I may dread
the grave as little as my bed;
teach me to die, that so I may
rise glorious at the awful day.

O may my soul on thee repose,
and with sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
sleep that shall me more vigorous make
to serve my God when I awake.

When in the night I sleepless lie,
my soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
no powers of darkness me molest.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

(Thomas Ken, 1692; frequently sung to the tune The Tallis Canon)

The day is done, O God the Son

The day is done;
O God the Son,
Look down upon Thy little one.

O Light of light,
Keep me this night,
And shed round me Thy presence bright.

I need not fear
If Thou art near;
Thou art my Savior, kind and dear.

Thy gentle eye
Is ever nigh,
It watches me when none is by.

Thy loving ear
Is ever near
Thy little children's prayers to hear.

So happily
And peacefully
I lay me down to rest in Thee.

To Father, Son,
And Spirit, One
In heaven and earth, all praise be done.

(Patty Caroline Dunsterville, in Wartburg Hymnal: for church, school and home. Chicago, Wartburg Publishing House, 1921.)

A Child's Evening Hymn

Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me:
Bless Thy little child to-night;
Through the darkness be Thou near me,
Keep me safe till morning light.

All this day Thy hand has led me,
And I thank Thee for Thy care;
Thou hast warmed me, clothed me, fed me;
Listen to my evening prayer.

May my sins be all forgiven;
Bless the friends I love so well;
Take me, Lord, at last to heaven.
Happy there with Thee to dwell.
Amen.

(Mary Lundy Duncan, Memoir of Mrs. Mary Lundie Duncan: Being Recollections of a Daughter. New York, R. Carter, 1842.)

Lord, I Have Passed Another Day

Lord, I have passed another day
And come to thank Thee for Thy care.
Forgive my faults in work or play
And listen to my evening prayer.
Thy favor gives me daily bread
And friends, who all my wants supply:
And safely now I rest my head,
Preserved and guarded by Thine eye.
Amen.

(Ann and Jane Taylor, Hymns for Infant Minds, 1808. An edition is available here)

I fall asleep in Jesus' wounds

I fall asleep in Jesus' wounds,
There pardon for my sins abounds;
Yea, Jesus' blood and righteousness
My jewels are, my glorious dress,
Wherein before my God I'll stand
When I shall reach the heavenly land.
Amen.

(Paul Eber, Published in Geistliche Lieder, Leipzig, 1539; translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1869)

The Toils of Day are Over

The toils of day are over;
I lift my heart to Thee
And ask that free from peril
The hours of night may be.
O Jesus, make their darkness light
And guard me through the coming night.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

O Lord God, I pray Thee, for Christ's sake

O Lord God, I pray Thee, for Christ's sake, forgive me whatsoever I have done wrong this day and keep me safe all the night while I am asleep.
Amen.

(From Little Folded Hands: Prayers for Children, St Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1921)

Black paternoster

Five little angels round my bed.
One to the foot and one to the head.
One to sing and one to pray,
and one to take my sins away. Amen.
(Dates at least to 16th century England, but likely is of medieval origin; A four-part choir setting of the Black Paternoster text was produced by Gustav Holst (1874-1934))

See here for additional information on the Black Paternoster.