This bedtime prayer for kindness is for the end of a day when you are tired, when you know you were short-tempered or careless with someone, or when you simply want to ask God to shape your heart before you sleep. Pray it at night, before the lights go out. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak your own words in the same spirit.
Bedtime Prayer for Kindness
Father, the day is ending and I bring it to you. I think about the moments I was impatient with the people I love, the sharp word I said at the dinner table, and the times I hurried past someone who needed a little of my attention. I am sorry for those moments. Thank you that your mercy meets me in the place where I fall short, and that you do not wait for me to get my heart right before you welcome me back.
Tonight I ask you to soften me. Remind me of the people who were kind to me today, and let that memory teach me how to give kindness away. Where I felt tired or stretched thin, help me notice the people around me who carry heavier loads than mine. Give me patience with my children, grace with my coworkers, and a willingness to listen to the friend who calls with bad news. Keep my tongue from cutting and my hands from turning away.
As I rest, guard my sleep and guard my home. Let the peace that comes from you settle over everyone under this roof and everyone I am worried about tonight. Wake me tomorrow with a gentler heart than I went to bed with. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, I am worn out and I know I was not as kind as I could have been today. Forgive me, and fill the space where my impatience was with your gentleness. Help me remember that you are kind to me every day, and let that shape how I treat the people I see tomorrow. Let me rest in you tonight. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
(WEB)
Paul ties kindness to the forgiveness God has already given you. Before you pray for a kinder heart, remember that the same mercy you received is what makes gentleness possible, so you can ask for that mercy to flow through you tonight.
Psalm 103:8
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
(WEB)
Read this slowly as a picture of the God you are going to sleep under. Thank him for being slow to anger and rich in love, and ask him to make you more like that toward the people who tested your patience today.
Colossians 3:12
Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance…
(WEB)
Paul describes compassion and kindness as clothing you put on. As you lie down, name one specific person and ask God to help you wear these qualities toward them tomorrow, beginning with the first conversation of the morning.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
(WEB)
This verse links kindness with justice and humility in one short sentence. Pray that God would show you where humility is needed in your relationships tonight, so you can approach the next day with a lower and more generous posture.
Proverbs 19:17
He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; he will reward him.
(WEB)
Kindness to someone in need is treated here as something done for the Lord himself. Ask God to bring to mind one small, practical act of generosity you could offer tomorrow, and to make you willing to take it on.
How to Pray This Prayer
Pray it in the last few minutes before you turn off the light, while you are still in bed or sitting on the edge of it. If you share a room or a home with others, you can pray it quietly under your breath so no one is disturbed. Many people find it helpful to put one hand on their chest or on a pillow while they pray, a small physical reminder that God meets you right where you are, even at the end of a long day.
If you are praying with a spouse, child, or roommate, take turns reading the lines aloud and let each person add one name of someone they want to be kind to tomorrow. Children can pray the short version and then tell one thing they did kindly that day. Keep the prayer short enough that it does not become one more task, and let silence rest after the amen before you sleep.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord who is slow to anger and full of mercy settle your heart tonight and make you gentle with the people you will meet tomorrow. May he remind you that you are loved, so that love can flow out of you to others. May your sleep be deep, your morning be kind, and your words be ready to heal before they wound.
