Evening prayer

Evening prayer ~ You Are My…

/ The Pastor

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God,
my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield,
and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
[Psalm 18:1-3]

I praise You, oh Lord.
I worship You, oh Lord.
I place my life in Your hands, oh Lord.

And since You are my:
Lord
Rock
Strength
Fortress
Deliverer
God
Shield
Salvation
Stronghold

I can rest easy tonight knowing that whether I live or whether I die that I belong to You. What a comfort that is, Father God.

So I ask that You would protect my dreams, my family, my soul and my life but all according to Your gracious and holy will and for Your glory.

And if it be Your will that I awaken to another day in Your beautiful creation, may I have the faith to continue to live for You.

All praise, glory and worship be to You, holy God, through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Evening prayer ~ You are awesome

/ The Pastor

Father God,

You are awesome!

Your grace is mindblowing.
Your love is amazing.

Forgive me my transgressions.
Restore my soul.
Strengthen my faith.

Protect me as I lay vulnerable in my bed tonight.
Guard my dreams that I may sleep in peace.
Place Your hedge of protection around my family.
Refresh my body that I may be ready to serve You tomorrow.

May my desire for Your ways increase.
May Your love abound through my life.
May YOU be glorified, Father God.
May Your peace abound through my life.
May my desire for Your decrees increase.

Refresh the weak.
Place Your precepts on the hearts of Your people.
Guard Your Church
Protect the vulnerable.

Strengthen faith.
Restore hope.
Forgive me my transgressions.

Your love is amazing.
Your grace is mindblowing.

You are AWESOME!

Father God, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Evening prayer ~ The Good Shepherd

/ The Pastor

Oh God, my Good Shepherd, as I wind my body down and reflect on my day, I can’t help but echo the sentiment of the beloved psalmist:

Oh Lord my Lord, you are my Shepherd and therefore I do not want; for You make me lie down in green pastures and You lead me beside still waters.

You restore my soul.

You lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (and this I do every day), I fear no evil, for you are with me (what a wonderful feeling that is). Your rod and your staff? They comfort me for I know that my life is in Your hands.

Oh Lord my Shepherd, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies and you anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows and overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy and love and compassion and grace shall follow me all the days of my life, and because of Jesus, I shall dwell in Your mansion forever.

Thank You, Shepherd God, that through faith in Jesus I can confidently pray this prayer.

So if it be Your will, bring my life through this night and protect me from the evil one, and awaken me to a new day filled with Your abundant blessings. 

All praise to You, oh God, the great Shepherd of the sheep. In Jesus name I pray,

Amen!

The Pastor -|—

Evening Prayer ~ Blessed

/ The Pastor

Father God,

As I prepare to shut down my body for the night, I praise you for this recently spent day; a day filled with blessings:
~ Breath after breath
~ The love of my family
~ Food
~ Clean water
~ Fresh air
~ Smiling children

And You, oh God.

There are many more blessings I could name, but You get the point. You are a giving God and You give good gifts; far better than I could ever hope to give to my children. So I praise You and thank You.

As I sleep tonight may You place Your hedge of protection around me and my family; protecting us from evil.

Grant us good dreams.
Grant us restful sleep.
Grant us peace.

May I wake up tomorrow ready to chose You again and follow You with all my heart; obeying Your commands and bringing glory to Your holy name.

All praise and glory and worship to You, oh God, through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Amen

The Pastor -|—

Evening blessing and prayer

/ The Pastor

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. [Numbers 6:24-26]

I use these verses every week as a benediction to close worship. I started this “routine” mainly because that’s what was in our worship book, but I continue because of the beauty of these words. And what a wonderful words to ponder as we close our day:

Blessing
Keeping
Our Lord’s shining face upon you
Graciousness
The Lord’s countenance
Peace

Beautiful ~ Wonderful ~ Awe inspiring

Meditate on these words before you fall asleep. Ponder their meaning. And then give the Lord thanks and praise as you receive these words of blessing tonight.

And then may your dreams be peaceful, your sleep be restful and your body rejuvenated.

Oh God, thank you for another day. Thank you for the many ways you bless your children throughout the day. And thank you for the peace we can have through Jesus Christ. Amen

Have a blessed night and (God willing) I’ll “see” you tomorrow.

The Pastor -|—

Good night God

/ The Pastor

Loving Father, as another day comes to a close,  I lift my thanks and praise to you. You are a glorious, creative and compassionate God. You are wise and faithful and Holy.  You are patient and grace-filled and forgiving. You are a God worthy of our adoration.

And now, as I prepare to close my eyes, please watch over this body. May any evil spirits present be cast away in the name of Jesus. May You protect my family. May You place your hedge of protection around this home from the evil one. And if death does demand my life tonight may you take this soul up into your loving arms. If it be your will that I wake up tomorrow morning may I be well rested and ready to live another day glorifying your holy name.

Gracious Father, I lay my life in your hands; entrusting my body and soul to you. All praise, glory and worship to you, Holy Father, through Jesus Christ my risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

Good night God 🙂

The Pastor -|—