Beloved soul,
As you settle down tonight,
Let us begin with a deep breath in through your nose,
Hold,
And out through your mouth.
Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Tonight,
We are here not just to rest,
But to open our hearts,
To connect to a deeper sense of peace,
And to bring all our burdens into the hands of God.
Heavenly Father,
We come to you in the stillness of this night,
With hearts wide open.
We lay before you everything we've carried today,
The joys,
The triumphs,
The struggles,
And the fears.
Lord,
You know the weight of it all.
We give you our exhaustion,
Our stress,
And our uncertainty.
You are the one who holds all things,
Who guides our every step,
Even when we cannot see the way.
Father,
For every moment today that we have felt overwhelmed,
We surrender it now to you.
We ask for your forgiveness where we fell short,
Knowing your grace covers all.
Let your mercy wash over us,
Cleansing every worry,
Every fear,
And every doubt that lingers in our hearts.
Tonight,
We do not carry the burdens of this day into our rest.
We are free.
We are covered.
We are yours.
Lord,
You are our shepherd.
You restore our souls.
And tonight,
We ask you to restore us once more.
Bring peace to every restless thought,
Every heavy heart,
And every anxious mind.
Quiet the noise within us.
You say in your word,
Be still and know that I am God.
So tonight,
Lord,
We choose to be still.
We choose to let go.
We trust.
You are already working all things for our good.
As we lie here now,
Breathing slowly,
We imagine all that no longer serves us.
Any stress,
Any negativity,
Any fear,
Melting away from our bodies,
Sinking deep into the earth where you transform it into something good.
Lord,
As the night wraps around us,
We remember that we are never alone.
Your angels surround us.
Your presence envelops us.
We are held in your arms of love.
Let us now take a moment to silently acknowledge anything that is still on our minds,
Those little things we haven't yet let go of.
Take a breath,
And on the exhale,
Release those things.
Speak them if you wish,
Or simply feel them drift away.
Feel the release.
Inhale deeply and exhale.
Inhale deeply and exhale.
Feel the tension loosening from your shoulders.
Feel the heaviness leaving your chest.
Let it all go.
Lord,
You are our refuge,
Our strong tower.
We know that under your wings,
We find rest.
You are our safe place.
Now,
Dear one,
As you rest,
I want you to anchor into this one truth.
This is the core of tonight's prayer.
You are safe in God's love.
Let that sink in deeply.
Imagine this truth wrapping itself around your heart like a warm blanket on a cold night.
You are safe in God's love.
No harm can come to you here.
As you breathe,
Imagine each inhale filling your body with warmth and light.
With each exhale,
Feel any remaining tension,
Any last worries dissolving into nothingness.
You are safe in God's love.
As you repeat this to yourself,
It becomes a truth that permeates your soul.
You are enveloped in divine peace.
Now,
I want you to begin releasing all control.
Let go of any need to figure things out.
Let go of the questions,
The uncertainties about tomorrow.
Tomorrow is in God's hands.
You have permission to rest.
You are allowed to let go of the day.
Let your mind soften,
Your body grow heavy with sleep,
And your spirit drift into the embrace of the Almighty.
Imagine a soft golden light surrounding you,
Keeping you warm,
Safe,
And protected.
With every breath,
This light grows brighter,
Filling your heart with peace,
Filling your mind with stillness.
Notice how your body is beginning to sink deeper into relaxation,
Deeper into God's embrace.
The light covers you like a cocoon,
And inside it,
Nothing can touch you.
You are protected.
You are loved.
You are safe.
Now,
As you rest in this space of peace,
Let your breath grow even slower.
Feel your body sinking further into the bed.
Your arms feel heavy,
Your legs relaxed,
Your entire being floating in this moment of stillness.
Nothing matters right now but this breath,
This peace,
This presence.
As I count slowly from ten to one,
Feel yourself drifting even deeper into sleep,
Allowing each number to carry you further into rest.
Ten.
Feel your mind letting go of the last thoughts of the day.
Nine.
Your body softens even more.
Eight.
Feel the peace wrapping around you like a blanket.
Seven.
Sinking deeper.
Six.
You are safe.
You are loved.
Five.
Everything feels still.
Four.
Your body feels lighter.
Three.
Your mind is quiet.
Two.
God's presence is with you.
One.
You are deeply asleep.
As you drift,
Hear this blessing over your life.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
And as you sleep,
May you dream of God's love and his promises.
May you awaken renewed,
Refreshed,
And covered in his grace.
Divine Source,
We give thanks for your presence tonight.
We surrender fully into your care.
We trust you with our hearts,
Our minds,
Our bodies,
Our souls.
Hold us through the night and let us awaken tomorrow with renewed hope,
Joy,
And peace.
