Night prayer

Father, now that all voices have quieted
and the clamor has faded,
here at the foot of my bed
my soul rises up to You to say:
I believe in You, I hope in You,
I love You with all my strength.
Glory to You, Lord.

I place in Your hands
the fatigue and the struggle,
the joys and disappointments
of this day now gone.

If my nerves betrayed me,
if selfish impulses took over,
if I gave way to resentment or sadness,
forgive me, Lord. Have mercy on me.

If I was unfaithful,
if I spoke empty words,
if I was led by impatience,
if I was a thorn in someone’s path,
forgive me, Lord.

Tonight I don't want to surrender to sleep
without feeling the certainty of Your mercy
upon my soul—
Your sweet, completely undeserved mercy, Lord.

Thank You, my Father,
for being the cool shadow
that sheltered me throughout this day.
Thank You for caring for me—
invisibly, tenderly,
surrounding me like a mother
through every hour.

Amen