Bedtime Prayers
Posted by Katrina Kaczmarek on December 16, 2010
When I was a young new mother, I didn’t sleep for nine months. We joke about what a difficult baby my daughter was, but most of it was my fear of SIDS or something happening to her in the night when I wasn’t physically watching her. I used to check on her every five to ten minutes. I would put my hand to her chest, and feel for her breathing. This usually woke up what had been a perfectly happy sleeping baby. I just had no idea how to let her lay. Nine months of sleep deprivation almost destroyed my husband and me. We couldn’t function properly, and we were both exhausted. Before I could sleep again, I had to come to some realizations.
First of all, I am not in control of when God will call someone home. Now I don’t in any way want to minimize the pain experienced by a parent who has lost a child. I can’t even begin to imagine such pain, and just hearing any such story breaks my heart.
However, I had to realize that God is in charge not me, and because I believe in a God who loves us, I needed to believe that his decisions are better than mine given his eternal perspective. (See my post: (Can a moment equal eternity, for my thoughts on God’s vision… http://lovecansitanywhere.com/?p=26 ). Now I also had to realize that fear would get me nowhere, and I had to remember that fear is a curse from the devil, God is the giver of peace.
I still wanted to do something even having these realizations, for they are my children, and after all they have been given to me for protection and rearing, regardless of the amount of time I am blessed with our earthly togetherness.
The answer that came to me seems so simple, and yet I don’t think we as a human race in general really believe in the true power of it.
The answer is prayer.
As you know if you have read my previous posts, I believe the soul, especially a big one reared and grown through acts of love and mercy can extend beyond the body. Therefore, there exists, invisible to us, another realm, a third dimension so to speak. It is in this dimension that the angels, and unfortunately the devils do their work. I believe that unless it is your time to be called home to God, Prayer can build up a wall of protection around you and those you pray for. I like to picture it in my mind as a clear bubble with tremendous power to keep out the demons and evils of the spiritual realm, and occasionally the evils in our own worldly realms. I actually pray for such a bubble to exist around my classroom. I pray that any burdens my students may be carrying with them, be left at the door while they come in to learn. I believe through this prayer for protection my classroom can be a place not only of learning, but a place of peace, and clear mindedness.
The answer that came to me regarding my children and our separated sleeping arrangements was prayer. This is the prayer I put together and say to them as I am putting them to bed at night. I say this prayer with all the hope my soul can muster that God will place around them protection from all things that may do them harm, spiritually, emotionally or physically. It is with saying this prayer, and then trusting in God, that I have come to sleep peacefully again. I do insert the names of my children.
I hope that you enjoy! 
Now I lay you down to sleep
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
May angels guard you through the night
And wake you in the morning light
God please bless my child
Keep her safe and warm
Keep her always in
Your strong and loving arms.
Mommy loves you baby
Daddy loves you too
Dream of peaceful moments
As the angels keep watch over you.
Amen
Happy Loving, Sitting, and Praying my friends!
Kirsten Victor said,
I copied this prayer to memorize and say over Greta at night.
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