Reading morning and evening prayers is a necessary ritual for every believer. The prayer rule does not take much time, 15-20 minutes are enough, which can be allocated for communication with the Lord every day. A difficult work schedule, fatigue, illness, and everyday workload can distract from the spiritual side of existence. It is necessary to fight difficulties and not forget about the soul, which needs support.
What evening prayers should be read every day
Daily prayers can be compared to greetings. When we meet other people, we greet them. In the same way, we should greet the Lord by letting the words of prayer into our lives in the morning and evening. The evening rule can be found in any prayer book. If you do not have the strength to read it completely, you can choose the words closest to your heart. The evening rule can be divided into parts, it is not necessary to do it immediately before going to bed. You can start reading evening prayers at the most convenient time and finish shortly before going to bed. The prayer rule should be chosen in accordance with your own potential. Having assessed your individual capabilities and physical well-being, you can choose the desired amount of prayers by time. It is better to read several suitable texts with understanding than to hastily choose a large number and miss the essence.
Here are some suitable prayers for evening reading:
Evening Offering
Eternal Father, I offer You the sacrifice of love
and gratitude for the blessings of this day.
Forgive me for my failures and shortcomings,
and help me rest in Your peace tonight,
renewed in faith and love. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
A central prayer to close the day:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Act of Contrition
A prayer for repentance:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You,
and I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of heaven
and the pains of hell,
but most of all because they offend You, my God,
who are all-good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace,
to confess my sins,
to do penance,
and to amend my life. Amen.
Prayer for Protection During Sleep
Entrust yourself to God’s care:
Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake;
watch over us as we sleep,
that awake, we may keep watch with Christ,
and asleep, rest in His peace. Amen.
Psalm 91 (Prayer of Trust)
For God’s protection:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,
who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
He will cover you with His pinions,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day.
(You can read the entire psalm or stop here.)
The Canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis)
From the Liturgy of the Hours:
Lord, now let Your servant go in peace;
Your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which You have prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal You to the nations
and the glory of Your people Israel.
Gratitude Prayer
For reflecting on the blessings of the day:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the many blessings
You have bestowed upon me today.
Thank You for Your guidance, protection, and grace.
Help me to see Your hand in all things,
and to trust in Your plan for my life.
May I grow in gratitude and holiness each day. Amen.
Marian Prayer (Hail Mary)
A beautiful prayer to ask for Mary’s intercession:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Prayer for Rest
For a peaceful night:
Jesus, my Lord, I trust in You.
Watch over me as I rest,
and guard my heart and mind from worry or fear.
May Your peace fill my soul
and Your love sustain me through the night.
Bless my loved ones and all who are in need. Amen.
A Blessing
To close the day:
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
How to Pray Properly in the Evening
The purpose of the evening prayer is to sum up the day, thank God for it, and think about possible sins committed. In this way, you can evaluate the day you have lived, learn lessons from the events that have occurred, draw appropriate conclusions, and think about what to do tomorrow.
Is it possible to pray in your own words at home?
Prayer is not a magical set of words, it is a spiritual impulse, a living communication with the Lord. You can pray in your own words, but this should not replace existing texts, tested for centuries. In the modern world, information has become as accessible as possible, so it is easy to find the necessary pages with prayers on the Internet. At first, you can simply read them, thinking about each word, but gradually they will enter your life and become habitual. If you still want to say it in your own words, you need to take into account that the text should consist of four parts – glorification of God, gratitude, repentance for sins and a request.
Rules for reading evening prayer
Evening prayers clear your thoughts and bring peace. The best time to read the texts is 6-8 pm. The main rules are sincerity and patience. The clergy have made the following recommendations:
- no need to rush, you can read the texts in a chant;
- it is worth thinking about the meaning of the words;
- you need to set the time for reading the prayer, you do not need to chase the number;
- if there is no opportunity to personally read the text, you can turn on the audio recording, but not in the background while doing other things.
Evening prayers help to realize everything that happened during the day, they provide an opportunity to relieve stress and fatigue.