One of my favourite prayers is among the most simple. It’s the night prayer from Compline, the service prayed before bed:
Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
Something that those of us who have grown up in relatively secure environments with light available at the flick of a switch can easily forget is just how frightening and uncertain night has always been. Even if we ignore the threats that may come out in the dark, the simple act of sleep is kind of crazy if we think about it. We just sort of turn off for a third of the day. And of course, that’s if we’re lucky. Because that’s also the time of day when our anxieties can tend to run amok.
And so here we have a simple prayer that for me is a balm against the day’s anxieties. It asks for safety and faithful vigilance in the waking hours, and protection and peace while we sleep. And that’s it. It’s easy to remember and perfect for praying as we turn out the lights.
There are many versions of this type of prayer. One that’s a little more complex from the Orthodox tradition reads:
Under the protection of your wings
I shall be covered and fall asleep,
for in you only, Lord, does my hope lie.
Into your hands, O Lord,
I commend my soul and my body.
Do bless me, do have mercy on me,
and grant me eternal life.
Amen.
The point is simply that it can be helpful to have a quick short prayer we can pray as the last thing we do before sleep, to clear the deck, and ask our gracious God for a peaceful rest.
Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
Amen
Matthew Root 