"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me" (Psalm 3:5). The God who watches over you never sleeps: "he that keepeth thee will not slumber" (Psalm 121:3). The psalmist found that "in the night his song shall be with me" (Psalm 42:8). And to God "the night shineth as the day" (Psalm 139:12).
Night can be the most peaceful part of the day or the hardest. Worries grow louder after dark, the house goes quiet, and sleep does not always come. The Bible speaks to the night often: God gives His beloved sleep, psalmists pray and sing on their beds, Paul and Silas praised at midnight, and the God who never sleeps sees as clearly in darkness as in daylight. These twelve King James verses are for bedtime, night shifts, sleepless hours and the long evenings of December. For the start of the day, see our morning verses; for a deeper look at rest, see rest.
Lie down and sleep in peace
1. Psalms 3:5
"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."
David wrote Psalm 3 while fleeing from his son Absalom, with enemies all around him. Even so: I laid me down and slept; I awaked. Simply waking up became a testimony that the LORD sustained him. Going to sleep can be an act of trust.
2. Psalms 127:2
"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."
Rising early, sitting up late, and eating the bread of sorrows cannot build what only God builds. For so he giveth his beloved sleep. Going to bed on time can be a quiet way of admitting that God, not you, holds the world together.
3. Proverbs 3:24
"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. The surrounding verses tie this promise to keeping wisdom and trusting the LORD (Proverbs 3:21-26). A mind settled on God's ways is a mind that can rest.
4. Psalms 121:3-4
"He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. You can close your eyes because God never closes His. This psalm is a favorite for bedtime prayers with children and for anyone keeping watch through the night.
Songs and prayers in the night
5. Psalms 42:8
"Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."
By day the LORD commands His lovingkindness, and in the night his song shall be with me. The writer of Psalm 42 was downcast, yet he found that night could be a time for song and prayer, not only for tears.
6. Psalms 63:6
"When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."
David remembers God upon his bed and meditates on Him in the night watches, the divisions of the night when watchmen stood guard. When you cannot sleep, turn the hours into quiet meditation on one verse instead of scrolling or worrying.
7. Psalms 119:62
"At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments."
At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee. Christians through the centuries have kept the habit of prayer in the night. Waking at midnight can become an invitation to thank God rather than a reason to fret.
8. Acts 16:25
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
Beaten and locked in the stocks, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God at midnight, and the prisoners heard them. An earthquake followed (Acts 16:26). Worship in your darkest hour is a testimony to everyone listening.
The darkness is not dark to God
9. Psalms 139:11-12
"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Nothing is hidden from God in the dark, which is a comfort when you feel alone and a call to honesty when you are tempted to hide.
10. Psalms 91:5
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;"
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night. Psalm 91 was written for people facing real dangers. It does not promise that nothing hard will happen, but that the one who dwells with God need not be ruled by fear.
11. Romans 13:12
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Paul uses night as a picture of this present age and the coming day of Christ. Every dark night, in history and in your own life, is already well spent.
12. Revelation 22:5
"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
In the new creation there shall be no night there, for the Lord God giveth them light. Every night we lie down in is temporary; the last word belongs to an everlasting day.
A short prayer
Lord, as this day ends, I give You what I finished and what I did not. You never slumber, so I can rest. Quiet my thoughts, watch over our home through the night, and let Your song be with me if I wake. Give me sweet sleep, and wake me ready to serve You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a good Bible verse to read at night?
Psalm 4:8 is a classic bedtime verse: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep" (Psalm 4:8). Psalm 3:5, Psalm 121:3-4 and Proverbs 3:24 are also good to read or pray before sleep, especially with children.
What does the Bible say about not being able to sleep?
Scripture records sleepless nights, such as King Ahasuerus in Esther 6:1 and David's tears in Psalm 6:6, and it shows a way through them: meditate on God (Psalm 63:6), pray, and give thanks (Psalm 119:62). If sleeplessness lasts for weeks, please also talk with your doctor.
Why do so many Bible stories happen at night?
Night is when the shepherds heard the angels (Luke 2:8), Nicodemus came to Jesus (John 3:2), Jesus prayed all night before choosing the twelve (Luke 6:12), and Paul and Silas sang in prison (Acts 16:25). Darkness is often where God's light shows most clearly; see also stars.
Is there night in heaven?
Revelation says of the New Jerusalem, "there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:25; see also 22:5), because God Himself is its light and the Lamb is its lamp (Revelation 21:23).
If sleeplessness lasts for weeks, or night-time fear or sadness feels overwhelming, please talk with your doctor as well as your pastor. In the US you can call or text 988 at any hour.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about morning · Bible verses about rest · Bible verses about worrying · Bible verses about protection · Bible verses about stars · Bible verses about light
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