Needed: A New Children's Prayer

For many years I have had the feeling that our favorite prayer to teach children at night was badly flawed. It is so flawed that I am concerned that it was actually causing children to develop a deep-seated fear of God and developing a pattern of insomnia.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die,
Before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take

Analyze this prayer for a moment. The last thing a child hears at night is the fear inducing message that he or she may not survive the rigors of sleep. Can you see why this could be a cause of insomnia?

The prayer was originally written during the Black Plague that killed millions of people including numerous children. It was a fearful time so a fearful prayer was the result. But we need a positive prayer and I wrote one for my grand kids.

New Prayer For Sleeping
(C) Gary Sweeten

Now I lay me down to sleep
I thank the Lord my soul to keep.
No fear of night, He will provide-
His angels near, my sleeping side.
At morning's dawn, I will awake,
To live again for Jesus' sake.
He gives me strength, the whole night rest,
Enough each day to give my best.