When the baby is finally asleep (or almost), these are the words you can speak over them: short, warm, and full of God’s peace.
You do not need a long prayer at the end of a long day. A blessing can be one sentence long and still carry everything a mother means. Here are three you can say tonight, right where you are: over the crib, over the rocking chair, or over the little one asleep on your shoulder.
For the last feeding of the night
Heavenly Father, thank You for this baby, safe and warm and finally still. Watch over my little one through the night, and let us both rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For the night baby just will not settle
Lord, You see us both, wide awake at this hour. Give my baby Your peace, give me Your patience, and stay with us until morning comes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For an ordinary goodnight
May the Lord bless you and keep you, little one. May He watch over you while you sleep and greet you with mercy in the morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you want words with a longer history, this is the blessing God gave for His people, spoken over children for thousands of years:
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, KJV)
If you would like a blessing like these waiting for you on every night of your baby’s first year, that is exactly why I wrote Bedtime Blessings for My Baby: 365 spoken prayers and Scripture, one for each night, in a keepsake you can pass down. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3TX8LNV