Are you one of the many Christians who suffer from nightmares? If so, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are a number of devout prayers that can help prevent and ease nightmares.
Often, our minds can imagine vast scenarios while we sleep. When these are dreams of our favorite things and the people we love, it is easy to ignore. However, when these dreams are nightmares, they can be disconcerting and upsetting. Prayer is an effective way to rid yourself of the panic of nightmares and return to peaceful sleep. We hope that these prayers will provide you with some comfort and peace of mind.
The following prayers can help if you or someone you care about struggles with nightmares. Humbly offer them to God and He will help.
Let us pray.
Prayers for Nightmares
Short Prayer
Dear Lord, I come to You asking for peace in my sleep and freedom from disturbing nightmares. Please guard my mind and fill my dreams with Your comfort and protection. Amen.
📖 Psalm 91:5-6
"You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday."
Short Prayer Against Nightmares
Father in Heaven, I come before You humbly today to ask for help with a matter that is important to me. As I lay down to sleep, please help me find peace and comfort. Protect my dreams from evil influences, fear, and anxiety. I pray that You will help me have peaceful, refreshing dreams that will remind me of Your love for me. I pray that I will awake ready to face a bright new day. Amen.
📖 Psalm 4:8
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Prayer to Stop Nightmares
Holy God, Thank You for using Your power to save me from temptation and sin. I am so grateful for the help You pour out over me every day. Today, I pray that You will stop my nightmares. These terrible imaginings are causing stress and anxiety. They make it difficult for me to rest and recharge. I need Your power to calm my mind and help me return to peaceful sleep. I pray that You will help remove the underlying anxieties and fears that could be causing these nightmares. Give me patience with me and help me have hope for the future that invites fresh dreams. I pray that You will give peace to my mind that will banish nightmares. Help me forget the mistakes of the peace and move forward with hope and faith. Help me have pleasant dreams of the beautiful things in this world. I offer this prayer in Your name, Amen.
📖 Proverbs 3:24
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
Prayer for Child Having Nightmares
Dear Father in Heaven, Thank You for the blessing that my child is in my life. I am honored to care for and love them. I am grateful for the lessons in love and patience they teach me. Father, today my child is struggling and I pray that You will send Your angels to help. My child is struggling with nightmares that make it difficult for them to sleep. They are afraid and their mind is full of anxiety. I pray that You will send comfort to my child so they will know these nightmares cannot hurt them. Send Your spirit of comfort to their side, so they can know they are not alone. Please help my child’s minds be cleared so they can close their eyes, rest, and regain their energy. Please help my child know that You are always there for them. Help them know how much I love and care for them. I close this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
📖 Psalm 121:7-8
"The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Prayer for Protection from Nightmares
Holy God Above, I am so grateful to know that You can protect me from the slings and arrows of this world. Today I pray that You will bestow Your power upon my head. Protect me from nightmares and terrors of the night. Help my mind find clarity as I close my eyes to sleep. Help my mind release anxieties and fears from the day. Help me reflect on the peace of Jesus Christ and the blessings You have given me in my life. I pray that as I sleep, I will have calming rest. I pray that I will awake re-energized and ready to face what the world will throw at me. I know that the greatest peace in this life can be found through devotion to You and Your divine plan. I offer this humble prayer in Your name, Amen.
📖 Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Bible Verses to Pray Against Bad Dreams
Reciting scripture is a powerful way to chase away nightmares and invite God’s Holy Spirit to give You comfort while You rest. The following prayer demonstrates the use of powerful scriptures to invoke God’s peace. Dear God, Today I struggle with nightmares, and I pray that You will use Your divine strength to protect me. As Psalm 91:1-2 says, “[The Lord] alone is my refuge…Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night.” Because I trust in You, God, I know these nightmares cannot harm me. God, I know that You will protect me and watch over me. As Psalm 4:8 says, “In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Holy God, in Proverbs 3:24, You teach that as I rest I need not and will not be afraid. I pray that You will watch over me and help me trust Your power to bring comfort into my life. Amen.
📖 2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Prayer Against Nightmares
Lord God Almighty and eternal, You who keep watch over all of us by night as well as by day, I come before you tonight to beseech your protection as I sleep tonight. Nightmares haunt my dreams. The evil of this fear even prevents me from sleeping. Hold me close dear Father and carry me to a peaceful and happy sleep, safe in Your love. I ask this in the name of Your son Jesus Christ, Amen.
📖 Psalm 3:5
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."
Nightmare Prayer Before Bed
Oh, Holy Father in Heaven, Please keep me safe tonight as I sleep. Please keep the monsters and fears away from me. Please protect me from any harm that may come to me in my dreams. Amen.
📖 Job 11:18-19
"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid."
Prayer To Stop Nightmares
Let my prayer for deliverance from nightmares be answered, O Lord. Deliver me from the terror of the night and protect me from all fears. Help me to sleep in peace and safety, free from all dark imaginings, so that I may awake refreshed and restored. Amen.
📖 Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Prayer For After A Nightmare
Oh, Holy Father in Heaven, I come to you weary and tired after a nightmare to ask for healing and peace. Please help me to find rest and comfort in Your arms. Help me to know that You are always watching over me even as I sleep. Shine Your light upon me as I fall back asleep. Amen.
📖 Psalm 23:4
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Prayer Against Bad Dreams in the Bible
Holy Father in Heaven, I am so grateful to know that You care for e in everything that I do. I trust Your divine will and plan for my life and I yield to Your desires. I know that the greatest comfort that can be found in life can be found through You. In fact, in 1 Peter 5:7, we read that we “can cast all of our anxieties upon [You] because [You] care.” Today, a struggle I have with which I need Your divine intervention is my nightmares. I need these nightmares to pass so I can rest and wake up ready to go about following Jesus Christ. I ask that, as You did in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, You will give me “peace in every way.” Father, I trust that You have the power to take away my nightmares and grant me peace of mind instead. I know You care about me and want me to be happy. As the Bible says in Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” I offer this prayer in Jesus Christ’s sacred name, Amen.
Send This Prayer to the Holy Land
Your prayer reaches churches, monasteries, and holy sites on three continents. When you need prayer warriors, we mobilize them globally.
Prayer Points for Nightmares
Use these prayer points to guide your personal prayer time:
- Pray for God's supernatural peace to guard your mind and heart during sleep
- Ask God to break every spiritual attack manifesting as nightmares in your life
- Pray for protection over your children from frightening dreams and night terrors
- Ask the Lord to replace fear with His perfect love that casts out all fear
- Pray for the blood of Jesus to cover your sleeping space and create a hedge of protection
- Ask God to heal any past trauma or emotional wounds that may trigger nightmares
- Pray for sweet and restful sleep according to Proverbs 3:24
- Ask the Holy Spirit to minister peace and comfort after experiencing a nightmare
- Pray against every demonic influence or oppression affecting your sleep
- Ask God to grant you dreams and visions from Him instead of fearful nightmares
- Pray for discernment to recognize spiritual warfare and authority to overcome it
- Ask the Lord to calm an anxious mind before bedtime that might lead to bad dreams
- Pray for God's angels to encamp around your bed and protect you through the night
- Ask for the peace of God that surpasses understanding to guard your sleep
- Pray for freedom from recurring nightmares and complete restoration of peaceful rest
Watch: Prayer for Nightmares Video
Bible Verses for Nightmares
Find strength and comfort in these scriptures:
Psalm 91:5-6
"You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday."
Psalm 4:8
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Proverbs 3:24
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
Psalm 121:7-8
"The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Psalm 3:5
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."
Job 11:18-19
"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 23:4
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."