← The Psalm world
Illustration of King David kneeling in prayer with hands clasped beside his bed, choosing to trust God instead of worry, illustrating Psalm 4's evening prayer for peace.

Psalm 4

An Evening Prayer

BedtimeComfort

At the end of a hard day, David prays to God and chooses to trust Him instead of worry. He says he can lie down in peace and sleep — because God alone keeps him safe. That's a great reminder at bedtime!

  1. 1Answer me when I call to You, O God who vindicates me. You relieved my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
  2. 2How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
  3. 3Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him.
  4. 4In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.
  5. 5Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.
  6. 6Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O LORD.
  7. 7You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
  8. 8I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

What it means

At the end of a hard day, we can hand all our worries to God and rest. He gives a peace deep inside that the world cannot give. When God is watching over you, you can sleep without fear.

A little prayer

Lord, thank You for hearing me when I call. At the end of this day, I give You all my worries. Help me to lie down in peace and sleep, because You keep me safe. Amen.

Memory verse

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8 (BSB)

The last verse of the day, and it puts safety in one place rather than in a checklist of things going right.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. This is an evening prayer and Psalm 3 is a morning one. Do you talk to God differently at different times of day?
  2. David says he can lie down in peace because God alone keeps him safe. What does the word 'alone' add?
  3. The psalm mentions people asking 'who will show us anything good?'. When does the world feel like that?
  4. What is one good thing from today you could thank God for before bed?

Try this

Last thing tonight

Make a small card for the bedside table with the memory verse on it. Read it out loud as the very last thing before the light goes off, for a week. See whether it changes how bedtime feels.

You will need: A small card and a pen.

From the blog

A Psalm for Bedtime →

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)