What is a small prayer to say before sleep or going out?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, we are encouraged to sanctify every moment and every action by invoking the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are short, powerful prayers for both situations:

Before Going Out

When leaving your home, it is a pious custom to ask for God’s protection and guidance. You can pray:

"My Lord Jesus Christ, be my companion on this journey. Direct my steps according to Your will and preserve me from every evil and every snare of the enemy. Let Your holy angels encompass me, that I may return in peace and safety to my home, giving thanks to Your Holy Name. Amen."

You may also recite Psalm 120 (121): "The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."

Before Sleep

Before closing your eyes, the Church teaches us to place our hope entirely in God. A beautiful short prayer from the Agpeya (Compline) is:

"I shall both lie down in peace and sleep: for You alone, O Lord, have caused me to dwell in hope."

You may also say this short personal prayer:

"I thank You, my King and my God, for bringing me to the end of this day in peace. Forgive me for any sins I have committed this day in word, deed, or thought. Grant me a peaceful sleep and a wakefulness free from anxiety, that I may rise to praise You and do Your will. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen."

The "Arrow Prayer"

For both occasions, the shortest and most powerful prayer used by the Desert Fathers is the Jesus Prayer:

(Pchois Isous Pikhristos nai ni)

"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

As St. John Chrysostom teaches, whenever the Name of God is placed upon an action, it makes that business easy and auspicious. Whether you are launching into the world or retiring for rest, invoke the Son and give thanks to the Father.