Prayers for Protection from Monsters

Children go through various stages of development when it comes to sleep and fear of the dark. My youngest child has been particularly clear about her nighttime anxiety. When she was about three, she told me she was scared of the “stories behind her eyes,” which is in my opinion the only way we should ever refer to dreams. At that time, the bedtime prayer went something like this:

Dear Lord, please help my child have good stories while she is sleeping. Amen.

Now at five years old, she is comfortable with the “stories” but has developed some anxiety around monsters and requires reassurance that I have locked all of the doors at bedtime. I started reading the daily devotions for individuals and families in the Book of Common Prayer which starts on page 136. Nearly every night, we read the prayers under the heading “At the Close of the Day.” I have made minor adaptations to the final prayer and blessing. (in bold below)

Visit this place, O Lord, and drive far from it all snares of the enemy and monsters; let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in peace; and let your blessing be upon us always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep our house safe. Amen.

Sometimes I offer the prayers, sometimes she requests them, and sometimes we both forget. When we go through the prayers, if I at point neglect to add those key phrases, we have to start the prayer all over again. Sometimes she conflates angels with fairies (a fair point really, both being winged and wildly unpredictable). 

These prayers for protection against monsters have a literal quality with a young child, but the prayers work for older children as well. After all, the monsters become less things that go bump in the night and more the conflicts with our own inner selves and the struggles out in the world. 

When my son struggles with the unfairness of umpires and refs, we pray:

Dear Lord, help fairness and justice to be present in our game. May each player do his best and build up his team, and at the end, may we leave any rivalry on the field. Amen.

When words of bullies become overwhelming to my daughter, we pray:

Dear Lord, protect me from the anger of others and the desire for vengeance. Give me the courage to forgive and walk with integrity. Amen.

When high school, ADHD, and expectations mount with my teenager, we pray:

Be with us, dear Lord, through all the ups and downs of this time. Give us patience with each other and with ourselves. Keep us safe from our own foolishness. Amen.

What starts as young children praying for protection against monsters grows into a practice of praying for courage to face the challenges of life. One of my favorite quotes about children is from G. K. Chesterton’s collection of essays called Tremendous Trifles.

“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of [monsters]. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of [monsters].” 

Monsters take on new and various forms throughout a life. As a young child who has a loving home, they exist largely within my daughter’s imagination. That does not make the fear of them less real, nor should it mean that I dismiss her fears simply because my monsters are so different from hers.

Prayer connects us to the One who is greater than all our fears, the One who conquered death and promises to be with us always. It is just as significant for me to pray as it is for her, because I also have fears and desire to know that we will be kept safe. There is a vagueness to the language that actually is helpful. I know what snares of the enemy I desire protection from, while others may have a vastly different idea in their head. Regardless, the intention of the prayer remains the same. Faith in the love of God to care for us in all the hardest parts of our lives.