You pray in the evening by setting aside time before bed to thank God for the day, confess your sins, ask for protection through the night, and intercede for others. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A few psalms, some traditional prayers, and your own words to God will do.
The Church gives us Vespers, the great evening service that parishes celebrate before major feasts and on Saturday evenings. But most of us can’t get to church every evening. That’s fine. You’re not expected to. What you need is a simple evening prayer rule you can keep at home.
What Goes Into Evening Prayer
Start with a psalm. Psalm 51 works well because it’s penitential and helps you examine your day honestly. Some people prefer Psalm 4, which is specifically an evening psalm about lying down in peace. Read it slowly. Let the words sink in.
Then pray the Trisagion prayers if you know them. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Three times. Follow with the Lord’s Prayer. If it’s a season when we don’t say “O Heavenly King” (between Ascension and Pentecost, or during certain other periods), just skip it. Don’t overthink this.
Next comes confession. Not the formal sacrament, but a moment to acknowledge where you failed today. Be specific with God. He already knows, but you need to say it. Ask forgiveness. Mean it.
Then intercede. Pray for your family by name. Pray for people at work, especially that guy on your crew who’s going through a divorce. Pray for your Baptist mother who worries about your soul. Pray for the parish, for those who are sick, for the departed.
End with a prayer for protection. The Orthodox tradition has several. “O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace” is one option. Or simply, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” repeated several times as you settle into stillness.
That’s it. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen if you’re not rushed. The point isn’t to get through a checklist. It’s to stand before God at day’s end.
Why Evening Prayer Matters
We’re vulnerable when we sleep. We lose consciousness for hours, completely helpless. Evening prayer acknowledges this. It’s an act of trust, handing yourself over to God’s care through the night. In a way, it’s practice for death.
The Church has always seen evening as spiritually significant. Darkness falls. We light lamps and candles, remembering that Christ is the light no darkness can overcome. Vespers is full of this imagery. Even your short evening rule at home participates in that same rhythm.
Evening prayer also bookends your day. You started with morning prayers (or you meant to). Now you close the circle. You’re training yourself to see the whole day as lived in God’s presence, not just the moments when you remember to think about him.
Making It Practical
Keep a prayer book by your bed or wherever you pray. The Antiochian Archdiocese posts Readers’ Vespers texts on their website if you want to follow a more formal structure. Some people print these out. Others just keep a list of psalms and prayers they’ve memorized or marked in a book.
Light a candle before you start. It helps you focus. It signals to your brain that this time is different from scrolling your phone or watching TV.
If you work rotating shifts at the plants, pray when your evening actually is. Coming off a night shift at seven in the morning? That’s your evening. God understands schedules better than we do.
Don’t make your rule too long. You won’t keep it. Better to pray five minutes every night than to plan a thirty-minute rule you abandon after three days. Talk to a priest about what’s realistic for your life. He’ll probably tell you to start shorter than you think you need.
What About Compline?
Compline is another service, later than Vespers, specifically for bedtime. It’s beautiful and short. Some people pray Compline at home instead of a simpler evening rule. That’s fine. The prayers overlap quite a bit anyway. Compline includes Psalms 4, 6, 12, 24, 30, and 90, along with prayers for forgiveness and protection through the night.
You can find Compline texts online or in Orthodox prayer books. Try it and see if it fits your rhythm. Some people love the structure. Others find it easier to pray more freely.
The Real Goal
Evening prayer isn’t about checking a box or earning points with God. It’s medicine for your soul. You’re being healed, slowly, by standing in God’s presence day after day. The words matter less than the showing up.
You’ll miss nights. Everyone does. Don’t spiral into guilt. Just start again the next evening. This is a lifelong practice, not a performance.
If you’ve never prayed in the evening before, start tonight. One psalm, the Lord’s Prayer, and a minute of silence. That’s enough. Tomorrow night, do it again. Let the habit form. Let God meet you there in the quiet before sleep.
