A Prayer for Protection on the Night Shift

Father, the building has emptied out and it is just me and the hum of the lights, the long quiet hours when the world is asleep and I am not. The dark parking lot, the lonely commute home, the strange sounds in an empty place all press on me tonight.

I confess the late hours wear down my guard. I get careless when I am tired, jumpy at every echo, and resentful that I have to do this while others rest. My body is exhausted and my nerves are frayed thin.

So I ask You to be my company in these small hours. Keep me alert where I need to be alert and calm where the fear is just a trick of the quiet. Watch the doors I cannot see and the walk to my car when it is over.

You said You do not slumber or sleep, that You keep watch through the night while I cannot, and that is exactly the God I need on a shift like this.

Carry me through to the dawn. Let me drive home safe as the sky lightens, grateful that I was never as alone as the empty halls made me feel. Amen.