Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
EXTENDED GUARDIAN ANGEL PRAYER:
O Holy Angel, whom God, by the effect of His goodness and His tender regard for my welfare, has charged with the care of me, you who have assisted me from the first moment of my life, and who will continue to assist me until my last breath:
Enlighten my mind, that I may know and understand the will of God for me. Guard my soul from the snares and temptations of the evil one. Direct my steps along the path of righteousness and away from every occasion of sin.
In moments of darkness, be my light.
In moments of fear, be my shield.
In moments of temptation, be my strength.
In moments of doubt, be my guide.
Holy Guardian Angel, stand between me and the forces of evil. Defend me from every spiritual attack. Alert me to danger that I cannot see. Protect me while I sleep.
I thank God for placing you at my side. I trust in your protection and guidance. Together, with the help of God's grace, may we arrive safely at our heavenly home. Amen.
The Guardian Angel Prayer
Angel of God, my guardian dear — the prayer every Catholic child learns first.
From the Church’s tradition: Built on Christ’s own words — "their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father" (Matthew 18:10) — and on Psalm 91’s promise that God gives His angels charge over you.
Before most Catholics can read, they can pray this: Angel of God, my guardian dear. Four lines, learned at a parent’s knee — and underneath them, one of the most consoling doctrines the Church teaches: that God assigns to each soul an angel who guards, guides, and intercedes for it from the first moment of life to the last.
The short prayer is below, followed by the extended form for adults who want to pray it with full seriousness — and it deserves full seriousness. The same prayer that comforts a child is a daily petition for protection, clarity, and good counsel from a guardian Scripture says is always before the face of God.
Listen — Guardian Angel Prayer, narrated
The Guardian Angel Prayer — Full Text
The classic four-line prayer, followed by the extended form.
Keep this prayer with you
Download the Guardian Angel Prayer card
A prayer card you can save to your phone, print for your wall, or send to someone who needs it tonight.
Free download. The app reads it aloud with you, every day.
What the Church teaches about guardian angels
Guardian angels are not a children’s decoration on the faith; they are its plain teaching. Christ warns against despising the little ones because "their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father" (Matthew 18:10). Psalm 91 promises that God "hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways." The Catechism states it directly: from infancy to death, human life is surrounded by the angels’ watchful care and intercession.
The prayer asks four things, and they map a whole spiritual life: light (to see truly), guard (protection from evil), rule (the correction of our wandering), and guide (counsel toward heaven). It is a prayer worth slowing down for — most of us have prayed it a thousand times faster than we have ever thought about it once.
The saints treated their guardian angels as real company. St. Padre Pio sent his to people he could not reach; St. Frances of Rome reported hers as a constant presence. You need not match the mystics — a daily greeting, the prayer each morning, and a word of thanks at night is friendship enough to start.
When to pray it
- ✦Every morning — the traditional first prayer of the day after waking.
- ✦With children at bedtime — the prayer most parents teach first.
- ✦Before travel, decisions, and moments needing protection or clarity.
- ✦October 2 — the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.
Go deeper with the angels
The protection prayers
Questions about Guardian Angel Prayer
Does everyone have a guardian angel?+
The Church teaches that each of the faithful has an angel as protector and shepherd, and the broader tradition — grounded in Matthew 18:10 — extends that care to every soul. Your guardian angel is not a metaphor; the Church means it.
What are the words of the Guardian Angel Prayer?+
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here: ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen." The full text on this page includes the extended form for adult prayer.
Can I ask my guardian angel for protection?+
Yes — that is the prayer’s entire purpose. Asking the angels’ help is not worship of them (worship belongs to God alone); it is asking the help of a guardian God Himself assigned to you. The angel’s protection is one of the ordinary ways God answers Psalm 91.
Is the Guardian Angel Prayer only for children?+
It is usually learned in childhood and most needed afterward. The adult who prays it daily is asking for exactly what adult life lacks: protection in danger, light in confusion, correction in drift, and guidance home. None of that expires at confirmation.
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