So follow their guidance

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

A person is in a need to analyze and judge himself.

When you stand up in the last third of the night for the night prayers, then remember the sins you committed during the day.

If Allaah gives you success to stand in the night prayers, then know that it is from Allaah’s love for you; that He تعالى loves to see you stand in front of Him praying, supplicating, and seeking forgiveness.

Your getting up from your bed, the steps you take to make ablution, the steps you take to reach the place where you pray, are all from the means of washing away your minor sins. Then you stand in front of your Lord while everyone else is sleeping, and after the opening Takbeer you say:

وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ وَبِحَمْدِكَ

❝Verily, I have turned my face toward Him who created the Heavens and the Earth, Haneefaa (worshiping none but Allaah Alone), as a Muslim, and I am not of the idolaters. Verily, my Salaah, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. O Allaah, You are the Sovereign and there is none worthy of worship but You, glory and praise be to You.❞

📚 [Sunan al-Nasaa’ee and it is "Saheeh" ]

Then Allaah opens the means for you, and you are able to recite Surah al-Faatihah and other Aayaat from the Qur’aan. Indeed Allaah loves to listen to the recitation of His Book by His slaves.

And you recite these Aayaat:

وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

{And do not disgrace me on the Day they [all the creatures] are resurrected - the Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children, but only one who comes to Allaah with a sound heart}

📚 [Surah al-Shooraa (26): 87-89]

And you repeat it, twice, thrice…

By Allaah! These Aayaat will melt even the hardest of hearts because a person fears being humiliated in this world, so how much will he fear being humiliated in front of all the creatures on the Day of Judgment?!

And this Aayah is like a Du`aa, and Du`aa generates hope in the hearts of people.

And this Du`aa was said by the Khaleel of Allaah, Ibraaheem عليه السلام, so what about us?!

When you recite: {Do not disgrace me…}, you now realize that all the matters are in the Hands of Allaah: If He تعالى Wills, He will raise your status or will disgrace you; If He Wills, He will make you come closer or will distance you; If He Wills, He will have Mercy on you or will punish you; and that no person has the power to benefit himself or harm himself, and that the Decision on that Day will be wholly with Allaah.

And supplicating to Allaah through the supplications made by the Prophets is from one’s understanding of the Qur’aan. For Allaah تعالى said about these Prophets and Messengers in His Book:

أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّـهُ ۖ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ

{They are those whom Allaah had guided. SO FOLLOW THEIR GUIDANCE.}

📚 [Surah al-An`aam (6): 90]

A person should look at the guidance taught by these Prophets. See how they used to supplicate to their Lord. Look at their method, and pursue their path, and follow their guidance, so that Allaah تعالى may forgive you.