Is there any kind of prayer or Bible quotation that implies or states one's hope to go to heaven? It's for my story.

One well-known Bible scripture for citation (word preferred over "quotation") is in the 23th Psalm:

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Psa. 23.6).

Another comes from the sermon on the mount in Matthew:

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matt. 5.11-12).

Personally, I believe that we go to heaven while we are yet alive and in the flesh--that heaven is a relationship with God. Notice the use of the word "is" instead of the phrase "will be" in the Matthew citation.

Unlikely as it is for me to answer this, I recall this common little ditty (origins unknown to me):

Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

A bit morbid, really. Besides, I suspect you're after something with a little more weight and Biblical authority.

There's the 23rd Psalm that soldiers say when they're about to be killed in the line of duty (at least in the movies), that ends with "...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." It's originally Jewish. More an assertion than a plea, I suppose, but still a prayer about going to Heaven.

[edit - I composed this reply before seeing tsaeb's post]

Then, of course, there is Jesus' statement to the "good thief" from the cross that on that same day they will be together in Paradise. A bit problematic since Jesus didn't rise until the third day.

Thanks. Although nothing that I feel works right.

It doesn't have to be from the Bible though. It can just be a common prayer that might be said by someone.

OK. Try this one.

How lovely is thy dwelling place oh Lord of Hosts for my soul. It longeth yea fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My soul and body cryeth out, yea for the living God.

Yeah, that might work. At least part of it. There's a feeling of desperation in it and the character who says it is very desperate in that moment. I'll make a note of it.

I do not like the Child’s Prayer, “If I should die, before I wake, I pray the Lord, My soul to take.” Not very Scriptural. Why should we teach children DOUBT?

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

There is no question what will happen if earthly death come to them as they sleep,

“If I should die before I wake. I have Your Word, Me, You will take.”

Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Ken

The Lord's Prayer states, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven." Also, it is written that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. This indicates that heaven comes to earth so that we do not go to heaven. Perhaps you can add this perspective in your paper.

Tsaeb.

It is written that there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, and it is written in Old Testament prophecy:

Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

The day as 4 6-hour periods, Sunset to Midnight is Old Heaven, Midnight to sunrise is Old earth, Heaven and earth flee from His Face, seen as the Face of a man on the third beast with 6-wings which is sunrise to noon, New earth, Then New Heaven is noon to sunset.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Many of the jots and tittle concerned Jesus, so they all have to be fulfilled the day of the cross, Which means that Heaven and Earth also have to pass away the day of the Cross.

John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

The jots, the tittles, the Heaven and the earth, all things concerning Jesus, all have to be fulfilled, and were. As far as Heaven comes to earth, Heaven was also a PRESENCE of God. And God now can make His abode with us, as Jesus taking away sin removed the veil which separated us from God.

Psalms 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

His days is likened to heaven, so when the day is made as 7 days (Isaiah 30:26) then the heavens are stretched to seven days or seven heavens, Third heaven is sunrise to noon, Words not lawful for a man to utter is Jesus telling the Priests He is the Son of the Blessed, and they condemned Him to death for those words.

2-Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Mark 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

You stay on earth if you (think you can). I will be planning on going to Heaven, Not to heaven on earth.

Deuteronomy 10:14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also , with all that therein is .

Heaven of Heavens, is His day made as seven days. Earth is mentioned as ALSO.

Ken

Ken: Thanks for reminding me of II Corinthians 12.2, but I disagree with your interpretation of the third heaven, which is the highest one. There are not seven heavens: you are imagining four more heavens.