A Prayer for Peace
To find peace, pray to receive it rather than produce it. Ask Jesus for the settled peace He promised, and let go of what is stealing it. The prayer below is anchored in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled."
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
A prayer
Lord Jesus, my heart has been troubled, and I am longing for the peace You promised. The world offers a peace that depends on everything going right, but You give a different kind, one that holds even when things don't. That is the peace I am asking for now. Settle the parts of me that are stirred up and restless. Where I have been gripping my worries with both hands, help me to open them. Quiet the fear that keeps whispering. Let me feel, even a little, the steadiness of knowing I belong to You and nothing can change that. I receive the peace You are offering. I didn't earn it, and I'm not trying to. I take it as a gift from Your hand. Guard my heart with it tonight and tomorrow. In Your name I pray, amen.
Reflection
Jesus spoke these words to His friends on the night before His death, which was hardly a peaceful moment. Even then He offered them peace, and He made clear it was unlike anything the world sells. The world's peace depends on circumstances cooperating. His doesn't.
Peace here is something to receive, not something to achieve. "My peace I give you," Jesus says. It's already being held out to you. Your part is to stop striving long enough to take it.
If your heart is troubled tonight, you're in good company. So were the disciples when these words were first spoken. Receive what He is offering. You don't have to create peace. You only have to accept His.
Common questions
What is a good prayer for peace of mind?
"Lord Jesus, calm my troubled heart and give me Your peace, the kind that holds steady no matter what. I receive it now as Your gift. Amen."
What does the Bible say about peace?
John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, and Isaiah 26:3 ("You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you") describe a peace that comes from God and surpasses understanding.
Related prayers
Part of the Faith Over Fear theme.
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