Worry rarely shouts. It hums. It is there when you wash the dishes and louder when you turn off the lamp. God's promises of peace speak straight into that hum, and many of them were first spoken to people who had every reason to be nervous.
The Bible uses the word peace in more than one way. There is peace between people and God, the kind that comes from being forgiven. There is peace inside, the settled heart that does not panic. And there is peace around you, safety in the land and rest at night. God promises all three, though not always all at once.
We will start with one of the oldest blessings in the Bible, and end with the verses many people read at bedtime.
The blessing God told the priests to speak
In the wilderness, God gave Moses words for Aaron and his sons to say over the people of Israel. It is a blessing from God's own mouth, and it ends on peace.
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
A face that shines on you is a face that is glad to see you. When God lifts up His countenance on someone, He turns toward them instead of away. The last gift in the line, the one everything builds toward, is peace. God went on to say that when the priests spoke this blessing, He Himself would bless the people.
Peace with God, and the peace of God
Peace with God
Before your mind can rest, the biggest question has to be settled: are you right with God? Paul answers it for everyone who trusts Christ.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:1 (KJV)
This is not a feeling. It is a fact, like a signed treaty. The war is over. You may still feel anxious on a Tuesday, but you are not at odds with God.
The peace of God
Paul wrote to the church at Philippi from prison, where he had plenty to fret about. He told them to bring everything to God in prayer, with thanks, and gave them this promise:
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
Picture the word keep as a guard at a gate. God's peace stands watch over your heart and your thoughts. It passes understanding, which means it may not make sense to anyone watching, even you.
Perfect peace for a mind that keeps racing
Isaiah wrote a song that the people of Judah would one day sing in a safe city. In the middle of it is this:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
The word stayed means leaning on something so your weight rests there. A mind stayed on God is a mind that keeps coming back to Him, like a boat tied to a dock that drifts and then pulls back. You do not have to stop every anxious thought. You keep returning. Isaiah says the peace that comes from that is perfect, and the very next verse says why it lasts: in the Lord there is everlasting strength.
What worry says, and what God has said
Jesus spent a whole part of the Sermon on the Mount on worry. He told His followers to take no thought for tomorrow. Here is how some of the promises answer the thoughts that keep people awake.
| The worried thought | The promise to answer it | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| What if we run out? | Your Father feeds the birds, and you matter more to Him than they do. | Matthew 6:26 |
| What about tomorrow? | Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. | Matthew 6:34 |
| Nobody cares how heavy this is. | Throw your whole load of care on Him, because He cares for you. | 1 Peter 5:7 |
| I cannot carry it any longer. | Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will hold you up. | Psalm 55:22 |
| I am too tired to keep going. | Come to Jesus, all who are worn out, and He will give you rest. | Matthew 11:28 |
Verses for when you cannot sleep
Psalm 3 carries a heading that ties it to the day David ran from Absalom, his son, who had turned the kingdom against him. He was on the run, and thousands had sided against him. Even so, he could write:
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
Psalm 3:5 (KJV)
Proverbs gives a promise to the person who walks in wisdom: when you lie down you will not be afraid, and your sleep will be sweet. And Psalm 127 says it is useless to sit up late eating the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Sleep itself is an act of trust. You cannot guard anything while you are asleep. Lying down is a way of saying, Lord, You keep watch tonight.
Peace in the middle of the storm
One evening Jesus fell asleep in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. A storm came up so fierce that the boat began to fill with water, and the disciples woke Him in a panic. He stood and spoke to the wind and waves:
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:39 (KJV)
Later, on His last night before the cross, He told the same friends that in the world they would have tribulation, and then added, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Peace is not the absence of storms. It is the presence of the One who speaks to them.
Peace that grows by waiting
Patience and peace are close friends. David told the people not to fret over those who seem to get ahead by doing wrong, but to Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.
Fretting is worry that keeps chewing. Resting is setting it down. James adds that patience, given time, makes a person whole and lacking nothing. If the answer you want is slow in coming, peace may be part of what God is building while you wait.
If worry has become more than worry. Anxiety can be a real health condition, just like a heart problem or diabetes. If it is keeping you from sleeping, eating or working, please talk with your doctor or a licensed counselor. Praying these promises and getting care are partners, not rivals, and needing help never means your faith is weak.
A prayer for a peaceful night
Lord, my mind keeps running. I bring You the things I cannot fix tonight: (name them). You said You would keep in perfect peace the mind that is stayed on You. I lean my weight on You now. Guard my heart and my thoughts, and give me sleep.
Read them one at a time
Book Two starts in Numbers, where God gives Moses the blessing for Aaron to speak, the one that ends with peace, and runs through Esther. Each promise has its own page with the King James verse, who first heard it and a short prayer, written in plain words for teenagers on up.