A prayer for peace asks God for what you can't manufacture: a settled heart when your circumstances haven't changed. Scripture treats peace as a gift to receive more than a mood to reach. So these prayers don't try to talk you into feeling calm. They simply ask.
For a troubled heart
Lord, I'm unsettled and I'd like to pretend I'm not. You see it anyway. Give me Your peace, the kind I can't make for myself. Amen.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27 (KJV)
Jesus said this on the night before He died, to friends who were about to be very afraid.
For a mind that keeps circling
God, I've gone over this a hundred times and it hasn't helped. Turn my mind toward You. When it wanders back, turn it again. Amen.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
"Stayed" is a good word for it: something leaning its weight on something else. Your mind will wander. Leaning again is the practice.
For a tense home
Father, there's strain in this house. Slow my words before they leave my mouth. Where I can make peace, show me how. Where I can't, keep my heart soft. Amen.
For peace in the middle of a loud day
Lord, it's noisy in here and out there. For the length of this breath, I'm stopping to remember that You are God and I am not. Amen.
“Be still, and know that I am God”
Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
For peace with what you can't change
God, I can't undo this and I can't control what happens next. I'm leaving it with You today. I may need to leave it again tomorrow. Amen.
How to pray for peace when you don't feel it
Say the prayer anyway, and then do one ordinary thing: wash the cup, step outside, reply to the message. Peace isn't a test you pass by feeling a certain way, and you don't have to check yourself for it afterward. If you want to go further, read Bible verses for anxiety or try a few prayers for sleep tonight.
If you've been without peace for a long time, it's worth telling a pastor, doctor or counselor.
Peace rarely comes with every question answered, and this card says so in one line. Fig Devotional is a daily devotional for iPhone: a verse, a prayer and one small action, ending in a card like this one. Its guides are illustrated characters and its reflections are written with AI.
Common questions
What is a simple prayer for peace?
Try this: Lord, my heart is troubled. Give me Your peace, the kind I can't make for myself. Amen.
What does the Bible say about peace of mind?
Isaiah 26:3 speaks of perfect peace for the mind stayed on God, and John 14:27 records Jesus giving His peace to His disciples, saying, in effect, that it is unlike what the world gives.
Why don't I feel peace after I pray?
Feelings don't always follow prayer, and that doesn't mean the prayer wasn't heard. Philippians 4:7 describes God's peace as passing understanding, which suggests it isn't something you can measure in the moment. Keep bringing it to God, and talk to someone you trust.
Can I pray for peace in my home?
Yes. You can pray for the people in it by name, and for yourself: for a gentle answer, for patience, and for wisdom about what to say and when.