Bible Verses About Peace — and How to Find It

What the Bible means by peace

The Hebrew word shalom is usually translated "peace," but it is far larger than the absence of noise or conflict. It means wholeness: things being as they should be — in body, mind, relationships and with God. The priestly blessing God gave Israel ends with it:

That is why peace in Scripture is never only an inner feeling. It reaches into health, families, communities and, above all, a restored relationship with God. (See the glossary entry for shalom.)

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

— Numbers 6:24–26

Peace with God comes first

The foundation of every other kind of peace is the one Paul describes in Romans: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). The deepest unrest in a human life is being at odds with the One who made you. In Christ, that war is over.

The peace Jesus gives

On the night before the cross — the most frightening night his disciples would ever face — Jesus gave them a gift:

He was honest that the world would still be hard: In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). His peace is not the absence of trouble. It is his presence in it.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

— John 14:27

Peace that guards your mind

Two of the most loved peace verses connect it with where the mind is directed. Isaiah says:

Paul makes it practical: bring everything to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7). Then he tells us what to think about instead (Philippians 4:8). Go deeper: Do Not Be Anxious: Philippians 4:6.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

— Isaiah 26:3

Peace with others

Biblical peace always spills outward. Jesus blessed the peacemakers — they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9) — and Paul gives the realistic standard: If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18). Unresolved conflict and bitterness are heavy to carry, in the body as well as the soul; see the spiritual roots of physical health.

And within the church: let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15).

Making room for peace

Peace is a gift, not an achievement. But some habits make room to receive it — and several of them calm the body's stress response too:

• ▸Begin the day with God, not the news. See A Christian Morning Routine.
• ▸Pray with thanksgiving about what is troubling you, specifically. Philippians 4:6 ties peace to exactly this.
• ▸Slow your breathing for a few minutes, pairing it with a short verse such as Isaiah 26:3.
• ▸Keep a Sabbath. A weekly day of rest is peace built into the calendar. See Bible Verses About Rest.
• ▸Make one peace this week — an apology, a forgiveness, a conversation you have avoided.
• ▸End the day handing it over. In peace I will both lie down and sleep (Psalm 4:8).

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

— 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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