Whether the “crazy” in your life is due to world events, navigating your workplace technology, or a toddler who won’t sleep through the night, what you probably crave most is peace—or at least calm.

And it’s tempting to think that we’ll have the peace we crave as soon as…

• … we elect the right leader
• … the new technology makes sense 
• … that crazed toddler grows out of her very awake and very active stage

The problem with each of those solutions is that they’re not true. 

• No leader is as perfect after taking office as they seemed before. 
• Tech upgrades always foster frustration. Always.
• And the sleepless toddler stage gives way to the cling-on stage, and the elusive calm you crave remains out of reach. 

Even if those solutions did work, our sense of peace is held captive by something external.

How Can You Gain Peace?

Of course, as a Christian, I’d love to point you right away to Jesus, who’s called the “prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV). 

And God reminds us that He will “keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on” Him (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).

So how do we get that peace?

Prayer can help you feel closer to God— even when you don’t want to pray. And prayer helps us trust in Him when our culture suggests we trust in our leaders instead. 

If you haven’t tried prayer—or your prayer life feels stuck, check out these articles:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Prayer—How to Pray When You Feel Silly
• The One Thing You Need to Do to Make Your Prayer Life Flourish
• How to Get the Most Out of Your Time with God

But it’s not always easy to keep our thoughts fixed on God. Sometimes we feel too frazzled to pray, or have difficulty maintaining our focus. Because so many other thoughts bombard us day and night.

So, What If You’re Too Out of Sorts to Pray?

I get it!

Sometimes we want the peace that God offers—but it’s hard to settle down our brains enough to let that peace in.

But He created us with a built-in secret weapon. It turns out that your brain answers the question you ask it. 

If peace is elusive in your world, try asking yourself the following 3 questions:

1. Will being worked up about the situation solve your problem?

If you’ve ever been frustrated because by a child’s behavior, you know that showing that frustration makes the issue worse, not better. Asking yourself this question reminds your brain that you have another option.

 2. How can I protect my body and soul in this moment?

It’s tempting to think there’s a one-size-fits-all solution to calm you—and that the solution involves large amounts of ice cream and Netflix. By asking yourself this question, you can be intentional about considering a healthy option instead of automatically reaching for the Facebook scroll.

 3. Where do I see peace?

In the midst of chaos—whether from a pandemic or a screeching toddler covered in spaghettios—it’s easy to fixate on the crazy. Asking yourself this question changes your focus and begins to slow your heart rate

Even if you don’t stop long enough to brainstorm answers to any of these questions, asking yourself one of them is the equivalent of sending your brain on a mission. It will work in the background to find the peace you crave and will start to settle you down—even when your world’s crazy.