Calming Your Mind:  Biblical Techniques for Mindfulness and Sleep

Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? Download Abide for Christian sleep meditations that use calming techniques and Scripture verses framed in calming stories to lull you into a peaceful slumber.

I recently suffered from a season of insomnia—until I turned to Bible-inspired practices for calming my mind. While mindfulness is a relatively new practice people use to reduce stress, it has long been a faith practice. Simply, mindfulness is having an awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, so that you can allow sleep to fall. If you struggle with falling asleep, one or more of these six biblical practices for calming your mind may help you. 

Remember the Wonders 

When we can’t sleep, often we have worries about the what ifs. One technique both Moses and Joshua used to calm the Israelites was to recall God’s faithfulness. Joshua reminded them of what the Lord said, “You saw with your own eyes what I did” (Joshua 24:7, NIV). Those memories of God’s goodness can be very useful for calming our minds. 

To remember the wonders, think of specific events in your life when you knew God took care of you. As you recall those wonderful seasons of your life, you can then have the assurance that God will be with you through any challenge ahead.  

Weigh Your Day 

In the 15^th century, Ignatius of Loyola began what’s called the prayer of examen, which in Latin means, “to weigh accurately.” Examen is a simple review of our day for the purpose of considering God’s fingerprints on it. We can think about how God was in the routines as well as the triumphs and struggles. Some suggest a process of five Rs: relish, request, review, repent, and resolve. We relish the delights. We request the Holy Spirit help us review the day. Then we repent of our sins and resolve to follow God the next day.  

This reflection is reminiscent of the opening verses of Psalm 139:  

You have searched me, Lord, 
    and you know me. 
You know when I sit and when I rise; 
    you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
You discern my going out and my lying down; 
    you are familiar with all my ways (v. 1-3, NIV). 

God’s Spirit can help you examine the course of your day—with its ups and downs—as a form of calming your mind. Here’s an example of an examen prayer from the Abide app.

Let It Go 

Sometimes we find it hard to sleep when we are upset with others or seemingly unjust situations. I learned how to handle those resentments from my granddaughter Tempe. When she was a toddler, she twirled in her princess clothes while singing the Disney song “Let It Go.” Her carefree nature taught me that it’s simply not worth the stress to hang on to hurt feelings, disappointments, and unforgiveness.  

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:23-24 that we should reconcile with others before making our offerings to God. The first step in reconciliation is letting go of any anger or resentment—after all, it may be hurting us more than the person who’s responsible.  

Count Your Blessings 

Instead of counting offenses, we can count blessings. David modeled this in Psalm 103: 
Praise the Lord, my soul, 
 and forget not all his benefits— 
who forgives all your sins 
    and heals all your diseases, 
who redeems your life from the pit 
    and crowns you with love and compassion, 
who satisfies your desires with good things 
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (v. 2-5, NIV). 

Notice here how David lists some of his blessings—forgiveness, healing, love, compassion, youthful renewal. Similarly, when you can’t sleep, you can silently pray your own list of the blessings in your life.  

Meditate on Scripture 

One more biblical technique for calming your mind as you settle into bed is meditation, which is the deep contemplation of one or more Bible verses. The writer of Psalm 119 wrote,  

“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, 
    that I may meditate on your promises” (v. 148, NIV). 

When your eyes are wide open at night, there’s nothing better than meditating on God’s promises. You can choose a Bible verse you have memorized and repeat it silently—perhaps even emphasizing a different word each time until the promise settles into your soul, calming your mind. 

Listen to a short segment of this sleep story from Abide from Psalm 119. Experience how listening to a Scripture can help you fall asleep quickly and rest deeply.

Sleep need not elude you when you are armed with biblical strategies for calming your mind.  

For more help in calming your mind and sleeping better, check out the Abide app. Our 400+ Bible-based sleep stories all exist to help you experience the peace of Christ and get better rest. Use this link for 25% off a premium subscription, giving you access to all our sleep stories plus much more.  

Janet is a national speaker and the author of 27 books—including the bestselling PrayerWalk and an upcoming release, Looking Up! Finding Joy as You Read and Pray through the Bible. She and her husband, Craig, raised their four kids in the Sierra Valley where for more than forty years Craig has been a cattle rancher.