A short prayer for peace fits into a single breath. You can say it on the way to work, before a difficult conversation, or at 8 PM on Sunday together with anyone who joins, wherever they are. Here are fifteen of them, from many traditions.
The short version: pick one line, learn it by heart and say it slowly, three times. For longer prayers, see our prayers for world peace.
Fifteen short prayers for peace
- Peace in the universe, peace in me, peace right here.
The Cosmic Peace Prayer in one line. German original: Friede im All, Friede in mir, Friede im Hier. - Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
First line of the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis, first printed in 1912. - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9 (King James Version). - Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14 (King James Version). - The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:26 (King James Version), the close of the Aaronic blessing. - Peace be to this house.
Luke 10:5 (King James Version). - Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace.
Latin, from the Agnus Dei of the Mass, sung in countless settings. - Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu.
May the One who makes peace in the high places make peace for us. From Jewish liturgy. - Allahumma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam.
O God, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Said by many Muslims after prayer. - As-salamu alaykum. Peace be upon you.
The everyday greeting across the Muslim world is itself a wish for peace. - Om shanti, shanti, shanti.
Peace, peace, peace. The closing of many Hindu prayers. - May all beings be at peace.
The heart of Buddhist loving-kindness (metta). - Let peace begin in me, and go out from here.
Our own words; say it as a promise rather than a wish. - Where I am, let there be peace.
Our own words, for a room, a street, a meeting. - Peace.
One word, on the out-breath. Sometimes that is the whole prayer.
How to use a short prayer for peace
- As an anchor. Repeat one line slowly for a minute. It gives a restless mind somewhere to return to.
- As a threshold. Say it before you enter a room, open a message or start a hard conversation.
- As a shared moment. Every Sunday at 8 PM your local time, people who join Cosmic Peace Prayers pause for eight minutes. A short prayer is a good way to begin.
Questions about short prayers for peace
What is the shortest prayer for peace?
"Peace." One word said with intention is a complete prayer. "Shalom", "Salam" and "Shanti" carry the same meaning in Hebrew, Arabic and Sanskrit.
What is a short prayer for world peace?
"May all beings be at peace", or "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace." For longer texts see our prayers for world peace.
Can I use these prayers with children?
Yes. Short lines like "Peace in me, peace in our home, peace in the world" are easy for children to learn and say at bedtime.