How to Stay Your Mind on God and Live in Perfect Peace
What Isaiah 26:3 Really Means and How You Can Experience Shalom-Shalom
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
Uncertainty, pain, and anxiety fill life. But Isaiah 26:3 offers one of the most powerful promises in the Bible: perfect peace or shalom-shalom.
Not just relief. Not just a break.
But total, lasting, shalom-shalom—deep inner calm in the presence of God.
Yet this peace isn’t automatic. It’s promised to a certain kind of person:
“Him whose mind is stayed on Thee.“
This word stayed is the key.
What Does “Stayed” Really Mean?
The word stayed in Hebrew means:
To lean on
To rest upon
To be supported by
To place full weight upon
So to “stay your mind” on God means to lean your entire thought life, emotional life, and imagination on Him.
Not holding yourself up.
Not overthinking.
Not carrying your own burdens.
But resting fully on the One who never fails.
Other Bible Verses That Use the Same Hebrew Word (Stayed)
To better understand “staying your mind,” consider how Scripture uses the same word elsewhere.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. Psalm 3:5
Even in vulnerability, David could sleep peacefully because God held him up.
The arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Psalm 37:17
The righteous don’t stand on their own—they are upheld by God.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12
Even after failure, David leaned on God’s mercy and Spirit for strength.
The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. Psalm 145:14
When life knocks you down, God supports you. You’re not alone.
(Warning!)
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt… if a man lean on it, it will go into his hand, and pierce it. 2 Kings 18:21
Leaning on the wrong support (like Egypt or anything other than God) leads to pain. Only God can carry your soul.
Why Do We Struggle to Stay Our Mind?
Because our minds imagine the worst:
We fear what might happen.
We rehearse past wounds.
We project pain into the future.
We use our imagination against ourselves.
But God gave us imagination to see His presence, not danger.
David modeled this in Psalm 23:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me… Psalm 23:4
David saw not the threat—but the Shepherd.
That’s what it means to stay your mind.
7 Practical Ways to Stay Your Mind on God
1. Saturate Your Mind with Scripture
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Colossians 3:16
Read the Bible daily.
Meditate on verses like Isaiah 26:3 and Psalm 23.
Memorize promises of peace.
2. Talk to Yourself with Truth
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?... hope thou in God… Psalm 42:5
Don’t just listen to your thoughts—speak truth back to them.
“God is with me. He is good. He is holding me up.”
3. Turn Worry into Worship
Be careful for nothing… but in every thing by prayer…Philippians 4:6
When anxiety comes, turn it into prayer.
Pray your fears. Sing your way into truth.
4. Practice the Presence of God
I have set the LORD always before me… Psalm 16:8
Throughout your day, pause and acknowledge:
“God is here.”
He is your Shepherd, always near.
5. Meditate, Don’t Ruminate
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Psalm 94:19
Ruminating replays fear.
Meditating replays truth.
Choose to dwell on God’s promises, not your problems.
6. Anchor in God’s Character
The LORD is my rock… my fortress… my deliverer. Psalm 18:2
Your circumstances shift.
God never does.
Anchor your thoughts in who He is.
7. Control What You Feed Your Mind
Set your affection on things above…Colossians 3:2
Limit voices that feed fear (news, social media).
Fill your mind with worship, Scripture, and peace-filled conversations.
Staying Your Mind Is a Daily Choice
Think of your thoughts like sheep. They wander.
But the Shepherd calls them back.
Each day you must choose:
Will I lean on myself—or on Him?
Will I stay in worry—or stay my mind on the Lord?
The peace you long for is not far off.
It’s found in the One who holds you up.
A Simple Prayer for a Stayed Mind
“Lord, I give You my restless thoughts. My fears. My imagination. Help me lean the full weight of my heart and mind on You. Keep me in Your perfect peace, because I trust in You. Amen.”
Final Words
You don’t have to carry yourself.
You don’t have to figure it all out.
You don’t even have to feel strong.
You just have to lean.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
So lean in. Rest your mind. Stay it on the Shepherd.
Peace is not a possibility.
It’s a promise.
Stayed on Thee
When storms arise and dark clouds flee,
You keep my soul in perfect peace;
Not by my strength, not by my plea,
But by a mind that stays on Thee.
I lean my heart, I lean my mind,
Not on the shifting sands I find,
But on the Rock that will not break,
The arms that hold, the hands that take.
When fears awake and sorrows rise,
When worries scream and hope denies,
You call me closer — “Rest in Me,
Stay your mind and you will see.”
Not on the bruised reed will I lean,
Not on false hopes or empty dreams,
But full upon Your mighty hand,
The only sure and solid land.
O faithful God, O Shepherd near,
Teach me to trust, to rest, not fear;
To lift my gaze, my weight, my plea —
And stay my mind, O Lord, on Thee.