15 Rest Bible verses and the importance of rest in the Bible

Are you feeling physically and mentally tired? Are you struggling with your mental health? Then it’s a sign to take some well-earned rest. Let’s start by saying that rest is good for you. It’s not just good for you, we can’t function without it. Discover the importance of rest in the Bible and read the 15 bible verses on rest to help you on your rest journey.

Physical rest

Our bodies tell us when we need to rest. Feeling physically tired we will know the signs in our bodies. Physical exhaustion comes in different forms. Aches and pains, headaches, not getting enough sleep, feeling drained- all signs that we need to physically stop and put our bodies into a state of rest. It’s important to listen to our bodies and take the rest and proper sleep we need but it’s even more important to rest spiritually too.

Rest in the Creation Story

God himself created rest. Right at the beginning of the Bible, we read that God created a special day to rest. Even before we meet Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, after 6 days of making the world, God creates a rest day. 

In the creation story in Genesis 2 verses 2-3 it says; 

‘’On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”

The amplified version puts it this way;

He ‘blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as his own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it he rested from all his work which he had created and done.’

In the story of creation, we see that God rests after he has completed his work, and that’s when we often rest. Sometimes we need rest for other reasons. Lack of sleep, stress or a stressful situation, burnout, illness, or the busyness of life simply demands we stop and rest.

The Sabbath Rest 

The word ‘Sabbath’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘rest’. Within the Christian faith, the Sabbath Sunday is the day that we give over to our spiritual day of rest. In Mark 2: 27 Jesus makes it clear that it’s for our benefit. The Sabbath is not just a day to physically and mentally rest, it’s the day that is set aside to worship God. 

Can you rest and press the pause button?

I can’t help thinking how challenging rest has become in a world that never switches off. 24-hour news and TV, 24-hour social media; Do we truly know how to switch off and rest? To rest (on the sabbath day or any other day) we need to understand the pattern of our own lives.

Intentional Rest

Turn off the noise in your daily life with intentional moments to make space and time for spiritual rest. Find time to turn off social media, close the emails, turn off the TV, and silence the phone. Forget about your busy schedules. Try getting up a little earlier and find regular pockets of space for you and God. In return, Jesus promises to restore and bless you. Is it always easy? No, it isn’t. 

Intentional Spirituality

Start small and place the value of rest in your life.  Implement intentional spirituality in your life. Think about;

• Regular time with God- Think about the  rhythm of your day- What time of the day can you set aside to read your bible and pray
• Try putting the time in your diary (Be intentional)
• Space- Where are the spaces that you can do this in E.g walking outside or sitting in that special place in your home
• What are you doing? E,g Praying. Listening to worship music, reading the Bible

I would argue that in today’s world, we HAVE to be intentional. It won’t just happen because we want it to. Life is too full for that to happen. I’m reminded of Daniel in the Bible. He practiced this intentionality when he chose to pray three times a day and praise God, even though he knew he was breaking the law of the land he had been taken to.

It’s ok to plan and be intentional

There will always be the pull of life’s distractions, the little voice telling you to keep going, telling you that you have no time. The little voice telling you to do more, be more and fit more in. The reality is that we need to learn how to do less to make more time for God. 

What can you close in your life?

Directly outside my bedroom window, the street light turns on at night as a result I don’t ever get to experience the true black of night. If I don’t close my curtains the light keeps me awake. The light from the street light is a distraction to my sleep and rest unless I intentionally close the curtains. Look at what you can close in your own life with meaning and intention. Pause, and give the act of stopping to God in worship. 

What is spiritual rest?

Spiritual rest is when we allow ourselves to rest in and surrender to God. Rather than carrying our problems mentally, we can ‘offload’ our problems, tiredness and stress to God. In Matthew 11 verse 28 Jesus invites us to do three things;

• To come to him,
• To give our burdens over to him, and
• To learn from him

He promises that if we do this we will have ‘rest for our souls’. Jesus offers spiritual rest for those who believe in him.

Spiritual rest- Getting practical 

On a practical level, this could look like setting aside time to pray, spending time in his word reading the bible, or listening to worship music that glorifies God. How you rest spiritually will be deeply personal. Jesus connects with us individually and our spiritual rest will reflect this. 

Think about how you connect personally with Jesus

Think about how you connect with Jesus; Which space, what activity? You might find spiritual rest by praying when walking, painting, reading God’s word or journalling. Or simply lying on your sofa, closing your eyes and praying. However you do it, it will always involve time spent seeking God’s presence. It will involve your surrender.

Finding the quiet place

For me, it’s always about finding a quiet place and time to seek his presence. Reading my bible, reflecting on the words and meaning, and letting the meaning sink in. Praying and asking God what he wants me to hear. 

How do you surrender to God?

We can surrender to God by putting Jesus first in our lives. Making the time to focus on him. Acknowledging and appreciating how he is currently working in our lives and accepting his direction. His will, not ours. Practicing patience in difficult situations and believing and trusting in him. Listening to the small ways he is working in our lives. Listening to the quiet nudging voice of the holy spirit, wherever we are.

The Value of Spiritual Rest

When we allow ourselves to rest we are placing value on our relationship with God. We are putting God first. We are slowing down to listen to Jesus and slowing down to restore ourselves. In a fast-paced world world thinking about our real-world environment and how we can do this will help us find spiritual and biblical rest. 

Life’s Distractions

There will always be the pull of life’s distractions, the little voice telling you to keep going, telling you that you have no time. The little voice telling you to do more and fit more in.

Ok STOP. As I write this I am remembering that I binge watched 5 hours very late last night on a reality tv series. 5 hours on an American football cheerleading team (it was worth it- soooo good). Mmm….funny how I can make time for that. Now, don’t get me wrong, down time for my soul is important too. I mention this, woman to woman, to say that if we really want to we can find more time for God.

The reality is that we need to either learn how to do less to make more time, or make different personal choices. 

Adding Jesus to your to-do list

As women, we are experts at creating endless to do lists and raving about our multi-tasking skills. The next time you reach for your to-do list, add Jesus. Add ‘pray for 15 minutes’ or ‘read from my bible for 10 minutes’. Add God’s space to your daily to-do list and see how the Holy Spirit starts to speak to you. 

Read the following Bible verses: 15 Rest Bible verses

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“The one thing I ask of the Lord one thing I seek most,

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord’s perfection and meditating in his Temple.”

“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.”

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me.”

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

“Truly my soul finds rest in God, my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, 

I shall never be shaken.”

“But those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give peace to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

“Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people!’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, ‘I have known you by name. You have found favor in My eyes.’ So I pray to You, if I have found favor in Your eyes, let me know Your ways. Then I may know You and find favor in Your eyes. And keep in mind that this nation is Your people.” The Lord said, “I Myself will go with you. I will give you rest.”

“I will lie down and sleep in peace. O Lord, You alone keep me safe.”

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name.”

“My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen on me

Fear and trembling have beset me;

horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee far away and stay in the desert

I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm.”

“For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his”

And finally…

Jesus wants us to rest in him

Jesus longs to spend quality time with us and for us to put him first on our to-do list. He wants us to rest in him. By leaning into his presence, putting value on our time with Jesus (whether that’s 15 minutes or 1 hour) we can experience and find true, long-lasting, life-giving perfect peace. Create pockets of intentional time with God, learn to feel true rest, surrender and let Jesus lead you, and experience his presence. 

What’s your favourite rest verse and why? Let me know in the comments below.

Want to read more? Try 39 Examples of self-care in the bible to follow and model