Breath prayer
“In Him (Christ) we live and move and have our being”—Acts 17:28
Are you struggling in the midst of the many distractions of this season?
Does anxiety and worry creep into your thoughts and responses?
Would you like to have ‘praying without ceasing’ a part of your life’s rhythm?
Living from the deep well of Christ’s love, and gleaning from the wells of Christian spiritual leaders of the past has been renewing and refreshing, and a deepening path offering the gracefulness of drawing nearer in life with God.
One of the early wells is the practice of the Breath prayer (often also known as prayer of the heart). Prayer of the heart is a beautiful prayer rhythm to cultivate especially when facing the pressures of this world’s pace or in the midst of hard things while holding on to the desire to pray without ceasing.
A “simple one-sentence prayer that begins with a biblical name of God that is meaningful to you…connect the prayer to your breathing and return to it throughout the day until it becomes a soul reflex.” —Practices That Transform Us by Adele Calhoun
Invitation. I invite you to try Breath prayer with some guidance below.
Pause wherever you find yourself. Take a few deep breaths, slowly breathing in and out.
Begin “pondering the nearness of God” giving yourself time to be still in this moment.
“Deeply breathe in, repeating any name of God that is dear to you” for example:
“Abba,” then breathe out “I belong to you.” In the exhale, speak aloud this deep desire of your heart, give voice to your desired nearness of God.
breathe in “Healer” then breathe out “speak the word and I shall be healed”
breathe in “Shepherd” breathe out “I have all that I need”
Or you may wish to use the familiar Jesus Prayer—
breathe in ”Lord Jesus Christ” then breathe out “have mercy on me”
Or write one of your own. Something like:
“Receive” breathe out “Rejoice in Him”— Lately I have been praying this desiring God to refine my heart to accept the good things that are coming into fruition and dispelling my struggle with doubt.
