BREATHING IS AN UNCONSCIOUS THING. And breath prayer reminds us that just as we cannot live on one breath of air, we cannot live on one breath of God. God is the oxygen of our soul, and we need to breath him in all day long. After all, it is him that “we live and move and have our being” (acts 17:28). Breath prayer reminds us that each breath we are given is God’s gift and that God’s Spirit is nearer to us that our own breath.
Breath prayer… has been practiced in the church for millennia. The Eastern Orthodox Church in particular has seen breath prayer as a way of living out Paul’s instruction to “pray without ceasing”….
To practice breath prayer, under the nearness of God. Settle deeply into the truth that Christ is in you. Deeply breath in, repeating any name of God that is dear to you…. As you exhale, voice a deep desire of your heart. When you exhale, offer up the desire of your heart. The brevity of the prayer allows it to be repeated over and over throughout the day.
Examples of breath prayer are:
Breathe in “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,” breathe out “have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Breathe in “Abba,” breathe out “I belong to you.”
Breathe in “Healer,” breathe out “speak the word and I shall be healed.”
Breathe in “Shepherd,” breathe out “bring home my lost son.”
Breathe in “Holy One,” breathe out “keep me true.”
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES:
- Become comfortable. Breathe deeply. Intentionally place yourself before God. In rhythm with you breathing, grateful inhale the breath of life. Exhale remembering that Jesus gave his last breath for love of you. Gently and thankfully repeat, “Breath of life, breathe on me.”
- Decide to pray the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) or some other scriptural breath prayer as often as you are able during the day. If you worry about forgetting, set a clock at every hour to remind you, or put the prayer on your car mirror. Reminders should be gentle and not forced. In the evening spend time telling the Lord what it means to you to be able to return to him again and again during the day with one particular prayer.
- Is there someone for whom you wish to pray ceaselessly? Listen deeply to what Jesus’ desire for this person might be. Form a breath prayer naming God’s adequacy and your desire for the person. Throughout the day as they come to mind, offer up your prayer. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into long prayer dialogues about what you want God to do in this person’s life. Let the breath prayer carry all your desire to God.
- Begin and end each day with your breath prayer. Let it be the word that comes to mind as you want and as you fall asleep.