Breath Prayers
Being a Christian for over 40 years (yikes, I don’t feel that old!), why did I not stumble upon the ancient practice of breath prayers before? It is almost shocking to me.
What I do know is when I read I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (the bold is mine),
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I feel convicted because often at the end of the day when I retire to bed, I realize since my morning prayer time, I had not thought of God once during the day.
Do We Leave God Behind?
Don’t get me wrong, I get up early to meet with God every morning, and I feel empty the whole day when I miss God and my meeting time.
However, sometimes I feel like I leave God at my desk or in my prayer corner instead of taking Him with me throughout the day.
I tried various methods to no avail: posting scriptures around the house, in the car, or putting a reminder on my phone.
Maybe you feel like me...
You love Jesus and desire to be closer to Him, but lose Him in the busyness of the day.
If so, I am so excited to introduce you to breath prayers. Your continuous connection to God can be different, and the reason I think these prayers work so well is they integrate your body and your mind.
What Breath Prayers Are
Breath prayer is a form of contemplative prayer linked to the rhythms of breathing. It is as simple as breathing in a name of God and breathing out a simple God-given truth or desire.
It is a way to give our attention to God throughout the day. The ESV of Isaiah 26:3 reads,
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Or as the Living Bible reads,
He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!
The most effective prayer breaths are based on scripture. So taking the scripture above,
Inhale Breath
Inhale (deeply, no wimpy inhales, feel it in your belly) and pray
“Jesus”
Exhale Breath
Exhale and feel your body relax,
“Keep me in perfect peace. I trust in You. ”
What Breath Prayers Are Not
If you approach this practice with hesitation and caution, I commend you. I did as well. We should be on alert to see if practices align with the Bible.
However, I can reassure you this is not an eastern religion philosophy, Christians have practiced breath prayer for hundreds of years. Much as fasting has fallen by the wayside in our modern culture, breath prayers have too.
It reminds me of the verse from Jeremiah 6:16 which reads,
Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.
David Guzik writes of this verse, “Many despise the old paths. Perhaps they seem old fashioned or terribly un-cool. Yet there is wisdom – life saving wisdom – in the old paths of God’s word and work in days gone by.”
Eight Reasons To Incorporate Breath Prayers
Breath Prayers Keep Us Connected to Jesus
In John 15:4, Christ calls us to abide in Him.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
This means we are to make our home in Him, dwell with Him, not just in our morning prayer time but all day, and night for that matter! When I wake up in the middle of the night, I calm my mind and my body by repeating my breath prayer.
Breath Prayer Is Rooted in Scripture
We desire for God’s Word to “dwell in us richly” (Colossians 3:16). I recommend basing your breath prayer on a scripture and writing that scripture down with the reference. You may just pick a short portion as your breath prayer, but I find it calls to mind the rest of the verse.
Breath Prayers Integrate Your Mind and Body
As I mentioned before, I think this integration of body and mind is what makes breath prayer so effective. David writes in the Psalms 16:8-9…
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;my body also will rest secure.
David recognizes that when his heart is glad, his body responds and the opposite is true as well. When our body relaxes, we can focus our mind.
If you are interested in diving deeper into this topic, this article may be helpful. From a scientific perspective, it identifies how breath prayer may help us with trauma and triggers.
Breath Prayers Keep Our Thought Life Centered
We often quote the last part of the following verse, but I like how the GNT interprets the first part with the words “proud obstacle”. I know my pride can be an obstacle to keeping my mind stayed on Jesus.
We pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Do you ever find your mind wandering to negative or judgmental thoughts? Bring your thoughts back to God with a simple breath prayer.
Breath Prayers Give Us Words When We Are In a Desperate Place
In Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life, Chapter 7 is titled “Crying “Abba” Continuously”.
He writes, “Praying simple one-word prayers or a verse of Scripture takes the pressure off because we don’t have to sort out exactly what we need.”
Miller also writes in the same chapter, “This is not a mindless chant I practice in order to reach some higher spiritual plane. Just the opposite. I realize I’m on a low spiritual plane, and I am crying out for help like a little child who runs to his mother, saying “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.”
When you feel desperate, try these breath prayers…
Abba (similar in meaning to “papa”),
I belong to You.
Or as Jesus prayed as He took His last breath…
Father (Abba),
into your hands I commit my spirit!
Breath Prayers May Expand Our Praying Life
Once I repeat my breath prayer, I often find God puts things on my mind to continue praying for.
Breath Prayers Are Helpful When Fasting
When we fast, we often focus on a need, whatever that need may be. Breath prayers can bring us back to that need or petition throughout the day.
Are you fasting and praying for wisdom in a certain situation?
You may want to combine Isaiah 9:6 with James 1:5
Wonderful Counselor – Give me wisdom.
Use Breath Prayers to Pray for Others
Colossians 1:9 says, “We have not ceased to pray for you.”
Write a simple breath prayer for that loved one such as…
Shepherd – Bring home my lost son. (Luke 15:3-7)
As you practice breath prayers, I would love to hear how you are using them?
What ones have you written for yourself?
Comment below.
