Breath Prayer
“Think of God often, by day, by night, in your business and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave him not alone.” — Brother Lawrence
“Pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (MSG)
Pray without ceasing is the admonishment from the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. His instruction is to return to prayer regularly throughout the day. In the midst of hurriedness, distractions, deadlines, heartache, pain, and even in the midst of joy we are invited to take moments to slow down, re-center ourselves and attune to the presence of Jesus who is living in us and with us through it all.
Breath prayer has been used throughout the history of the church as a way of living out Paul’s instruction. Prayer linked to the rhythm of our breath offers opportunity to pray without ceasing, and since we are all breathing all the time this form of prayer really does have the potential to become as natural as breathing.
To practice breath prayer is to settle into a posture of openness to God’s presence, pondering in our hearts the nearness of God to us in every moment. It is intended to be a very short prayer, calling on a biblical name or image of God as you breathe in, and making your request or petition known as you breathe out.
Examples of breath prayers include:
— breathe in “Lord,” breathe out “Here I am”
— breathe in “Healer,” breathe out “speak the word and I shall be healed”
— breathe in “Holy One,” breathe out “keep me true”
— breathe in “Shepherd,” breathe out “bring home my lost son”
— breathe in “Jesus,” breathe out “have mercy on me”
— breathe in “Father (Abba),” breathe out “Let me feel your presence”
Breath prayer is usually said in the silence of your heart, and can be easily adjusted to your heart’s desire. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in her book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook notes some of the god-given fruit that can grow out of practicing breath prayer include keeping company with Jesus whether or not you feel his presence, abiding in Christ and opening yourself up to constant union with the Spirit all day long, a regular reminder that God is present and living in you, and developing a rhythm of turning to God throughout the day.
I was first introduced to Breath Prayer by Brennan Manning when reading his book Abba’s Child. Manning suggests praying the Abba Prayer in the following way:
Become comfortable. Sit, kneel, or lie on your bed for a few moments and let yourself relax in the Father’s welcoming presence. A few deep breaths can be helpful here for relaxing.
Once you have relaxed, breathe in slowly while saying “Abba”; breathe out slowly while saying “I belong to You”.
Slowly, prayerfully, repeat these words for several moments: “Abba” (breathing in); “I belong to You”(breathing out).
End this time of prayerful meditation by praying The Lord’s Prayer.
Take the Abba Prayer with you into your day, and live close to the Father’s heart. “Abba, I belong to you. Abba, I belong to you…”
So I invite you to join me in introducing breath prayer into the flow of your days and weeks as you seek to attune your spirit to the presence of God living and moving in you. May you discover more of God’s love and delight for you as you abide in Christ and He in you.
In Him,
Rose
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