EXAMPLES OF BREATH PRAYERS

 

Minister Adele Ahlberg Calhoun suggests a form of breath prayer that allows us to bring our heart’s deepest longing into our intimate relationship with God:   Breath prayer reminds us that just as we can’t live on one breath of air, we can’t live on one breath of God. God is the oxygen of our soul, and we need to breathe [God] in all day long. After all, it is in [God] 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. . . . To practice breath prayer, ponder the nearness of God. Settle deeply into the truth that Christ is in you. Deeply breathe 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 prayers are ·         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 [ones].” ·         breathe in “Holy One,” breathe out “keep me true.” ·         breathe in “Lord,” breathe out “here I am.” ·         breathe in “Jesus,” breathe out “have mercy on me.”