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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.” |
