Breath Prayer

Overview
The greatest gift of the Gospel is God Himself. Above forgiveness, eternal life, transformation of our hearts, the best joy is that we get God! He is always with us, and always delighted in us, because we are His children. But this deep intimacy for which our heart yearnsand which no person can satisfyis hard to enter. We forget. We believe lies (about God, about ourselves). And so we walk as though we were not in the presence of our Beloved, even as He is closer than our breath. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles urge us to pray always. (See the passages listed below.) We generally assume that by this they mean that we should bring all our needs to God; and this is surely important. But through Church history, many have believed that God intends us to live continually in His presence, with unbroken communication. And this is not a burden, but a privilege. There is no mode of life in the world more pleasing and more full of delight than continual conversation with God, writes Brother Lawrence. Breath prayer is a practice aimed at cultivating the habit of continually abiding in the presence of God. It is a laying hold of the Gospelfor only through Jesus can we have boldness to think God would be near our hearts, in every circumstance! For more from the Bible, look at 1 Thess. 5:17, Romans 12:12, Eph. 6:18, Col. 4:2, Phil 4:6, Heb 13:15, Luke 18:1, John 15:1-11.

For a 3-minute video introduction to this practice, visit www.fbcslo.org/formation

Practicing
This practice is very simple: choose a short, simple prayer that can be said with the rhythm of your breath, one that expresses the desire of your heart. The most famous of these is the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ,/ Son of God,// Have mercy on me/ a sinner. But this is only an example; any expression of love, need or praise can do. Abba [Daddy],/ I belong to you. Father,/ let me feel your love. Speak Lord,/ your servant is listening. Shepherd,/ guide me. Holy Spirit,/ remove my fear.

After you have found a prayer, sit or walk in a quiet, peaceful place and repeat it with your breath: inhale with the first words; exhale with the next. Allow the prayer to be both an expression of your need and praise, as well as a reminder that God is in fact with you now. And, as you pray, listen. It is possible that God will adjust your prayer. (For example: I once began with, Lord,/ I need your love. But God nudged me to reword this to, Daddy,/ let me feel your love. This was truer: I have his love, and needed to feel it. Asking for Him to love me assumes that He didnt already. These adjustments are very revealing!) Spend 10-15 minutes of dedicated time with this prayer, then go about your day. Each time you have a pausedriving in your car alone, standing in line at the store, on your lunch breakintentionally return to this prayer, quietly. (No need to mumble aloud; people might be worried!) Each time you return to this prayer, let it be a signal: God is with me, now! Over time, increase the frequency of this prayer: bring it into your work day, your church service, your family time. What many Christians have found with this practice, is that after a time, the prayer becomes second-nature. It simply continues, quietly in the background, as a reminder of Gods presence. It even becomes possible to be fully engaged in conversation with a person, while quietly praying inwardly! It is important to know that the repetition of a simple prayer is not a way of manipulating God to help you, or even to be present. As Jesus said, God knows what you need already! (Matthew 6:7-8) You arent getting credit for saying your prayer lots. The single benefit is that you are aware of what is already true: God is with you, and cares for your need.