The breath prayer flows to us as a practice of the ancient church. There is a strong and beautiful connection between our breath and the Spirit, portrayed in the sacred moment when God bent down to the earth and filled Adam’s lungs with his breath, generating life into what was once dust. As we practice the breath prayer, we are attuning to the source of our soul’s life, God’s Spirit filling us with God’s very own breath. We also savor our union with God as we notice that we breathe God’s breath.

Just as there is a two-part movement to our breath, there is also a two-part movement to many breath prayers: an inhale and an exhale. Some of the prayers lend themselves to coordinating your inhaling and exhaling with parts of the prayer, but sometimes not. In all cases we simply attune to the natural rhythm of our breath as we pray the breath prayer, reminding us that our prayer life is to be as natural and as integral to our goings and comings as breathing. In this organic connection with our Source, intermingled with our daily lives, we can pray without ceasing as we breathe in and out all that is good and beautiful.

The best-known and most-prayed breath prayer is called the Jesus Prayer, originally prayed as “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Later, the words “a sinner” were added: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Sometimes the prayer is prayed in its simplest form: “Lord, have mercy.” An added grace of praying the Jesus Prayer is that you are praying in concert with the universal church around the globe and with the cloud of witnesses throughout history.

Breath prayers that follow the same form as the Jesus Prayer begin with a name of God, followed by a supplication. For example, “Living Water, fill me.” Or “Jehovah-Jireh, help me trust in your provision.” Another option is for the second half of the prayer to communicate more as a statement rather than a request. So you could express your gratitude by praying, “Lord, my cup runs over.” Other breath prayers don’t follow this form but are wonderfully simple ways of praying, such as “When I am afraid, I will trust in you,” or “You will never leave me nor forsake me.”

Since this chapter is about the unconditional, unmerited love that God has for you, your breath prayer will open your heart to receive that love into your soul. The process of choosing a breath prayer is a practice in and of itself—it invites you to notice how your soul is, how you are longing for God, and maybe even how God is longing for you. As you choose your breath prayer, let awareness of yourself and of God be your guide.

You are invited to choose from the list of breath prayers below, or feel free to craft your own breath prayer. Please write your prayer on an index card or in your journal to remind you throughout the day or week what you selected. If you choose to write it on an index card, you can put it on your desk or on your dashboard, wherever you will see it frequently to remind you to integrate your prayer with your breath. Some people like to connect their prayer to an already established rhythm of their life to remind them to pray. For example, you could pray your breath prayer every time you stand up from your desk, or every time you get a drink or have a meal. Please find what works best for you.

Feel free to choose a new breath prayer each day this week, or you may want to stick with one breath prayer all week.

The temple, as described in the Old Testament, was one of the places where heaven and earth overlapped and intersected, where God and humans met and mingled. We are now God’s temples, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Breath prayers are an invitation to experience the reality of your union with God through the Spirit who abides in you now in space and time. Breath prayers give you experiential access to the desires of God’s heart for you.