Breath Prayer

What

Breath Prayer is a short, ancient, contemplative prayer which is said by inhaling and exhaling for one breath. You use your whole body and connect spiritually to God during everyday moments. Physically we breathe in to get oxygen, spiritually we breathe in to connect deeply with God. We can do breath prayers to find connection to God throughout the day just by the simple task of breathing in and out. It often begins with a biblical name of God that is meaningful to you, which is followed with a word or phrase expressing your deep God-given hope or desire. Something like “Jesus…help me” is a great breath prayer to use.  

Why

Breath prayers help us pay attention to God, and to be aware of the present moment as we connect with God. We can calm our spirit through breath prayers, and we can rest in God’s presence. By praying through our breath, we can feel that God is with us wherever we are and that He can help us with our anxieties and concerns.

How

Step One | Find a quiet place

Step Two | Decide on a simple two part phrase to say silently or out loud.

  1. Jesus, Son of David…have mercy on me, a sinner

  2. Abba, Father…I belong to you

  3. Be still and know…that I am God

  4. Jesus…help me

  5. Not my will…but yours be done

  6. The Lord is my strength…and my song

  7. Lord Jesus…have mercy

  8. Lord God…be near

  9. Holy Spirit…guide me

  10. Lord…here I am

Step Three | Practice the breath prayer by breathing in for the first part of the prayer, and then breathing out for the second part while slowing down your breathing, repeating the prayer for 2-5 minutes. Here’s an example…

  • (inhale as you say…) Jesus, Son of David…(exhale as you say…) have mercy on me, a sinner

  • (inhale as you say…) Abba, Father…(exhale as you say) I belong to you

Resources

Soulshepherding.org - Breath Prayer Guides

Breath As Prayer - Jennifer Tucker

Breath Prayers Through The Psalms- Benjamin Lee Hitzfeld