Breath Prayer

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”

PSALM 150:6 (NIV)

●  LOVE GOD

What if every breath could become a prayer?

Breath prayer is a type of prayer rooted in the most central act of our lives: breathing. To practice breath prayer, one chooses a short, simple phrase to repeat while inhaling and a second phrase to repeat while exhaling. There is no beginning or end to breath prayer, just as it is difficult to tell when one breath ends and another begins.

This is meant to help us live out, in a practical way, the Apostle Paul’s command to pray without ceasing. Breath prayer can be practiced as we work, play, parent, eat, and go through our regular activities.

THE JESUS PRAYER

Inhale, exhale

Breath prayer has been practiced for many years, but has been most fully developed and practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, which developed “The Jesus Prayer,” the most popular version of a breath prayer.

What starts as a difficult and mind-consuming task can, over time, become a natural disposition, helping to keep us always in union with God. To practice The Jesus Prayer:

RESOURCES

Companions for the journey

Breath as Prayer
Book by Jennifer Tucker. Calm, simple breath prayers for anxious hearts.