Breath Prayer | October Spiritual Practice
Imago, there is so much transition going on right now. Let’s slow down this month and breathe together through it. The practice below is one we use in our Formation Communities. My hope is that you can lean into God this fall and find them close to you - as close as your very breath.
{For this practice, it might be helpful to print out what follows and journal your responses.}
Finding Your Breath Prayer
(This exercise is heavily borrowed from Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms, Arranging our Lives for Spiritual Transformation InterVarsity Press, 2006).
When you pray, do not try to express yourself in fancy words, for often it is the simple, repetitious phrases of a little child that our Father in heaven finds most irresistible. Do not strive for verbosity lest your mind be distracted by a search for words…single words (or phrases) of their very nature tend to concentrate the mind. When you find satisfaction in a certain word of your prayer, stop at that point. (John Climacus, 7th Century monk)
Sit quietly, breathe deeply and remind yourself that you are in the presence of God. If there is a particular prayer, phrase or Scripture verse that helps you enter into a prayerful, listening stance (such as any of the practices we have tried this year), allow yourself to just sit with that phrase for a few moments.
Then, imagine God calling you by name and asking, “_____________, what do you want?” Give yourself permission to answer out of your truest self. You may find journaling your answer helpful. Here’s a phrase to help you get started:
God, what I most want from you right now is…
Then, choose your favorite name or image for God as you are relating to him right now (such as God, Jesus, Father, Daddy, Papa, Lord, etc.) — whichever name best captures your sense of who God is for you at this point in your relationship or who you need or want him to be.
A name for God that is most meaningful for me right now is…
Now, combine your name for God with the expression of your heart’s desire. (There is no right or wrong way to put these together, but you may find one that is more poetic or rhythmic.)
If various possibilities come to you, write them down and eliminate or combine until you have a prayer of about 6-8 syllables that flows smoothly when spoken aloud, that is rhythmic enough to the prayed with the inhalation and exhalation of your breathing and that captures your deep yearning for intimacy, wholeness or well-being in Christ.
Once you have found your breath prayer, take it for a spin. In the spaces of your day - when you’re driving, waiting, worried, anxious - and need a sense of God’s presence, pray your breath prayer. In time, you will learn to pray it “underneath” all the other thoughts and words swirling around in your head through daily interactions. In other words, you will learn to “pray without ceasing.”
During times of solitude and silence your breath prayer will also become a way for you to draw your mind back to God when it starts to wander.
Kids’ Version
All year we have been working on remembering that God is close to us always and that we can talk to them whenever we want to. This month, let’s make a simple prayer together that can help us when we don’t know what to say.
Start by thinking of how God is always with you...then think of your favorite name for God. It can be anything - God, Jesus, Spirit… anything really...creator, wonderful, love, peace...some name that makes you think of love that is bigger than you.
Next, think of what you most need from God. We all need love, peace, joy, help with our lives, patience with ourselves or others, etc...God is here for all of it and you don’t need to feel selfish or silly when you are naming what you need from God.
Finally, working with a grown-up if necessary, combine your name for God with what you need from God in just a few words. Here are some examples:
God, I need help.
Love, help me love.
Creator, I need patience.
My peace, I need peace.
Spirit, sometimes I don’t know.
Any combination is good and right and there is no wrong way to pray! As you say the simple prayer you made, you can say it as you breathe (out loud or in your head - God hears you either way).
On the out-breath: God
On the in-breath: I need help
If you have a chance and are comfortable with it, ask your grown-up to post your prayer on the Genesis FB page. Sometimes hearing other peoples’ prayers can give us the courage we need to believe that we can be connected to God too.
I’m so proud of how you are growing in God this year friends. You rock.
Vicky Brown is a spiritual director, rock collector and loves sci-fi and fantasy. As a “4” on the Enneagram she feels all the things, all the time. Just ask her husband, Cory. Vicky currently works with Mandy Kampen to co-lead Eats, Drinks, & Orthodoxy and works with Bryan Holmes on the Formation Communities at Imago.