Breath prayers have become perhaps the most powerful and practical habit I have formed to live out Paul’s instruction for us to pray without ceasing.
I wonder, if like me, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply sounded wonderful but unrealistic at one point in your faith walk?
Perhaps, it still does.
Fret not though friend. Our entire lives really can be an active prayer…or active worship if this rings truer for you.
What Are Breath Prayers?
There is no mysticism to this.
They are exactly what they sound like: prayers that can be said in a breath.
Breath prayers are simple, brief prayers offered up through an intentional inhale/exhale sequence.
We are always breathing, so that part is a given right?
With breath prayers though, we engage God with our own short request, or praise acknowledgement.
It is an effective way to practice the presence of God.
To develop an awareness of Him that steers us away from being religious so to speak.
Instead, this ancient discipline strengthens our relationship with Him, making Him more real and again, making room for us to pray continually.
The beauty of these prayers is that they free us from the restriction of stopping whatever it is we are doing.
The portability of it leaves us no excuse.
So flexible are they that we can engage in them discreetly, right in the middle of an ongoing conversation.
“Father, give me strength” is one such example.
We are free to utter them aloud as well.
What is important is that we make this so much of a habit, that it becomes a default of ours.
Our days can be saturated with breath prayers and we can add them to whatever other daily worship practice we already engage in.
Breath Prayer Rhythms
One hardly needs to get technical here but just in case, here are 3 rhythms you can try to see what feels more natural to you.
- Breathe in slow and deep and think on or whisper a Bible verse
- Breathe in the first half of a Bible verse and finish the next half on release
- Hold your breath or linger on a verse for a moment before inhaling and exhaling
Basically, use any combination that works well for you.
It is the intentionality that counts and the peace of God that we will surely receive that we’re after.
10 Breath Prayers From The Bible
Just about any Bible verse can be adapted into a breath prayer.
We can pray back short verses as they are or we can personalize long and short scriptures to help us state our faith through these prayers.
Here are some examples:
Prayer of Praise
“Your steadfast love endures forever”
[Psalm 118]
Prayer of Assurance
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”
[Psalm 23:1]
Prayer of Endurance
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”
[Philippians 4:13]
Prayer of Protection
“Lord, you are my refuge and my fortress, I trust in You”
[Psalm 91:2]
Prayer for Long Life
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”
[Psalm 91:4]
Prayer for Strength
“Lord, I am weary, give me Your rest”
[Matthew 11:28]
Prayer for To Usher in Peace
“You keep me in perfect peace as my mind is stayed on You”
[Isaiah 26:3]
Prayer Against The Enemy
“No weapon formed against me shall prosper”
[Isaiah 54:17]
Prayer for Calm
“Be still and know that I am God”
[Psalm 46:10]
Prayer To Listen For Instruction
“Speak Lord, for Your servant hears”
[1 Samuel 3:9-10]
Before You Go…
I really hope these short prayers will inspire you to either begin this intentional practice or remind you to return to it.
Let breath prayers become a part of your lifestyle.
It can surely help you to become more consistent in prayer.
Let us truly make ourselves more aware of the presence of God, remembering that He is already the very pulse of this earth.
We can breathe Him in, take in the beauty of His creation and communicate with Him all in one brief prayer, as many times a day as we can muster.
Here is a wonderful song about breathing too that will hopefully bless you today.
Enjoy