PRAYER OF THE HEART OR BREATH PRAYER
(Taken from © Motions of the Soul, Clare Loughrige 2012)
What image comes to your mind when you hear “waiting with bated breath”? Bated breath describes when breathing is short, and breath almost was taken away from excitement, fear, awe, wonder, or another strong emotion. Our great playwrights and storytellers use these words to help those reading or watching feel the moment in their heart and in their body through their breathing.
“Bated breath” is no longer limited to extraordinary circumstances or entertainment. Waiting with bated breath is our typical American way of living. Once reserved for those suspenseful life moments alone, now we rarely breathe in a healthy way except for when we’re exercising (if we have time for that!). Our breath is short and bated much too often. Americans are always moving to the next moment with a faintness of heart, shortness of breath, and little ability to wait. And waiting and breathing is where our strength lies.
“Catching my breath” is a way for us to describe how overrun we are. Being too busy to even “breathe” has become a way for us to be proud of productivity because everybody knows if I just need to “catch my breath” I must be doing important things! Therefore, I am valuable.
We are so very precious and yet rarely take the time to feel it, to wait for it, to breathe it in and really know it. We desperately need to feel our heart and our breath in reverence to the One who gave them to us. Prayer of the Heart or Breath Prayer is a way to connect our physiology to our theology. Learning to breathe attentively is a way to be in touch—spirit, soul, and body—to God. That takes an ability to wait.
Have you ever seen Earth from a satellite position? You can’t make out your country let alone your town, your house … and certainly not your heart and soul. Imagine a satellite coming from the expanse of the universe and zooming in on your very life. That is the “Prayer of the Heart” or “Breath Prayer.” It is getting past the needs of the world, your community, your family—and right into what you want to say to Jesus and what Jesus wants to say to you.
When Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” Jesus was giving them the Teacher, Comforter, Converter, Counselor, and Guide. This Holy Spirit is the breath of God. In Scripture, both Hebrew and Greek words for Spirit include the meaning of “breath” or “to breathe.” When we pray with the Holy Spirit, we will pray what is true inGod’s heart and our own. It is the kind of prayer that enables us to pray without ceasing. It becomes a prayer that prays in us involuntarily, just like our breathing.
Breath Prayer helps us guide anxious and sinful thoughts back to God. Heart prayers help us gather our dreams and desires back into the forefront so that we can hear our next steps. Breathing in and out the truth of God’s Word subdues fears, fantasies, and negative self-talk that are pervasive in the mind. These unwelcome thoughts are replaced by the goodness of God and His words to you through the Prayer of the Heart or Breath Prayer. With them you are aligning your physiology with your theology.
Finding your Prayer of the Heart/Breath Prayer
A)
Movement 1 ~ Settle into a place that helps you be free from distractions. Sit in a way that is comfortable but alert to God’s leadings. Catch your breath … Relax with God. Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and deeply. Enjoy the stillness. If there is a distraction, let it come and go like debris floating on a river … Seek to go deeper and let the river take the surface stuff along.
Movement 2 ~ As you are breathing, allow the awareness of God’s presence to be with you. He is closer than your breath. Take time to breathe and thank God that you are alive, and be aware that you are with God at this moment.
Movement 3 ~
A) You can start with the prayer of the man in Luke 18 “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” This honesty allows God to meet us, forgive us, and help us discover our way to our own breath prayer.
Or
B)
Use the words of one of these breath prayers that have carried others, and watch yourown words come.
Breathing in…Breathing out
Have mercy on us…and on the whole world
Wait on God…renew your strength
Show me your way…guide me in truth
I love you…let me love you more
Jesus lead me…in my dreams
Let go…let God
Fill me with passion…breathe life into my soul
Or
C)
Inhale: A word that is the description of God’s ability to meet the need that you have. Some examples: healer, shepherd, father, provider, mother, friend
Exhale: A word phrase or scripture that affirms the power of God to meet that need.
Join your description of God with your need for God in a phrase less than about eight syllables. Enjoy the rhythm of it. Let the words and rhythm be a part of your breathing. Use this word on the exhale.
Examples: Breathing in…breathing out
Healer…whole by your stripes
Comforter…you bear my grief Shepherd…lead me by still waters Father… loving parent
Movement 4 ~ Write down your prayer. Practice the prayer when you are waiting, driving, walking, irritated, sad, wondering, and so on.
Once you have it, this prayer will automatically pray in you when you need it most.
© MOS- Clare Loughrige 1st Print 2012, CTR Publishing 2016. All Rights Reserved
Because this material is original, do not make copies of this material without permission from author.
Final note:
*”A 2016 study revealed a neural circuit in the brainstem that seems to play the key role in the breathing-brain control connection.
The circuit is part of what’s been called the brain’s “breathing pacemaker” because it can be adjusted by altering breathing rhythm (slow, controlled breathing decreases activity in the circuit; fast, erratic breathing increases activity), which in turn influences emotional states. “Take a deep breath” is solid advice; research suggests that slowing your breathing can help regulate blood pressure via your heart rate. The study evaluated the “Relax- ation Response,” which refers to a method of engaging the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract the nervous system’s “fight or flight” response to stress.
Go ahead and practice your breathing.”
*Taken from Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram by Adele Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige. Copyright (c) 2019 by Adele Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige. InterVarsity Press, www.ivpress.com