(Breath) Prayer - Spiritual Practices
Intro to Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices are activities or postures that we take in our everyday life that allow us to notice and experience God’s grace. They are not confined to a special place or time. They are what we do every day. They are how we wake up and come alive to the spiritual reality all around us. God is here. God’s grace is present, moving, and working in our lives. Practice is the path we travel on our spiritual journey, therefore everything we do can be a practice.
Prayer - It can be intimidating.
Reasons I’ve heard why people don’t pray:
I need to get ‘right with God’ before I can pray.
I’m not good at praying.
They are a better pray-er than me.
I do not know what to say.
God doesn’t care about my problems.
I do not know what to say when I pray.
I just do not feel comfortable praying aloud.
Can you relate to any of these? We could all probably keep adding to this list. The reality is that prayer can be intimidating.
What is prayer?
Let’s demystify prayer a little.
Simply put: Prayer is an ongoing conversation with God. To pray is to acknowledge God's presence and power in the midst of all life's circumstances. It is talking to God, just like we talk to a friend. The creator of the universe wants to talk with you! That’s incredible.
Prayer is not having the right words or even using complete sentences, it is a posture of our hearts. People may kneel, stand, sit, or even lay for prayer, with their eyes either open or closed.
In prayer we are able to share with God all that weighs heavy on our heart and brings us joy. We can pray anytime and anywhere.
There are TWO parts of prayer — talking and listening!
Have you ever had a conversation where you felt like you couldn’t get a word in to save your life? It is hard to have a fruitful conversation if it is one-sided. So like any good conversation, prayer includes talking and listening.
God is like the friend who will always be a listening ear and who gives the best advice.
Listening to God might look like journaling your prayers, practicing mindfulness, or meditation. It requires that we quiet our inner dialogue and make space for God to speak.
Spiritual teacher, Henri Nouwen said this, “Above all, prayer is a way of life that allows you to find stillness in the midst of the world where you open your hands to God’s promises and find hope for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.” 1
Types of Prayer:
Below you will find 4 types of prayer. To have a well rounded prayer life, it is good to include them all.
Prayers of Adoration: A prayer of adoration is a prayer that praises God’s goodness and majesty.
Prayers of Confession: A prayer of confession is a searching prayer of the heart. When we confess, we bare our souls before God.
Prayers of Thanksgiving: A prayer of thanksgiving is a prayer that recognizes the good things God gives us and offers thanks for them.
Prayers of Supplication: A prayer of supplication is a prayer that lifts up requests before God. Supplications are often divided between those requests we make for ourselves (petitions) and those requests we make on behalf of other people (intercessions).
Breath Prayer:
Breath Prayer is an ancient form of prayer that invites you to pray with the cadence of your breath. It allows us to embody prayer, and it can be a great introduction to mindfulness/meditation.. To practice breath prayer, you want to simply repeat two lines on your inhale and exhale.
Inhale — Your grace
Exhale — is enough for me.
Inhale — Be still
Exhale — and know that you are God.
Breath prayers are accessible and adaptable to whatever season of life you find yourself in.
TIP: If you’re having a hard time remembering to pray. Establish a trigger that will prompt you to practice your breath prayer. Examples: set an alarm on your phone, every time you start you car, when go walk through a door, when you open instagram on your phone.
Write your own breath prayer:
Step One: Take a few deep breaths, and settle your body and mind. Sit comfortably and remind yourself that God loves you and that you are in God's loving presence.
Step Two: With your eyes closed, imagine that God is calling your name and ask, “What do you need?”
Step Three: Answer God with whatever comes directly from your heart. Your answer might be a single word or a phrase.
Step Four: Choose your favorite name or image for God (God, Jesus, Creator, Teacher, Light, Lord, Spirit, Shepherd, etc.)
Step Five: Combine your name for God with your answer to God's question, "What do you want?" You then have your prayer. The order of your prayer depends on the rhythm and cadence of your breath.
TIP: Make sure your breath prayer about 8 syllables.
Now it’s time to share your breath prayer in the comments!
M., NOUWEN HENRI J. In You Are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living, 129. DOUBLEDAY, 2022.
Holy Spirit, set me free.