Breath prayer is another way to practice abiding with Jesus dating as far back as the sixth century. As the name suggests, this simple practice focuses on saying a short quiet prayer - usually less than 6-8 syllables long and said in a single breath - to help fix your mind on God. Practitioners of breath prayer often find it helpful to repeat the same prayer a number of times over until their mind is at rest, undistracted, and grounded on the presence of God and His Word. This prayer can be done in an undistracted place to help you focus and/or can be done throughout the day whenever you need to be reminded of God’s presence and truth.
This tool is a great way to focus on one thought, one verse, one sentence, one phrase, or one attribute of God that helps you set your mind on Him. You can write your own breath prayer to fit what you need from the Lord by picking a name of God that draws you near to Him (Father, Jesus, Spirit, Abba, Dad, Lord) and asking what you need in as few words as possible (help, peace, rest, joy). Below are sample breath prayers to help you get started.
Sample breath prayers:
Father, thank you for your love.
Abba, thank you for your goodness.
God, give me peace.
Spirit, guide me.
Jesus, give me patience.
Spirit, give me strength.
Father, give me wisdom.
God, I need a Savior and that’s not me.
Jesus, be my refuge.
Lord, help my unbelief.
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