Breathing prayers

Do you know what a breath prayer is? This short phrase or sentence is repeated while breathing in and out. The most famous is the "Jesus Prayer," prayed over centuries.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I've prayed that short prayer to the rhythm of walking, of crying, and of desperate silences when other prayers drifted like fog on the air. I've prayed it in confession, adoration, and utter joyful abandon to God.

Different seasons bring different breath prayers. We petition God. Worship Him. Give thanks. Lay our burdens down.

Under our conscious thoughts, breath prayers acknowledge our dependence on a Good God and our trust that He is in control.

How do you find a short prayer that prays your heart now, to steady you when life feels abundant, overwhelming, or unbalanced? Ruth Haley Barton's book Sacred Rhythms suggests the following:

1. Listen to what God is saying to you through scripture, prayer, the Church, circumstances, and people.
2. Listen to your heart's deep desires - what do you want God to do in you? For you?
3. What name of God speaks to you at this time?
4. Combine the name of God with the longing of your heart - into a 6-8 word prayer.

Then pray often, not thoughtlessly or carelessly. Breath in and out, telling God how wonderful He is (His name) and what you need from Him. The prayer becomes part of waking and sleeping, a meditation on God's provisions and greatness.

What is your breath prayer? My current prayer is:
   Lord, set me free to love you.

Read more:
*All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 ESV

*Your sins have deprived you of good. Jeremiah 5:25 ESV

*As Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:34 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NIV

*See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. Hebrews 12:15 ESV
Moravian Prayer: Lord, we often go about our daily lives forgetting to seek your guidance. Turn us back to you and forgive our waywardness. Help us to live in peace with all people and to share your message of grace.

Blessed Jesus, you came to earth for us and you took upon yourself all our sins. Thank you for that great sacrifice. Daily we need your care, your leading, and your protection. Thank you for watching over us and loving us. Amen.

Lent Day 25: The crest of the wave

Life seems to be experienced in waves. Entire years and decades of Jesus' life go unrecorded. Then  his ministry crests: he chooses disciples and velocity quickens to wash toward his sacrifice on the cross as the Passover lamb.

The ebb of the resurrection, where God pulls back mortality's curtain to showcase His magnificence and power even over death, creates a riptide for the disciples. Jesus spends 40 quiet days with them, expounding on God's mission. He shows them their future as Life-With-God before he withdraws to allow the Holy Spirit to descend.

The Spirit roars into the life of the apostles with godly authority and power. Life and renewal splash throughout the city of Jerusalem and ripples into the world through the pilgrims attending the Pentecostal feast.

Throughout the book of Acts, ebbs and flows in the intensity mark the spread of the gospel:

• Organization and favor. 
• Persecution, outward movement, and expansion. 
• Suffering and missionary proclamation. 
• Exile and writing to preserve the record of Christ and the early Church.

Have you experienced such seasons of quiet, followed by building energy and a surge of momentum?

Where am I right now? A bucket of "aha"s have been dumped on me since last weekend. The wave is rising and I am being carried into the future. I'm not certain of the shore toward which the power of "forward" is pulling me. And that doesn't matter too much. God only requires my "being in this" completely, attentive and intentional toward the work of His Spirit.

How do we "ride the wave" in seasons of change?

1. Breathe in the time of calm and stand at ease when there's no direction.
2. Mull over (and record) lessons learned and insights acquired during the pause between what was and what is becoming.
3. Still your fears of change. God is in control. Completely. Utterly. Beautifully. He holds your future securely and will not let you go.
4. Prepare yourself. Embrace whatever comes your way. Pray. Meditate on scripture. Serve at church. Read an insightful book, listen to a speaker, or attend an event. You may unexpectedly run into an acquaintance or eavesdrop on other conversations.
5. Be willing and obedient. When work appears, when a door opens, when God clears away the clutter of the past to a clear future ... say YES.
6. Surf the wave. God's current will direct you. Enjoy the ride: fighting the water will smash you, suck you under, and make you feel like you're drowning.
7. Enjoy the view as you land on the new shore. Wherever God takes you, He has planned this in advance. What is the wonder of this next job, this new ministry, or this fresh relationship?

What's your favorite wave to date? Were you surprised where the current took you?