Breath prayer. Sounds kind of funny, right? I suppose it’s a type of meditation, which sometimes gets a bad rap in Christian circles. But, I want to propose something to you.

We all meditate. Know why I think this? Because all of us ruminate. Ruminate is definitely a term that has gotten some attention over the past couple of years. According to Oxford, ruminate means to “think deeply about something.” According to Webster, it means, “to go over in the mind repeatedly and often.” With the anxiety and often overwhelming feelings that we have as a society lately, I believe that we ruminate on all kinds of things, mostly negative, I might add.

Breath prayer is a way to take those feelings, that rumination, that repeated concentration on something, and focus it on God. We can turn that anxious rumination into concentrated, meditative prayer.

Breath prayer is a contemplative practice that Christians have been doing for hundreds of years. It takes breathing, which is a part of our very existence, and adds to it a prayer, a scripture, or even just a word, that brings us into communion with God.

For me, breath prayer takes away the pressure to say the right words or pray the right thing, and instead makes it a practice of the heart. Doesn’t it kind of remind you of Acts 17:28: “For in him we live and move and have our being?.” We breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling, in prayer. Everything about our being is focused on Him.

So, how do we practice this? What do we do? What are the steps?

Here’s a simple way to incorporate this into your life. 

First, breathe. Breathe deeply. Like your choir director told you to in middle school. Use your diaphragm. As you breathe in, say a prayer. Like, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” And, as you breathe out, complete this prayer. In this case, “I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

Breathe in, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

Breathe out, “I shall not want.”

Here are some others:

“True Vine and Gardener.”

“I abide in You.” (John 15)

“My help comes from the Lord.”

“The Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2)

“When I am afraid.”

“I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)

You can use anything you need or want to as your prayer. Just remember to breathe.