Praying In and Out
Several months ago, I experienced a medical emergency necessitating a trip to the hospital. I spent several hours in the ER where I received compassionate care while undergoing a barrage of medical exams. Everything turned out to be “just fine.” The troubling symptoms dissipated within a couple hours, and I was sent home without a clear diagnosis but some educated guesses, none of which were serious.
On the drive to the ER that winter morning, without giving a second thought, I silently prayed, synchronizing the words, “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy” with my inhale and exhale breaths. The situation was scary, and yet, I felt no fear as I rhythmically, prayerfully repeated these words, which are a variation of the ancient Orthodox prayer known as “The Jesus Prayer.” (The most common form of “The Jesus Prayer” is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”)
Breath prayers are short phrases—generally four to eight syllables long, which are aligned with breaths. Here are some of the breath prayers common to me:
(Inhale) The Lord is my Shepherd
(Exhale) I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
(Inhale) Be still and know
(Exhale) that I am God. (Psalm 46:1)
(Inhale) Jesus!
(Exhale) Help me! (This powerful prayer has been shown to create brain connections in severely traumatized women and is one of my favorites!)
(Inhale) Oh, God,
(Exhale) Thank You!
The Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:17) told his friends to “pray continually.” (Other translations say, “pray without ceasing.”) I found this advice confusing until I discovered Breath Prayer. Now, I use breath prayer when I:
· watch the news
· struggle to understand
· deal with “big emotions” such as anger, jealousy, worry
· can’t come up with words to express a request
· avert a mishap or close call
· surprised by a good gift
Today’s post was prompted by a text message I received this morning from a friend who was about to leave home for a rather long and stressful medical procedure. She asked for prayer but also reported that during her devotional time today, she had been reminded of a breath prayer, “God is near.” As I prayed for my friend, I could imagine her inhaling “God is near,” and on her exhale, God whispering back, “Yes, I’m here!”
Sweet thoughts about a simple way of praying.
Blessings on your journey!
