Breath prayers are very short. There are two halves to them. The first is recited on an inhale breath, the second on the exhale. These prayers are short, able to be remembered and repeated in rhythm with your slowed, and intentional breath.

Breath prayers are meant to be repeated and meditated on for several minutes (3+). Breathe in slowly, reciting quietly (spoken or silently in your head) the first half of the prayer. Pause. Slowly exhale and recite the second half of the prayer, lifting the words up to God.

What exactly is prayed can vary. It can be an excerpt of scripture, a truth you believe about God, a petition to God. If you are new to breath prayers, we encourage you to start with a couple verses in one of the gospels or a stanza from a psalm, repeating truths about God.

These prayers can be topical, or created as you need for your context. Breath prayers are used to bring our focus back to Jesus. They can be prayed to express a deep need, as Bartimaeus did. They can be prayed to realign our hearts and minds on things above. To affirm and remind ourselves of a character of God in our life. To pray scripture back to God. To declare what you’re experiencing with a response from scripture. Or to simply welcome God into your day or circumstance.

Breath prayers can be used in daily, mundane life, or in special, extraordinary circumstances. We believe that God is simply honored that you are spending time with Him. So go to Him. Rejoice in him. Petition to Him. Thank Him. Slow down, breathe, and pray.

Praying Breath Prayer

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place. Take a moment, inviting God into whatever is going on in your life. You may want to close your eyes if you’re in a space that allows you to, to minimize distractions.

On a slow inhale, recite the first half of the prayer. Pause a moment. On a slow exhale, recite the second half of the prayer, lifting it to God. Continue this rhythm several minutes, focusing on the words you are praying to God. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the phrases you are repeating, and back to God.

Writing a Breath Prayer

Prayer, including breath prayers, is an integration of you and God. It is a back and forth between your lived life and experiences, and the Creator of that life. So lean into this. Is there something going on in your life that you’d like to bring before Jesus? Find a way to shorten this thought into just a few words. For example:
– I wait on you Jesus,
Follow that with a truth you know about God in response to your prayer.
– You are always with me.

Inhale: I wait on you Jesus,
Exhale: You are always with me.