Posted 428 days ago

Breathing in the Presence of God

by Christine Sine

I did not grow up writing prayers. In fact my early Christian experience was in a tradition that regarded any type of rote prayer as formalism. The only prayers we ever considered memorizing were the Lord’s Prayer and the Psalms. On the other hand, memorizing song lyrics was highly encouraged, even though it was a rather challenging chore for those of us who lacked musical talent. It is only in the last few years that I have become familiar with the delightful liturgical tradition of both memorizing and writing formal prayers. In the process I have discovered a new way to express my faith and deepen my relationship to God.

Writing prayers is an act of worship and an important spiritual practice. Prayer writing requires me to enter into a place of intimacy with God that is often both therapeutic and restorative. First I spend time mulling over the topic that I want to use as the central theme in my prayer. Then I gather scriptures that reflect that theme and meditate on them for several days. Sometimes the thoughts flow freely and the prayer seems to jump out of the page fully grown. At other times it comes slowly with much thought, prayer, and sometimes, painful emotion as I enter into the agony of Christ’s crucifixion or the aching cries of the poor and the marginalized.

One of the most popular types of prayers I have written is breathing prayers. I love to write these rhythmic verses that resonate deep in my very soul as I commit the lines to paper. Breathing prayers are designed to focus our thoughts on God. They involve breathing in the presence of God, which draws us into a spiritual center, that place deep inside ourselves where we can relax and feel at peace. Sometimes these prayers make me feel that I am actually kneeling before the God who dwells within me. For some people, breathing prayers provide a more powerful and intimate sense of the presence of God than does the physical act of kneeling.

I find that writing a breathing prayer requires many of the same disciplines that praying it does. The words flow more easily when I am relaxed and comfortable, and I am sure they are more effective when I control the rhythm of my own breathing while writing.

Many breathing prayers use simple phrases, like this Jesus prayer, to focus our thoughts on God and help us to relax.

Inhale: Lord Jesus Christ
Exhale: You are the light of the world.
Inhale: Fill my mind with your peace.
Exhale: And my heart with your love.

The prayers I write are a little more complex. I describe myself as a contemplative activist and I try to reflect this in them. I write them not just as a relaxation exercise but also as a way to resonate with God’s involvement in the world around me. They are an invitation contemplate and center on the presence of God within and move out into activism in our world outside. Writing a prayer like this makes it a part of my worship. It enables me to breathe out my own self-centered cares and breathe in God’s concern and compassion for the brokenness of our world. Its rhythm enables me to walk in synch with the God who is intimately concerned for all that is broken and distorted in our world.

I am currently getting ready for our 18th Annual Celtic Prayer Retreat on Camano Island on August 14-16 and so have recently written a couple of breathing prayers that resonate with our theme of Rhythms of the Kingdom. I would like to share this one here:

Breathe on us God of life
Breathe in us Christ of love
Breathe through us Spirit of truth
Let justice reign
Let compassion flow
Let love be over all
Breathe on us God who cares
Breathe through us Christ who reconciles
Breathe through us Spirit who transforms
Fill us with kingdom seeds
Send us out in peace
Let love reign over all.

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