Breath Prayer: For Anxious Times

The Hebrew word, ruach, is interchangeable for both breath and spirit.  May you be reminded as you breathe today that God's spirit is as close as your breath. This breath prayer can be practiced anywhere and anytime but is especially helpful if you feel anxious or overwhelmed. Make space to breathe with your Creator and seek a few moments of peace.

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Hi, this is Whitney. You're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. We're in the season of ordinary time in the Christian calendar, and in this season of life, something that happens during everyday ordinary moments that I'm hearing more and more and more about is anxiety. It's real. Anxiety is a part of our lives. So how does God meet us in that? And how do we meet ourselves in those times? Today I'd like to invite you to practice a breath prayer for when you might feel anxious. I do this a lot. And one of the reasons I have been drawn to a regular meditation and prayer practice is because of my history with anxiety and overwhelm in my life. That's not always easy to share, but it's true. And my guess is it's probably true for you too. So if you're having an anxious moment now, or if you need to just tuck this in your back pocket for some time when you are having an anxious moment, I hope you'll join me now. You can practice breath prayer anywhere. In a car, on a plane, walking around the block, lying in your bed. Wherever you find yourself, allow your body to feel full and open right now. So if you're seated, sit up tall, lengthen through the crown of your head. If you're lying down, just take a moment to settle, open across your chest, draw your shoulders down and back. If you're walking, check in with your posture. Notice your feet hitting the ground. Stand tall and breathe. As you allow the breath to move in and out of your body, you'll feel your body expand. You'll notice your belly moving, your core expanding. That word is ruach. And so today, as you embrace your breath, as you notice it, I invite you to also think of it as God's spirit flowing in and out of your body. On your next inhalation, begin to ponder a name of God that gives you comfort, peace, something that brings calm to your heart when you envision this God. For me, that's Jesus. I feel comfort and calm when I can envision Jesus in human form right beside me, putting an arm around me, holding my hand. Not everyone resonates with the same names or imagery for God. So take a moment and ponder what name of God brings you comfort and peace when you're feeling anxious. Extending that exhale and really drawing it out. And the words that I like to pray while I'm exhaling and sighing out, releasing, letting go are give me peace. Give me peace. Give me peace in this breath, God, in this moment, in this situation. Let me feel your peace in my heart, in my body, in my soul. See if those words resonate and feel calming to you as you offer them on your exhale. If those words take shape or change into another form of prayer, let your own words arise. What calms your anxious heart? Ask God for what you need and breathe it out. Just say your few words. Give me peace. Calm my heart. Show me the way. Take my hand. Focus on your exhale and your few words for the next several moments. If you haven't already, begin to connect your name of God and your prayer. For me, it looks like this inhale, Jesus, exhale, give me peace. Inhale, Jesus. Exhale, give me peace, Jesus. Give me peace. And meet the one who longs to calm your heart right now. May we remember to draw near to you when our hearts and our minds and our spirits feel anxious, for we know you are as close as our breath. In your name we pray. Amen. I'd love to hear from you. We can connect online at Whitneyrsimpson.com, or you can join our growing podcast community at exploringpeace.com slash community. Thanks for listening and being on the journey. Until next time, may peace be with you.