A few years ago, I taught a class on Spiritual Disciplines, and introduced to the class the notion of the Breath Prayer. It is a discipline that reminds the individual to be aware of the ever-present love of God. It is a short phrase or two, usually with the first part of the phrase being quietly said while inhaling, and the second part being quietly said on the exhale. Repeating the phrase several times tends to calm the spirit, and bring peace and the knowledge of the presence of God. It can be any sort of phrase that will draw one into the presence of the Living God, and bring about a sense of peace while dwelling in that presence.
My breath prayer is relatively simple, and one that is modeled after many familiar ones: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Breathing in after the first phrase, out after the second, in on the third, and out on the fourth, brings a rhythm to me that reminds me of God's presence and instills a holy peace.
Lately, I have been traveling a lot. In the last two weeks alone, I have been in Chicago, El Paso, and Dallas; each trip for a different purpose due to my relationships with three different functions I serve within the Southwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, or for my new position as Executive Director for Oasis International Missions, Inc. Next week I will be in Kerrville, then the following week in Houston, and after that I will be traveling overseas to Southern Europe. Again, each trip is for the many different roles that I portray within the greater relationships that I have with my new job and the Annual Conference. The travel is kind of fun, but meeting people and sharing with them what I do for Oasis is absolutely fulfilling in a way that I have missed.
This morning's devotional reading was a single verse from Paul's second letter to Timothy, in which he said simply, "Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead and descended from David. This is my good news" (II Timothy 2:8, CEB). Paul was reminding Timothy to keep his eye on the most important aspect of the ministry. Forget Jesus, and you've forgotten what your mission is all about. Keeping your mind and heart on the most important person keeps us focused on what's essential.
Interestingly, I have found that my breathing had become labored lately. I noticed that I was having a hard time taking a deep breath. Sleep wasn't coming as easily for me as it had in the past. I was struggling, and I couldn't figure out why. Yes, my travel schedule was full, and sleeping in strange hotel rooms tends to rob me of a good night's sleep, but I was having trouble focusing on what was before me.
Until I read this morning's devotional and scripture. And it dawned on me. I had forgotten to breathe. No, not the mechanical, physiological breathing process. I had forgotten my breath prayer. And in so doing, I had literally starved my spirit of the life-sustaining power of the Holy Spirit. Remember when God created all there is - including humanity? "...the LORD God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life's breath into his nostrils" (Genesis 2:7, CEB). God gave us the breath of life - the life spirit that comes from God's own breath.
While I had been running around, I had realized that I was tired, because I was "holding my breath" so to speak. I had forgotten to breathe in God's Spirit/Breath, and was suffocating. Once I came to my senses (difficult to do when you are faint from not breathing right!), I breathed in and out using my breath prayer. And I realized that God was still near, waiting on me to run out of breath, collapse, and ultimately come to him again. Which I did.
And now that I'm breathing again - my soul is not nearly as tired as it was. (Who knows what color I was turning before I finally came to my senses! No, wait. God knows.) Keep breathing, folks. In and out. Be filled once again with the Life Breath of the One who loves you most.
Grace and peace,
Brad
