“Prayer is basic because it provides the primary language for everything that takes place on the way of Jesus…We pray because it is the only language we have for speaking to the God revealed in Jesus. It is also the only language we have for listening to the commands and blessings and guidance that God provides through Jesus. God is nothing if not personal. Both God and we humans are most personal, most characteristically our unique selves, in our use of language. When language has to do with God and us, us and God, we call it prayer.”
– Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way, p 264-265
A breath prayer is a brief petition that arises from our deepest needs, clarifying who we are and helping us understand our relationship with God.
Sit for a moment in silence and invite the presence of God to be with you. Breathe regular, slow, deep breaths. Choose one of the phrases from Scripture to repeat, pausing after each phrase for several breaths, then repeating the scripture again. Pray for our church in this time.
Speak, Lord for your servants are listening. – 1 Samuel 3:9
Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth – Psalm 121:2
Come, Lord Jesus. – Revelation 22:20
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