Have you heard of breath prayer? These are typically short, one or two sentence prayers rooted in Scripture that you can focus on and pray as you simply inhale and exhale. To be totally honest, I am not sure where this idea came from originally, or when I first learned about it, but it is a practice I have found especially helpful in this season.

These short prayers in no way take the place of a “regular” prayer time, which for me involves praise and interceding for others, and well as making space to listen to God, but I have found these breath prayers help me refocus in the midst of my day when I find myself getting impatient, struggling for control, or just running around like a chicken with my head cut off. More and more I am learning to slow down and let God take the reigns, and the breath prayer practice is one way I do this.

So what does this look like? Let’s practice together. One example, that I think is pretty common, is from John 3:30, which says, “He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.” Right now, as you inhale, pray “He must increase.” As you exhale, pray, “I must decrease.” And then repeat. As many times as you need to let that truth soak in. And as often as you need to remind yourself of it.

Sometimes I feel like God gives me a phrase I need to pray like this. Most recently (in one of those times when I was acting like the headless chicken), the phrase that came to me was “God is at work, so I can rest.” As I began to inhale, “God is at work,” and exhale, “so I can rest,” I began to release my feelings of control and just surrender to God.

I pray this will be a helpful practice for you, and I’d love to hear what you’re praying if you try this out!