Spiritual breathing ∙∙

Spiritual breathing ∙∙

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. – Colossians 4:2

Ephesians 1:15-19

 15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,

 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called – his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.

The autonomic nervous system operates primarily without our conscious awareness, managing essential bodily functions like digestion, respiration, and heart rate. It functions as an automatic control system, silently orchestrating vital processes. Our hearts beat tirelessly, and we breathe continuously without conscious effort.

In a similar vein, prayer can be likened to spiritual breathing. Just as we breathe incessantly, we can also engage in ceaseless prayer. It is a skill that can be developed. It requires an attitude of dependence upon and continual conversation with the Father. Through consistent practice, we cultivate the habit of seeking the Father’s guidance in decisions, offering praise, seeking wisdom, and exercising discernment. Relying on the Father gradually becomes a natural part of life for the children of the King.

The Father invites us into a way of life marked by unceasing, steady, and persistent communication with Him. Continuous prayer, or spiritual breathing, is a cornerstone in establishing and sustaining our relationship with the Father.

REFLECT & PRAY

“The greatest ability is dependability” (Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.).

Father cultivate within me the practice of unending prayer. May my life be defined by the rhythm of spiritual breathing.

INSIGHT

Sometimes, we can intentionally control our breathing, though this deliberate focus is short-lived. Soon, we naturally revert to our usual, automatic breathing pattern, which operates without our conscious intervention. Can we engage in continuous spiritual breathing by focusing our attention? Maintaining such focused spiritual consciousness proves challenging in the midst of everyday life’s constant demands and distractions. Our attention often must shift to immediate tasks and responsibilities, pulling our conscious mind away from a continuous state of prayer.

Yet, just as our autonomic nervous system quietly manages vital functions in the background, our hearts can maintain a deep, ongoing state of adoration, receptiveness, and reliance on the Father. This underlying spiritual dependence doesn’t require constant mental attention but is a continuous undercurrent of devotion and trust in God.

Developing a perpetual reliance on the Father is achievable and part of developing a closer walk with Him. It is an attitude of the heart that persists, even when our conscious thoughts are engaged elsewhere.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

“The Colossians were to pray with mental alertness. Presumably, this meant that they were to know the circumstances of life, particularly those which affected the spread of the gospel. Informed prayer is likely to be more purposeful, personal, and powerful” (Melick Melnyk).

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

“This means, ‘Be steadfast in your prayer life; be devoted; don’t quit.’ This is the way the early church prayed (Acts 1:14; 2:46). Too many of us pray only occasionally – when we feel like it or when there is a crisis. ‘Pray without ceasing’ is God’s command to us (1 Thessalonians 5:17)” (Wiersbe).

So perhaps we might visualize a person wondering about muttering prayers almost silently under their breath (Wiersbe). Or walking about singing Gregorian chants. This misses the point entirely.

“Rather, it means we should constantly be in fellowship with God so that prayer is as normal to us as breathing” (Wiersbe). Our goal should be maintaining a positive, open relationship with the Father. Then, prayer becomes as natural as breathing, spiritual breathing.

Perhaps a negative example may help. There have probably been times in each of our lives when very difficult or heartbreaking things have happened. The result is that we become consumed with sadness, anger, or even rage. It becomes our constant, steady emotional state. Our emotional state may be temporarily interrupted because of the simple demands of daily life or physical activities that engage our minds. For example, making a grocery list, cutting the grass, or verbal or written communication.

Perhaps you have been in the midst of an intense emotional conflict with someone close to you, and the phone rings. Somehow, you temporarily manage to control your emotions and carry on a civil conversation. But the moment the call was over, the anger, sadness, or rage once again consumed you.

Spiritual breathing should become the constant, steady state of each child of the King. It undergirds and supports the work of service.

“A visitor at Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London was being shown around the building by the pastor, Charles Spurgeon.”

“‘Would you like to see the powerhouse of this ministry?’” Spurgeon asked as he showed the man into a lower auditorium. “‘It is here that we get our power, for while I am preaching upstairs, hundreds of my people are in this room praying’” (Wiersbe).

Beyond spiritual breathing, some prayer requires intense focus and effort. We become imbued with power, and great energy is expended as we wrestle with the Father in prayer.

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras . . . is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

The Greek word for wrestling, laboring, struggling, or earnestly is agonizomai. The English word agony is derived from agonizomai. It describes the energy expended in public wrestling games. The contestants engaged in a contest to contend for a prize. It required heroic effort and earnest striving to do one’s very best to achieve victory.

Every child of the King has the potential for spiritual breathing. It ought to be our collective aspiration and a lifestyle for each of us.

There are times, however, when more is demanded of us. In those moments, we are equipped to meet the challenge. Yet, engaging deeply in prayer, akin to wrestling, necessitates both practice and skill development. It’s comparable to training to engage in physical wrestling matches. You do not become an expert overnight. It requires practice. Nevertheless, you can set it as a personal ambition to be one of His children who is ready and able to wrestle in prayer.

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© Dr. H 2024