Breathe

Throughout my childhood, my mother would often gather us together for prayer. Prayer was a sweet ritual for my mother, but we children found it quite tedious and wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. While my mother was still passionately praying, we rushed through our prayers and finished within minutes. I always claimed I had run out of things to pray about if she questioned why we weren't praying. I felt I had exhausted and emptied myself of everything to pray about.

Even in adulthood, although prayer had become much more significant in my life, for a long time, prayer was simply an outlet for me to empty myself of everything that burdened or weighed me down. It was a sweet opportunity to bring all my worries and concerns to God.

However, as my relationship with God deepened, I discovered an entirely new aspect of prayer that I had never known before. I came to understand that prayer isn't just about emptying myself but about creating a space to be filled. It's a time of waiting for his word to speak to my heart.   

"...you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Ps 16:11 NIV)

We often refer to prayer as the breath of our spiritual life in the Christian world. From a scientific perspective, it can also be compared to the gas exchange that occurs when we breathe. When we exhale (empty), we release a waste gas called carbon dioxide, and when we inhale (fill), we take in the life-giving gas called oxygen. Ironically, this exchange is also scientifically referred to as exhalation and inspiration. 

God has provided prayer as an opportunity to unburden ourselves of the things that exhaust us and, more importantly, to be filled and inspired by the things that bring life.

The breath of the almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4 NIV)