Just Breathe- Inhale

Trying to stay warm on a blistery wet winter day in South Africa, Patty and I covered ourselves with blankets, consumed hot coffee, and distracted our minds with good books. Patty was reading about the importance of correct breathing for your health and wanted me to practice with her. I paused my reading and gave it a try. A deep Inhale through your nose and exhale through pursed lips, repeating this 3 to 10 times. The goal was to relax the body from stress and help me sleep.

Ironically in my current book, I just finished a chapter entitled “Breathe” highlighting spiritual breathing. The author talked about the vital necessity of followers of Christ to daily inhale the Word of God and exhale prayer. After practicing the breathing exercise  and my recent reading and I found myself reflecting on spiritual breathing and the fact that the Holy Spirit uses the Word and Prayer to oxygenate our spiritual lungs.

Just as we need to inhale and exhale to live so too with the Word and Prayer, both work together imparting spiritual oxygen for us to thrive spiritually. Today’s focus is on the importance of daily inhaling the precious Word of God and next week I will touch the how prayer is spiritual exhaling.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is start the coffee. I know-perhaps I have a problem. But for me sipping a hot mug of coffee with a jolt of caffeine helps shift my brain into gear. As I sit in my favorite spot keeping the coffee close I pick up my Bible and INHALE my Psalm for the day. For me reading a Psalm opens my mouth to breathe in the spiritual oxygen needed to start my day. If I miss this sacred time I can sense it throughout the rest of the day.

Please note, this is not meant to be a legalistic practice that I must do to receive a star on my chart or to persuade the Father to love me more. I just really need His voice to get my heart filled with the breath of heaven to prepare me for the day. The Father’s voice must be the first one I hear before all the other voices begin to make noise.

As I listen for His voice in the Psalms I always look for Jesus His gift of saving love. From Genesis to Revelation we have this Good News, that the Father has had a plan before the creation of the world to show us the full extent of His love through His very own Son Jesus. Every Word in the Old Testament points to Jesus and in the New Testament the Word becomes flesh and we see in Jesus the perfect love of the Father for His lost sons and daughters (See John 1:1-18).

Today more than ever we need to breathe in the Good News of the gift of Jesus Christ. The Word from Abba Father who tells us we are forgiven, we are healed, we are son’s and daughters of His Kingdom, and we are completely and forever loved through the life, death, resurrection and reign of Jesus Christ.

I challenge you to take time today to breathe in the Word of love to you from your Good, Good Father!

“Remember what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls which can impart to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One! God has transmitted His very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17 TPT