This is the third in a series of five posts about How to Enjoy God, the book we are reading together as club this break. For more on the book, or to read for yourself, click here. Johanna’s and Philip’s posts are in our archives. Check back each Saturday for another report from our blog team.
As humans, we can last three weeks without food and three days without water. We can even last three hours without shelter in a harsh environment. It seems that we are capable survivors right? Well, we aren’t. We have one absolute necessity. There is one thing that we utterly need to survive. Without this one thing, we won’t last much more than three minutes. The one thing that humans absolutely depend on is oxygen, our very breath.
Our need to breathe physically reminds us of our need to breathe spiritually. If we need physical breath to maintain our physical life, isn’t spiritual breath just as necessary for our spiritual life? Yes! In order to grow and maintain our spiritual life, we need spiritual breath. Spiritual breathing may sound like a complicated concept, but in actuality it is a sweet enjoyment. Spiritual breathing, simply put, is prayer.
When we breathe, we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. In the same way, when we pray, we must have a breathing in and a breathing out. God is our oxygen and we are the carbon dioxide. We don’t need more of ourselves. What we need is more God! When we pray, we can first exhale. We empty out our sins, our weaknesses, our sorrow, and our grief. Then we take a breath and inhale God as holiness, power, joy, and comfort. By doing this, we can experience the meaning of prayer- to inhale, to breathe in, and to absorb more God.
The realization that prayer is spiritual breathing totally changed my view of prayer. I previously treated prayer as a spiritual helpline—praying for things when I was in a difficult situation. I would pray for things like school, friends, clarity, or peace of mind. Good things. Praying to God for things isn’t bad, but I was missing the point. God already knows us. He already knows our needs and our situations. What He wants from our prayer is for us to breathe Him in and enjoy Him.
Spiritual breathing requires coming to the Lord in a certain way. This realization caused me to approach prayer in a new way—the way that Abraham interacted with Jehovah. In Genesis 18, Abraham “remained standing before Jehovah”, inquired of Jehovah, and “returned to his place” after Jehovah “had finished speaking” (Genesis 18:22, 33). I too want to come to Jehovah, inquire of Him, and behold His speaking. I too want to be one who can put myself aside, and pray with an intention to receive more Christ.
By coming to the Lord like Abraham did, I am learning that prayer is not a business transaction with God, but instead, sweet fellowship with Him. Recently, instead of coming to the Lord to speak what’s on my mind or tell Him of my needs, I endeavored to come and listen to what’s on His heart. I can say that this approach to prayer was sweet and resulted in a greater enjoyment of God. I didn’t need to think about my problems or needs. I simply asked the Lord what He wanted to pray, what He wanted to speak.
Despite my headway in my prayers, I still find that I am often putting myself as lord over my prayer. I am often the one who says ‘amen’ and ends the prayer, not allowing God to finish His speaking. I hope that one day God will be the one who finishes the speaking and says ‘amen’ to the prayer. I pray that one day I won’t simply pray to God above, but pray with my God within.
Genuine prayer requires practice. While physical breathing is an involuntary action, I found that spiritual breathing is very much a voluntary action and something to practice. I have come to the realization that my breath is my life, and no one can breathe for me. Thus, I need to learn to breathe in God through my prayer. Fortunately, I have the Lord as the best teacher. Today, I am still working on my breathing techniques, but I am working on them with the Lord. I don’t pray perfect prayers, but I can certainly utter this simple prayer to Him. “Lord, teach me how to pray, teach me how to enjoy you, and teach me how to breathe you in.”
By: S. Chen
- L.O.V.E. and Moving On - June 8, 2016
- Burdened and Burdening - April 1, 2016
- And Peter—A Lesson in God’s Heart For Us - February 26, 2016
Amen. I also come to the Lord with a to-do list. Sure we can ask for stuff but He already knows the things that we have need of. How sweet that the Lord just wants us to spend time with Him and absorb Him.
[…] more on the book, or to read for yourself, click here. Johanna’s, Philip’s, and Sarah’s posts are in our archives. Check back each Saturday for another report from our blog […]