In times of intense stress and anxiety, you may lose your words, even in prayer. If all you can offer God is your trembling breath, that is your lifeline. The author wrote this devotional to introduce the technique of breath prayer, which integrates scriptural meditations with mindfulness. Given how common anxiety is today, this devotional can be a powerful guide and tool for anxiety-prone souls.
Breath prayers work because breathing is the bridge between the brain and the body. Changing how we breathe can directly affect the signals sent from the nervous system to the brain and alter the mind-body state. Breath prayer is also an old spiritual practice that restores wholeness to the body, the mind and the soul. It is “a doorway into an even deeper prayer life,” according to the book.
Author Jennifer Tucker first explains the basics of breath prayer, and then offers deep breathing exercises. The last section has 84 breath prayers, including prayers of trust, surrender, presence, strength, gratitude, direction, etc. Each unit introduces a bit of science about how the body responds in situations of anxiety and stress, followed by a scripture verse and a breath prayer. There is also an audiobook for readers to take these exercises and prayers on the go. (Thomas Nelson)
About the Author
Mary Li Ma is a member of Plymouth Heights CRC church in Grand Rapids, Mich. She holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and now works as a research analyst for a national research center on education equity.