Do you ever have days when it feels like you lost hold of God and you desperately need to get back in touch with Him? Sometimes in the rush of life, we forget all about Him. If you’re like me, you forget all about God those first panicked moments when your car stops running in the middle of a 4 lane street the weekend your husband’s out of town. And when your teenager gets upset with you because you won’t let her go to a Pink Floyd concert in a city 9 hours away, you lose step with the Holy Spirit about the same time you lose your cool.
How do you get your cool back when you lose it?
My mornings start out calm and quiet due to the fact that everyone else is still asleep. When I sit down a few minutes to read my Bible and pray, sometimes I feel like God is right there in the kitchen with me. Some days, I can almost hear Him speaking to me as I read His Word.
Then my people wake up. The day starts. I need to leave the house, only I can’t because my keys are lost in the bottomless pit of my purse. Then the leak we’ve already had repaired three times starts up again in the bathroom. God goes out the window. I pretty much forget all about Him and what I heard Him speak in the morning. That’s when I lose my cool.
That’s why I write breath prayers.
A breath prayer is a one sentence prayer I can hopefully recall when my mind is in overdrive. Most mornings during my time with Jesus, I write a short prayer based on a scripture I read. Other days it’s a heartfelt response to what I’m going through.
My all-time favorite default prayer is Psalm 18:1:
Here are a few more short, busy day prayers I’ve written for myself:
“Lord, shine your light in my darkness.” (John 1:5)
“Lord, bless me and keep me. Make your face shine on me.” (Numbers 6:23)
“This is the day you have made. Help me rejoice.” (Psalm 118:24)
“Lord, I receive your love.”
“Open my eyes to see your hand at work today.”
“Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me with your power and wisdom.”
“Lord, help me choose love today.”
Later during the day, as I race down three flights of stairs in our apartment building, I might remember my breath prayer. When my teenagers blow up at me, or the afternoon witching hour seems particularly hard while I make dinner, it helps to say a quick prayer: “Come Lord Jesus. Be with me and give me your peace.” It’s my way of opening a window for God to come in.
Do I remember these short prayers every day?
No. Many days I write a prayer in the morning and forget all about it until the next day when I see it in my journal. Other days I remember my breath prayer when life gets hectic, and it helps me reconnect with God.
Either way, whether I remember or forget, God is there waiting for me. He doesn’t miss a single heartbeat of mine, whether I’m thinking of Him or not. He’s always waiting for me to invite Him in.
Can you relate to forgetting God when life goes crazy on you? What helps you to stay connected?
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Thanks for sharing this tip- breath prayers are such a good idea. I agree, it is easy to start the day well with God and then for busyness to get in the way and distract us from his presence with us. Listening to worship songs when I’m in the car is something I find helpful.
Oh yes, that’s for that reminder, Lesley. I don’t listen to worship music often enough these days!
Betsy,
Love, love, love your “breath prayers”. Too often I think that ushering God back into my mess of a life takes sitting down and a long prayer. Yes, some days it requires that, but if I’m on the go, I, too, quote scripture and follow it with “Help me.” I know His Truth, but often I need help in believing it in the moment. Putting on praise music and singing along also gets me saying words of Truth which drive the enemy away.
Blessings,
Bev xx
I know what you mean, Bev. We think it takes a long, well thought-out prayer for it to work, and therefore we don’t do anything since we don’t have the time or the concentration. And yes to praise music!
I love the idea of breath prayers and writing them out ahead of time. It’s in those crazy-busy moments that I want to invite God back into my daily routine, because I’ve unknowingly left him behind. Thanks for the neat tip Betsy! I’m definitely going to put this to action!
I know you’ve had crazy-busy days lately, Kristine. Thanks for reading today. Love to you.
What a great tip on inviting God more into our daily lives — and learning to pray more! I’m much like you. My mornings start with time with God and it is all peaceful; but the busy schedule of the day is demanding and it is easy to forget to invite God into it. Thank you for sharing this, Betsy!
SO good to see you hear, Ronja! I’m glad if this encouraged you. Yes, it’s so easy to forget to keep connecting with Him.
This is good stuff. While I am conscious at the end of the day of reviewing the events and giving thanks, it’s so important to be present to the truth of GOD’S PRESENCE in the moment.
Yes, IN the moment is where it gets challenging for me. 🙂
I love the idea of breath prayers that you can say throughout the day. I also have trouble remembering to pray continually throughout my day, and usually end up only thinking about God when I do my quiet times. I am definitely going to try this out during this next week! Visiting from #TestimonyTuesday.
Hey Kathy, thanks so much for stopping by here today. Short, default prayers like this help me, but I often forget them. I’m so grateful we have a gracious Father who always welcomes us, even when we’ve forgotten him.
And that’s praying without ceasing! Taking refuge in His covering with those little breath prayers when catastrophe strikes or distraction takes over; when time allows only a few seconds to pray! He is our ever-present companion, strength, and shield. And that’s the long and short of it!;)🙌🛐
Thanks so much for reading today, Melinda. Yes, God is our ever-present companion, strength, and shield. I love that.
I love how easy these prayers are to utter in what may be a very chaotic moment or day. So doable and rememberable. Thank you, friend. You are a gift!
Yes, Abby, I’m sure with little Elise in tow, you have plenty of chaos moments! xoxoxo
Wow, I love this idea. I think I’m going to choose a breath prayer and try it out for a week or so. Thanks so much for the inspiration! I could use this every day. 🙂
I hope this helps you, Laura. It helps me so much that I wanted to share the idea.
Dear Betsy, I find myself whispering or singing my prayers more and more. I want to choose to lift my concerns up to Him and not keep them to myself or mumble them to others.
Praying without ceasing is where I want to be …
Oh Linda, I love the thought of whispering or singing prayers. Yes to lifting up those concerns to the ONE who can really do something about them. <3
Thank you so much for such an applicable and real share! I love the idea of short Scripture based prayers! What a great way to pray and memorize Scripture! Thank you so much for sharing!
Glad if this encouraged you, Patricia. Thanks so much for reading today.
Oh, Betsy! These are so great! And I know I need them, especially with my people home all day long this summer! LOL XOXO
I know, right? I’ve been thinking about you moms of school kids! I think yours are tweens, but can’t remember. Grace to you!
What a beautiful way to reconnect with God through breath prayers. I read an ebook by Jean Wise a year or so ago on breath prayers. I know God honors our intentions to return to him in these moments of our days, whether with many words or with few.
I’ll have to look that up, Lisa. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Totally loved reading your blog. The breathe prayer was a perfect tip! Thank you so much, will add to my busy schedule. There is a freedom and peace with God first in our day, isn’t there! Blessings!
Here’s wishing you freedom and peace, Desiree. Thanks so much for reading.
I love this Betsy – living with our heart turned towards God always. I agree, sometimes we forget the power of inviting Him into every part of our day – and the fact that it doesn’t have to be done in a long drawn out prayer. Always encouraged by your heart to pursue Him, friend.
I know what you mean about it not needing to be a long drawn-out prayer. I think we tend to think that to “really work,” prayer has to be long. But that’s just not so! (In fact sometimes I wonder if it’s when I’m doubting the most that God really hears that I pray the longest??)
This is so good- God does not miss a single heartbeat of mine. Love it!
Thank you, Erin. I appreciate your reading today.
Betsy
There are days when I start having my morning talk with God, only to get half way through the day and realize I didn’t finish my conversation with Him. Life’s distractions does get to us. I believe that’s why my car has become my haven, in a way. Away from the every day interruptions, it is one of the few quite places I have to meet with Him and start my day with Him.
Thanks for sharing your breath prayer idea.
Oh yes, Lureta! A car can be an altar on wheels, can’t it? And I know what you mean about those unfinished conversations with God.
What a great list of short Scriptures and breath prayers. You’re right, breath prayers are a like opening a window for God to come in.
Thanks so much, Ginger. 🙂
Love all those little prayer Betsy. Thanks for sharing.
Hope to meet up again at HGG one day.
Oh Debbie, I so appreciate your reading. Miss you, friend!