How to Take A Breath of God-Given Gratitude
Warm air tickled my ear as my husband pressed in tight. “Breathe,” he whispered, giving an encouraging squeeze. Consumed with what-ifs and worst-case scenarios, I was doing my usual—holding my breath, all the while eclipsing my ability to see the good engraved by God on the landscape of this special day.
I expelled staleness from my lungs and willed my daughter’s words of promise to her soon-to-be spouse to fill the void. Without effort, plants and animals breathe, as do creatures of the sea. Why is it fear brings the rhythm of my respiration to a standstill, saturating me in a toxic atmosphere of ingratitude?
It wasn’t so much a glass-half-empty view of life I held, but an unmindful one. I was prone to forget the good I’d received from the hands of God and others, which had a way of distorting my present perspective. My husband was correct. I needed to breathe. But not just any breath would do. I needed a gust capable of awakening my senses to the wonder of the moment.
As much as I love to write prayerful words on a page to God, in my home, gratitude journals perch on dusty shelves, unmarked and untended. I much prefer verbal discourse. In the liminal space between inhales and exhales, I exchange groans for gratitude through breath prayer.
Gratitude Cycles Like Breath
Breath prayers are brief prayers, rooted in scripture, often said silently while breathing deeply, in and out. I’ve discovered something through their relaxing rhythm. Holding my breath is like stopping short on the threshold of thankfulness, failing to plunge into the grasp of a grateful life fueled by Breath Himself. Gratitude begins where my breath ends, and God fills me with His own—resuscitating my listless heart until, once again, I see His favor through my fear.
Gratitude isn’t wrestling our way to joy by being chronically thankful. It’s the outflow of recognizing the receipt of grace. Gratitude acknowledges not only the gift by inwardly feeling thankful, but also the giver, by outwardly expressing gratefulness. Breath prayers, focused on giving gratitude to God, reorient a distracted soul to the source of all grace.
This cycle of gratitude is first displayed when God offers undeserved mercy and forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross. We accept His offer and in response pick up our cross and follow Him. We also experience this rhythm when others extend kindness to us in unexpected and undeserved ways. Receiving grace opens our eyes to good for which we can then extend appreciation to the giver.
We live life on this earth between first breath and final exhale and shouldn’t do so holding our breath, watching for the worst to waylay our hopes. In the words of the poet Mary Oliver, we should, instead, “Breathe it all in and love it all out.”
A God-Given Breath of Gratitude
At my husband’s prompting, I filled my lungs with a gulp of fresh air and surveyed the exchange of covenant vows between an eager bride and her groom—knowing without doubt, grace encircled them. No amount of breath-holding on my part would shape their future life and love; only a God-given breath of gratitude could.
As my chest rose and fell, I prayed,
Inhale, Jesus. Exhale, Thank You for loving me.
Inhale, I give thanks to You with all my heart. Exhale, Your love endures forever.
Inhale, I give thanks to You with all my heart. Exhale, Your love endures forever.
Inhale, I give thanks to You with all my heart. Exhale, Your love endures forever.
Inhale, I entrust this couple to you, Lord. Exhale, May your love always encircle them.
My breath slowed, and my body calmed as my heart reoriented to the gracious and always uninterruptible love of Jesus.
Meet Kim McGovern
Kim is passionate about helping fellow believers reorient their hearts to the uninterruptible love of Jesus as they live out their call to love in a weary world. You’ll find her writing regularly on her blog Instagram, Facebook, or at Connections Bible Study, where she leads small group Bible studies, online and in-person.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
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If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
