Breathe: Two Disciplines to Oxygenate Your Spiritual Life
My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!—Psalm 119:25
How’s your breathing?
For most of us, that’s probably an odd question. We just breathe—it’s involuntary.
It’s when something blocks this normal pattern that we’re in trouble.
While this is easy to understand physically, it is not so evident in the spiritual dimension. It is possible to be physically breathing but spiritually suffocating.
In his book, Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners, Dane Ortlund looks at Bible reading (inhaling) and prayer (exhaling) as twin disciplines that help us breathe spiritually. Though there are many other means to growth, these are the two critical practices every Christian needs to stay alive. When we do not, the life of Christ in us dies.
So how’s your breathing?
Connecting the Dots
None of us would ever say that breathing is optional. We know that unless we get oxygen in our lungs, we will die.
That is the same with our spiritual lives. Bible intake and prayer may seem rather basic and not very exciting but without them, we will at least wither, if not die. They are not optional, no matter how long we have walked with Christ.
A new believer needs to learn the disciplines of breathing, just as a baby’s cry at birth triggers a new way of receiving oxygen. This sets in motion a whole new way of respiration that continues till the day we die—when we stop breathing.
Likewise, just as God’s Word and a prayer of faith begin a new spiritual relationship with God, a seasoned believer needs to continue this pattern. Through it, we conform the way we live to the new life God began in us until we meet Christ again at death.
These disciplines not only give life, they reshape us so that we begin to connect the dots in our lives.
As we read Scripture, our minds are reshaped from our self-centered ways to embrace God’s greater plans. As we pray, we cry out to the one who can help us as we struggle to walk faithfully with Him through pain or wrestle with the temptation to walk away from sin.
Whether you’re just becoming aware of your need to breathe or you’re wanting to train yourself to breathe more effectively in the rigors of the spiritual life, here are some ideas to help you.
Learning to Inhale
For many people the new year is often the occasion to start or renew helpful habits.
One way is to recommitting to read the Bible—either for breadth or for depth—or both!
If you’re looking for breadth, a wider understanding of Scripture, there are some great traditional year-round reading plans that help you work through the Bible in a year. You can try a different plan every year if you wish, to mix things up. Here are some a few of my favorites:
Discipleship Journal: 20 minutes/day, 25 days per month will take you through the entire Bible in a year. Each day, you will read from two Old Testament and two New Testament passages. I love the variety and the fact that you have some flex days—it’s realistic!
The Gospel Coalition: 365 daily readings following the M’Cheyne Bible plan. If reading is hard for you, try listening to the four chapters each day instead. A bonus: Theologian D.A. Carson shares a short devotional from one of the selections of the day.
One Year Praying Through the Bible For Your Kids by Nancy Guthrie: 365 daily readings with a devotional on one of the passages of the day, which is then applied to praying for your kids. I love this because it links my Bible reading to unique angles to pray for my children.
If you’re looking for depth, mining for the gold in Scripture, during this season of your life, here are some options:
Discipleship Journal: This is the same plan as above, but just do one or two columns this year.
The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament by Nancy Guthrie: Though this is not a Bible reading plan, it does focus on the Old Testament, particularly on how Jesus is foreshadowed in it.
An Untraditional Bible Reading Plan: My friend, Daniel Eng, suggests how focusing on one book of the Bible per month has been a benefit. This may be best if you have some strong Bible study skills of your own already.
Whether breadth or depth, find a way to regularly breathe in Scripture this year.
Learning to Exhale
Back to our metaphor. We inhale oxygen, but we also exhale carbon dioxide. There may be times when we are gasping for air as we try to reoxygenate but generally, once that settles down, our breathing goes back to its normal pattern.
In the spiritual life, there may be times when we are so spiritually depleted that we need to intake a lot of God’s Word. But part of spiritual breathing needs to also include training ourselves to exhale in prayer.
One of the best ways to do this is to pray what we have read. This can come in many forms.
We can praise God: what character trait of God is highlighted in the passage you just read? Take some time to reflect on it and praise Him for it.
We can thank God: while praise focuses on God’s nature, thanksgiving focuses on His actions and deeds on our behalf. This can range from our salvation to the small personal blessings you receive. Does your passage bring to mind anything you can thank God for?
We can confess: Are you convicted of a sinful attitude, belief, or action through this passage? Take time to acknowledge that to the Lord.
We can ask for help: Does this passage prompt or invite you to turn to God as your sole source of help? What do you need help or wisdom for? How do you need guidance in living in a way that honors Him in a particular area?
We can express our desire for His rule and reign here on earth: perhaps as you read, you find your heart stirred by His promises. Let them spur you on to pray for them to come to fruition.
If this idea of praying the Bible intrigues you, you can check out this video series from Donald Whitney about the topic.
Another option is Tim Keller’s devotional, The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms. It goes through all 150 psalms in one year plus provides a devotional and prayer prompt.
Conclusion
Though we don’t think about it, we are breathing our whole lives. Whatever we’re doing, wherever we go, we are inhaling and exhaling in a pattern or rhythm every moment.
The truth is, we are always breathing—and we can be breathing in toxic fumes if we’re not careful. In the physical world, our brain signals us to get out of there, to protect ourselves from the poison and find fresh air.
In the spiritual realm, however, unless we actively practice breathing the fresh air of Christ through Scripture and prayer, we can be contaminating our souls unknowingly with the tawdry, the superficial, or the downright treasonous ideas of the world. These then filter into how we think and live.
So, my friend, how’s your breathing?
