Practice Spiritual Breathing

Practice Spiritual Breathing.

In the last week we have studied the beautiful chapter, John 15, and about abiding in Jesus Christ, practicing his presence as a matter of course in our daily lives. I thank God for his unfathomable love, for his desire to know us, and be known by us . . . isn’t that a radical notion?  The God of the Universe wants to know and be known by you and me.  Oh yeah, and he loves us.

I wanted to remind you of something I discovered called ‘Spiritual Breathing’.  The basic idea is that you live with a moment-by-moment awareness of the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit becomes as natural—as habitual—as breathing.  Its just part of who you are.  Here’s how it works:  the moment you become aware of sin in your life, you exhale.  When you exhale, you breathe out and repent of your sin.  Repentance becomes a natural response and clears out space in our hearts for the Spirit to fill us.  So the moment you are prideful, jealous, lustful, harsh, selfish, impatient, or ______, you exhale and repent of your sin.*

The only way there is room for me to be filled with the Spirit is if I first empty myself of me.  When I empty me of me, there is space for the Holy Spirit to fill me . . . hmmmm.

And then you inhale.  When you inhale, you breathe in and pray to be filled with the Spirit, and you surrender control over to him.  As you practice spiritual breathing, it teaches you to keep in step with the Spirit.  Ah, now that is good—very good indeed!  Make ‘spiritual breathing’ part of who you are; for if you do, you will truly know what it is to abide in him.  In addition, you will follow Paul’s mandate to “take every thought captive”², rather than letting the world around you mold the patterns of your heart and mind. 

I pray that you will be filled to overflowing with the Spirit, daily practicing the presence of God.  Until the morrow, may the grace of our Lord surround each of you, may the peace of our Lord Jesus reign in your heart, 

Amen.

Christine

PastorWoman.com