Breaking Free of the Comparison trap

Breath prayers: praying without ceasing

One of the ways that Christians over the centuries have heeded the admonishment to pray without ceasing is to develop a simple petition that can be uttered in one breath. The best-known of these “breath prayers” was adapted from one of Jesus’ parables about prayer, when Jesus warned against self-righteousness and praised the sincerity of a tax collector who pleaded, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The words “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” are known simply as the “Jesus Prayer.”

For many years, whenever I began to notice that I was comparing myself to someone else, I would berate myself. “There you go again,” I often said to myself, feeling helpless to change. I’ve learned it’s better to use that sigh of helplessness to fuel a prayer for help. The words need not be eloquent or impressive; breath prayers are not mantras to be repeated mindlessly or magic incantations. No, these are prayers to the living God, who is able and willing to help us. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” A breath prayer is one way to do that.