Breathing

Martin Luther King once said, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Many preschoolers, striving to get their way in the give and take power struggle that often accompanies their relationship with their parents, know how to hold their breath. To do so, at least in their young minds, is to gain control over their hapless parents whom they believe will surely give in, even if it means the child may turn a certain shade of blue. Of course, if they hold out long enough, parents can usually outlast the child for sooner or later, he or she gives up because air is needed to sustain breathing which is needed to sustain life. (There is, however, usually a "Plan B" that follows, and for some resourceful children, even a Plan C, D, or E.)

Breathing is necessary for living. Likewise, prayer is necessary for Christian growth and health. Jesus often called his disciples to prayer, and he set the example before them of seeking a quiet, solitary place for prayer and contemplation. In the busyness of life, we too often try to sustain our relationship with Christ apart from meaningful prayer. We may offer a quick request for an ailing friend or family member, or express a question of faith that we quickly lose interest in because we fail to scratch beneath the surface to mine the depths of God's wisdom for our particular need. In the challenges we face we find ourselves gasping for that which will sustain our faith, like a hiker experiencing the thin air of altitude, or the swimmer, plunged too deep beneath the surface, who desperately needs her lungs to expand and be filled with fresh, clean air.

The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 150:6 that everything that has breath should praise the Lord. Take a moment, whenever you read this, and breathe deeply, filling your lungs with that which sustains life. Then find a quiet place and spend a few moments in the presence of the living God, breathing in that which sustains your spirit and nurtures your soul. Allow the Holy One to renew your spirit and give you that which is vital to your spiritual health. God knows the need of your heart...breathe deeply and take in that which empowers your living and enables your praise.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Jim Abernathy