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Breath prayers: what they are, how to pray them, and 40 examples

A breath prayer is a very short prayer you pray in time with your breathing: the first half as you breathe in, the second half as you breathe out. Most are taken straight from a Bible verse, like "The Lord is my shepherd" (breathe in) / "I lack nothing" (breathe out), from Psalm 23:1. You can pray one for a few seconds in a hard moment, or repeat it slowly for five or ten minutes as a quiet way into your daily prayer.

Below: where breath prayer comes from, whether it's biblical, how to pray one step by step, how to turn any verse into one, 40 examples sorted by need, a 5- and 10-minute plan, what to do when your mind wanders, and how to use it with children.

What is a breath prayer?

A breath prayer has two parts, each short enough to say in one breath:

Together the two halves are rarely more than ten or twelve words. That's the point: short enough to remember without looking, so you can pray it while driving, in a waiting room, on a walk, lying awake at 3 a.m., or at the start of your quiet time.

Breath prayer doesn't replace talking to God in your own words, praying for others, or reading Scripture. Think of it as a doorway. It quiets the noise for a minute so that the rest of your prayer can begin from a settled place.

Where do breath prayers come from?

The best-known breath prayer is the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It joins two cries from the Gospels: the blind man Bartimaeus calling "Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47, WEB) and the tax collector who "beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'" (Luke 18:13, WEB).

Christians in the early centuries, especially the monks of the Egyptian desert, looked for ways to obey Paul's "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17, WEB). Short prayers repeated through the day were one answer. Over the centuries the Eastern churches linked the Jesus Prayer with the rhythm of breathing, and writings on it were collected in the Philokalia (published in 1782). A 19th-century Russian book, The Way of a Pilgrim, made the practice known far more widely.

Today breath prayer is taught across many Protestant churches, from Baptist and Methodist to non-denominational, usually with lines taken from the Psalms and the words of Jesus.

Is breath prayer biblical?

The phrase "breath prayer" isn't in the Bible, but every part of the practice is.

Isn't it "vain repetition"?

This is the question most Protestants ask, and it's a good one. Jesus said, "In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking" (Matthew 6:7, WEB). The problem he names is empty words used to wear God down, as if more words earned more answers. Repetition itself isn't the problem: Psalm 136 repeats "for his loving kindness endures forever" 26 times, and in Gethsemane Jesus prayed "the same words" three times (Matthew 26:44).

Two simple guards keep breath prayer on the right side of that line:

  1. Mean every word. If you notice you're saying it on autopilot, stop, slow down, or change the words.
  2. Pray to a person, not to a feeling. A Christian breath prayer is addressed to God, using his words. It's not a mantra to empty the mind or a technique to produce calm. If calm comes, it's a gift; the aim is to turn your attention to him.

How to pray a breath prayer, step by step

  1. Choose your words. Pick one verse or name for God that fits today. (The tables below have 40.) Decide which half goes on the in-breath and which on the out-breath.
  2. Sit comfortably and be still. Feet on the floor, hands open on your knees if that helps. You can close your eyes or rest them on one spot.
  3. Ask God to meet you. One plain sentence is enough: "Lord, I'm here. Teach me to pray."
  4. Breathe in slowly and pray the first half, silently or in a whisper.
  5. Breathe out slowly and pray the second half. Don't force your breathing; let it be a little slower than usual and natural.
  6. Repeat for a set time: ten breaths, two minutes, or five minutes with a timer.
  7. Move on into prayer. Finish by talking to God in your own words about whatever came to mind, then close: "In Jesus' name, amen."

If you have asthma, a lung condition, or panic attacks that breathing focus makes worse, breathe normally and simply pray the words in your head at your own pace. The prayer is in the words and the heart, not in how deeply you breathe.

How to turn any Bible verse into a breath prayer

Most verses are too long to pray in one breath. Here's how to shorten one without changing its meaning:

  1. Find the core. Ask: what is this verse saying about God, and what does it invite me to do or trust?
  2. Split it where it turns. Most verses have a natural hinge: a promise and a response, a name and a request.
  3. Cut to 3-6 words a side. Keep the Bible's key words; drop the rest.
  4. Make it personal. Change "he" to "you" so it's addressed to God, and "us" to "me" if that's honest.
The verse (WEB)Breathe inBreathe out
"Don't you be afraid, for I am with you." Isaiah 41:10You are with meI will not be afraid
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28I come to you, Jesusgive me your rest
"Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7You care for meI give you my worries
"Search me, God, and know my heart." Psalm 139:23Search me, Godand know my heart
"Create in me a clean heart, O God." Psalm 51:10Create in mea clean heart

40 breath prayers, by what you need

Each line is breathe in / breathe out. The reference is the verse it comes from, so you can read the whole passage.

For anxiety and fear

When worry is the main thing you're carrying, our prayer for anxiety and worry walks through Philippians 4 with a full prayer to pray.

For rest and stillness

For confession and a fresh start

For strength on a hard day

For grief and sorrow

For guidance and decisions

For praise and thanks

For other people

The last three aren't quotations; they're the kind of line you can write yourself when someone is on your heart. For more on bringing people to God, see how to pray for someone.

A 5-minute and a 10-minute breath prayer time

Time5 minutes10 minutes
Settle30 seconds: sit, breathe, "Lord, I'm here."1 minute: the same, then read the full verse your prayer comes from, slowly, twice.
Breathe the prayer3 minutes: one breath prayer, repeated. When your mind wanders, start again.4 minutes: one breath prayer, repeated.
Listen30 seconds of silence.1 minute of silence. Notice what comes to mind: a person, a worry, a sin, a thanks.
Pray in your own words1 minute: bring God whatever came up.3 minutes: praise, confess, thank, ask (the ACTS prayer model gives a simple order).
ClosePray the breath prayer three more times. Amen.1 minute: pray the breath prayer three more times, then the Lord's Prayer. Amen.

If you're leading a group, our guided prayer script has a version with a breath prayer and timed pauses you can read aloud.

Then carry the same breath prayer through your day. Tie it to things you already do: the first sip of coffee, stopping at a red light, washing your hands, the moment before you open your email. Ten seconds of prayer at five moments a day is a good start on "pray without ceasing."

What to do when your mind wanders

It will, often in the first minute. That's normal and it isn't failure.

If wandering thoughts are the struggle in all your prayer, not only here, our guide on how to pray when you don't know what to say has nine more simple ways in.

Common mistakes with breath prayer

Breath prayers for kids and families

Children often take to breath prayer quickly because it's short and physical. A few ways to use it:

Our guide on how to pray for your children has verses to pray over them by name.

Breath prayer and anxiety: what it can and can't do

Many Christians find breath prayer helps in anxious moments: it gives a racing mind something true to hold, and it slows you down long enough to remember God is there. That's a real help, and it's worth practicing on calm days so it comes easily on hard ones.

It isn't a treatment for an anxiety disorder, panic disorder or depression. If anxiety is stopping you from sleeping, working or enjoying life, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, talk to your doctor or a licensed counselor, and keep praying while you do. Getting help and trusting God go together. In the US you can call or text 988 at any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Common questions

What is an example of a breath prayer?

"Be still" (breathe in) / "and know that you are God" (breathe out), from Psalm 46:10. Another classic is the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God" / "have mercy on me, a sinner."

How long should a breath prayer session be?

Anywhere from ten seconds to ten minutes. For a daily practice, start with three to five minutes using a timer, then pray in your own words. During the day, a few breaths at a time is plenty.

Do I have to use Bible verses?

No, but it's the safest and richest place to start, because you're praying God's own words back to him. A line you write yourself is fine as long as it's true to Scripture and addressed to God.

Is breath prayer the same as meditation?

Not in the Eastern sense of emptying the mind. Christian meditation in the Bible means filling your mind with God's word and thinking on it ("his delight is in Yahweh's law. On his law he meditates day and night," Psalm 1:2, WEB). Breath prayer is closer to that: a verse, prayed and repeated, to a God who hears.

Should I pray it out loud or silently?

Either. Silently works anywhere; a whisper helps you focus at home.

Can I use the same breath prayer for weeks?

Yes. Many people keep one for a whole season, so it's there without thinking when trouble comes. Change it when another verse speaks to where you are.

Choose one line above and pray it for three minutes tomorrow morning. If you'd like a guided time that does this for you, our daily prayer reads a Psalm aloud and leads you through it in ten minutes: play day 1 free, or answer a few questions to build your 40-day prayer plan. More in our prayer guides.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Pages read for this guide: Christianity.com, "What Are Breath Prayers and How Do You Pray Them?"; ChurchLeaders, "Breath Prayers: The Ancient Practice of 'Pray Without Ceasing'"; Bible Study Tools, "How to Incorporate Breath Prayer into Your Prayer Life". Crisis line: 988lifeline.org.