Wednesday evening, I watched as the wind picked up outside my home and carried the rain down the road in one big sweep. It was like God's Spirit moving mightily down the street. It was also the day of the Passover. I felt joy from the Lord as a I sang during the storm, "Every time I watch a storm, I know the awesome power of my Lord!"
The next morning, I woke up and listened to a new song called, "Healing," by Julian King. I felt the Spirit move inside of me and a deep breath from within my core go up through my lungs as I began listening to it.
Later that day I watched a video about centering in on the breath in order to help calm our body when we get stressed or overwhelmed. The deep breathing helps recenter, which relaxes the body, mind and spirit. They all work together. I feel the deepest breaths really are not ones I force but are from a fresh breath of God's Spirit within me. I may start breathing deep on my own but that fresh breath from the center is the deepest and makes me very aware of the Lord's Presence, renewing my mind and restoring my energy.
After watching the video on breathing, I began looking for verses in the Bible on breathing. John 20:20-21 stood out to me in a new way. I don't remember seeing/focusing before on the verb BREATHED in verse 21.
"Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he BREATHED on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
-John 20:20-21
It seems to parallel when God BREATHED life into Adam.
"Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
-Genesis 2:7
In the book of John, we see Jesus breathe NEW life in the Spirit on his disciples and say, "Receive my Spirit." How do I get this new life in the Spirit? The word "receive" stands out to me.
When you receive a football catch, you open your arms to receive it.
When you receive a hockey puck, you must relax and let the puck come into the stick.
When you receive phone calls, you must to choose to answer and respond.
In the same way, we receive the Spirit by relaxing our body and mind, opening our hearts and our arms and responding in prayer and praise.
When we focus on the breath, we are redirecting our thoughts away from the flesh and can become more aware of the Spirit within us. God's Spirit breathes life into us as we lean into Him. In order to receive the Spirit we also have to let go of distractions and attitudes that grieve the Spirit.
If a football player is still focused on his opponent or holding onto something in his hand, he will miss the ball. If we are still holding onto grudges, bitterness, pride, jealousy, discontent, fear, etc. we miss out on life in the Spirit.
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
-Ephesians 4:30-32
The good news is that any moment we can choose to let go and receive! I think maybe that's why we breathe every second of every day. It's a daily choice to surrender and receive His grace. We are constantly in need of oxygen to have life and dependent on God"s Spirit to have abundant life. The Spirit is moving throughout the Earth and it dwells in us as Christians. If we give it freedom to move, it will breathe life not only through us, but also out of us into the environment around us.
Breathe. His Spirit. Deep. Within. You.
Lord, I pray that we will breathe in You today in unison. And breathe out your love to those around us. Breathe LIFE into us Lord, into our families, into churches, into our hospitals, into patients struggling for a breath, into our children, into our doctors, into each one of us, Lord. Breathe new life into us Lord, just like you breathed new life into Jesus on the third day. Thank you, Lord, for breathing life into our lungs and abundant life in the Spirit into our whole being. In Jesus name, Amen.
Breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out. Smile. God is in us, He is for us and working through us for His glory.
"Be still and know that He is God." -Psalm 46:10
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