Raising Prayerful Kids - A 5-Day PlanНамуна

Breath Prayers

All my kids are crying, I sent this text to my two best friends. I was sitting on my living room floor and all three of my kids, ages 3 and under, were crying. Screaming crying. Loud crying. For a long time crying. And I was so overwhelmed that I was just sitting there waiting for them to stop. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have sent that text. I would have closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and whispered, Lord, give me peace.

There are so many benefits to deep breathing, it calms our nervous system and increases endorphins. Combine breathing with reliance on God and you have a powerful, effective, and Christ-centered coping skill to teach your kids...a breath prayer!

For children, breath prayers are an excellent way to help manage emotions and temper tantrums. We’ve all been there...you see your child beginning to meltdown. Their eyes change, their bodies stiffen, and their face tightens. Instead of bracing for the explosion of emotions, you can scoop them up into your arms and recite a breath prayer. You see, when we get on the same level as our kids and breathe with them, we are encouraging them that we are in this moment as a team. It becomes less of an accusatory “you need to calm down” moment and more of an empathetic and grace-filled, “let’s work through this together” moment. When you do this together, your "tantruming" child can feel your love and God’s love wrapped around them. This can also be a great prayer to use when a child feels afraid or alone. Since it can easily be done silently or out loud, it is a tool that kids can use in many different situations, no matter how old they are.

For parents, breath prayers can help with those really hard moments. Next time you want to quit and phone a friend or you are about to completely lose your cool and yell, try closing your eyes, breathing deep, and turning to Jesus first. Allow him to calm your body and your mind so you can model peace for your children. He never gets tired of us asking Him for help. Psalm 46:1 reminds us that God is our refuge and strength and that He is always ready to help us when we call on His name.

To do a breath prayer, instruct your child to get into a comfortable position and close their eyes. Place their hand on their stomach. Tell them to very slowly take a breath in through their nose, filling up their lungs until their belly begins to rise. Tell them to exhale slowly through their mouth. Watch them to help them find a rhythm. After they breathe in deeply, have them say, “Lord...” After they slowly exhale, have them say, “give me peace.” Another option is to inhale, “Jesus, this is hard,” and exhale, “but you are with me.”

You can use short verses to pray or you can breathe in a name for God and breathe out a request. Breath prayers are an incredible way to practice talking with God all day long and to teach your kids to do the same.

Prayer:

Take a moment to try one of these breath prayers:

(Breathe in) Father…(Breathe Out) help me.

(Breathe in) Holy Spirit….(Breathe Out) Give me peace.

(Breathe in) My Help Comes from the Lord…(Breathe out)...Maker of Heaven and Earth.

(Breathe in) Jesus…(Breathe Out)...Help me to come to you with everything.

Questions:

1. Describe a time that you reacted to your child instead of asking God for help. How did you feel afterward?
2. Have you tried calling on the name of Jesus all day long?
3. What verse or prayer can you start breathing and speaking today? What would be a good breath prayer to teach your child?

Examples: Holy Spirit...give me peace. Jesus...help me to forgive. This is hard...but you are with me.