7. Spiritual Breathing
Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law.
Pslam 119:18
It is always interesting to learn how people spend their first minutes of the morning. I have heard that many people’s first inclination is to grab their phone. A recent study noted that people begin scrolling on the social media apps first thing in the morning and late at night. Advertisers know that you post early or late to get the most bang for your buck. For the older folk, they may grab the newspaper, but that is getting rare. The first thing I go for is the pot of coffee. There’s nothing like the first cup of coffee in the morning. I really don’t know the reason but ask any serious coffee drinker and they will agree. I also know that if you pull your pot off while brewing, before it gets to the 4-cup mark, then you have the right temperature and the best cup…everything after that is good but not great.
What happens next, after the grab? What I mean is this: whether you grab your phone, newspaper, or coffee, what’s next? Most of us would start citing the busy day ahead, the needed prep time, and dependents who need us. A few of us would say something about the gym. I understand all of that but let me challenge you to set some time aside for a personal quite time with God.
Former Broadway pastor Bobby Moore was known for his commitment to a “quiet time.” He even wrote a book on it called Your Personal Devotional Time. It’s not a necessity for your salvation, but I believe it is beneficial. If that’s not what you go for, then perhaps this will challenge you to do something.
To give an example, I go into our sunroom and spend some time praying and reading through the Bible. In Bible college a mentor challenged me to practice something called spiritual breathing as I began. I admit, the name seemed strange. What does it mean to do “spiritual breathing?” The idea is simply to prepare your heart before you meet with God. It is rooted in Scripture, so there’s nothing mystical or odd about it. You simply take some passages (mostly from the Psalms) and pray them before you personally read the Word and meet with God in prayer.
Why would you want to do this? Well, simply stated, the Scriptures note that we have sinful hearts. Even after salvation the reality is that while we have been saved from the power of sin, its presence is readily at hand. Our hearts are in a constant battle (the Bible calls this the spirit and the flesh in Galatians, the armor of God in Ephesians, pressing forward in Philippians, and setting our mind on things above in Colossians). The idea, once again, is that though you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you will struggle with the presence of the flesh until Jesus comes and we have new bodies (that is, until we are glorified). Until then, we wait patiently. We also fight the flesh.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that your time with God is a battle. The biggest enemy is your sluggish heart. While the spiritual realm may be against you to some degree, you will have to pray the Psalms over your heart. If you have a quiet time with God, then you know that the hardest hurdle is convincing yourself to make it a priority, get up earlier, put the phone down, and go someplace where you can meet personally with God.
Because you give yourself daily to Christian Education you will need the fuel that personal time with God gives. It is very easy to become bitter, slanderous, and apathetic in any job. It is so in this field as well. If we pursue God, then he empowers us to face whatever comes at us.
If you do decide to practice spiritual breathing here are some biblical suggestions. As you begin, pray these verses back to God, then do whatever you normally do.
Psalm 119:18: Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful truths from your law.
Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any offensive way in me.
Psalm 119:112: Incline my heart to perform your statues forever, to the end.
You certainly could pray any number of Psalms and verses. These are only suggestions. The point is to meet with God so that you can meet your students.
Discussion Questions:
What is the greatest challenge to a quiet time?
What are some methods and material you use in a quiet time?
How has time with God prepared you for time with your students?
