In breath prayer, as we breathe in, we call on a Biblical name or image of God. As we breathe out, we express a simple, God-given desire. Try one of these breath prayers for 5 minutes as a path to living water this week – the calm, peace, and wholeness of Christ .

Breathe in, “Jesus, Son of God,” breathe out, “have mercy on me.”

Breathe in, “You, alone, O Lord,” breathe out, “cause me to dwell in safety.”

Breathe in, “Holy Spirit,” breathe out, “grant me peace to rest and sleep.”

Prayers of lament are ways to approach God with our complaints, anger, sufferings, frustrations, heartaches, and angst. Lament prayers are found throughout the Scriptures. Our world has many conditions that fall short of the flourishing and blessing God wanted for us. Throughout the Scriptures, we see God insist on blessing us and making us conduits of blessing. …and, throughout the Scriptures (and our own human history), we see humanity insist on squandering the blessing for ourselves and tearing it from the grip of others. The result is abuse, adultery, homelessness, poverty, theft, murder, slander, slavery, treachery, genocide, tyranny, etc. This becomes the content of the psalmists’ prayers of lament.

In their laments, the psalmists teach us to cry out “How long, O Lord?” or “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself!” The psalmists long for salvation – “O Lord…save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.” The psalmists express frustration with injustice – “In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.” In all of their laments, their honesty teaches us that we too can share of the ugliness of life in a sinful and broken world with the One who promises to always turn his hear toward us.

If the Hebrew writers are bold and honest in their laments, they are also audacious in their hope. The laments show us how to turn toward God. There is never a lament found in Scripture that does not turn toward hope in the goodness and sovereignty of God to rescue, to render justice, to care for the defenseless, and to lay low the tyrant. Rather than despair that no longer believes that God cares enough to help us, the psalmists boldly hope in the Lord and teach us to do the same.

We invite you to craft your own prayers of lament this week using these movements: turn to God, name your complaint, identify the feeling it stirs within you, confess and protest the sin and brokenness that causes it, praise God's demonstrated character in Scripture, actively place your trust and hope in God's deliverance. To lament on behalf of the world, our community, your family and loved ones, and your own life but to turn toward God, as you do, in hope. Here’s a prayer of lament about homelessness to try on as an example or to pray this week if you don’t have any laments at the moment.

Heavenly Father,
We are angry and afraid in the face of homelessness in our city.
So many people are driven out of their homes.
Poverty, abuse, sexual violence, illness and medical bills, accidents that prevent life-sustaining work, addiction, mental and emotional illness crush your children with no one to rescue them.
We lament the loss of warm, safe places to live and sleep.
We lament the circumstances that cause people to make their beds on the street.
We lament the shame that makes us avoid eye contact.
We lament the chaos that ensues on our streets.
We lament the judgment we feel toward those whose lives we don’t understand.

Yet, you stamped your image upon every human soul.
The dignity, safety, and health of every soul matters to you because you love everything that you have made.
Grant that we may be conduits of your love, blessing, and goodness toward others.
Help us to serve in ways that lead to flourishing and wholeness.
Grant us the wisdom to develop real solutions to complex problems and to do so in ways that glorify you and restore dignity to all.

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen!

This practice helps us quiet scattered thoughts and desires in the still center of Christ’s presence. We select a word, phrase, or name that identifies God in some way such as “Prince of Peace”, expresses a longing or desire such as “peace”, or a combination of both e.g. “Christ is the Prince of Peace.” Each time our mind wanders, we simply come back to our centering prayer: the word, phrase, or name we’ve chosen. Allow the word chosen to draw you into the presence of Christ. Try out this practice for 10-15 minutes this week. Maybe select a psalm and then choose the word, phrase, or name that resonates with you as centering prayer. Wait within Jesus’ presence. …and when your time ends, simply say, “Amen.”

In prayer walking, we deliberately slow down to pray as we walk through our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, churches, and cities. On a prayer walk, we align our attention with God’s heart as we pray for the people and the things that happen in and throughout these places. Prayers need not be voiced out loud; we can pray in our hearts. Prayer walking can be done on your own, with a friend, or with your family. We invite you to join us in this practice of prayer walking this week, praying that streams of living water might flow wherever your feet tread.

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