“The gift of life and spirit comes from breath because it represents life. Without breath, we cannot live. So take a deep breath.” Found at Alabaster Grace Ministries *
“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath.” Natalie Goldberg **
“The word “spirit” derives from the word “breath,” (spiritus in Latin). Literally breath gives life. Figuratively , the word “spiritual” connotes whatever is of central and ultimate importance in all aspects of one’s life. It is at the core of one’s physical nature, psychological awareness, social relations, and connectedness to one’s world. It is what gives us life…We might feel “de-spirited” and we need to be” in-spired” again. We need to figuratively “take a deep breath” and remember who we are in the core of our being.”***
Inspire is defined as “breathe in (air).”****
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
Acts 17:24-29 NKJV
Father, we praise You and thank You for Your breath on us. Thank You for filling us with Your Spirit and with life. May we use this gift wisely in ways that glorify You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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* Found at Alabaster Grace Ministries. The link to this snippet was revealed in the search results, but the page it came from is a broken link, so I don’t know who wrote it.
** Natalie Goldberg is an author and “Zen practitioner.” I came across her quote on an app I use to help me sleep called Insight Timer.
*** A word on the spiritual significance of “Breath” by Mary-Therese B. Dombeck, Crossbridge Wellness Affiliates
**** dictionary.com
