This is my Father's world.
I breathe him with the air.
In its gentlest
press his hands caress.
He touches me everywhere.
Prayer is spiritual breathing. Physical deep breathing is well known for its relaxing effects4 Why not, then, combine the two? Consider the above adaptation of a verse from a much-loved hymn. Recite it silently to yourself, and while you are reciting, breathe. Breathe in on the first line. Breathe out on the second line. Similarly, breathe in on the third line and out on the fourth. This is the basic prayer-breathing relaxation exercise.
I hope it will work for you, because for me it is a great way to reduce anxiety. Try it, too, when you are waiting and have nothing to do. It is a good way to follow St. Paul's advice to pray without ceasing.
As you may suspect, hymns form a good basis for prayer-breathing. Other prayers with a strong rhythm and well-defined lines of suitable length are also good. You will find many such on the prayers page. All of tee poems are also suitable. Below are some hymns which I have found particularly helpful. In some cases I have made slight changes or added verses. Please bear with me. You can find the originals in many good hymn collections. But note that even here there are variations.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart,
Wean it from earth, in all its
pulses move;
stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
And make me love
thee as I wish to love.
I ask no dreams, no prophet exstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil nf
clay,
No angel visitants, no opening skies,
But take the dimness of my
soul away!
Hast thou not bid me love thee, God and king,
all, all thine own, heart,
soul an strength and mind?
I see thy cross; there teach my heart to
cling.
Oh let me seek thee, and oh let me find.
Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh.
Teach me the struggles of the
soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh.
Teach me the
patience of ungranted prayer.
Teach me to love thee as thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all
my frame,
The baptism of the heaven-descended dove,
My heart an altar, and
thy love the flame.
Make me a captive, lord,
And then I shall be free.
Force me to render
up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms
When by
myself I stand.
Imprison me within thine arms,
And strong shall be my
hand.
My heart is weak and poor
When by myself I stand;
It has no spring of
action sure;
It varies as the wind.
It cannot freely move
Till thou has
wrought its chain.
Enslave it with thy matchless love,
And deathless it
shall reign.
My power is weak and low
Till I have learned to serve.
It lacks the
needed fire to glow;
It lacks the will to nerve.
It cannot drive the
world
Until itself be driven.
Its flag can only be unfurled
When thou
hast breathed from heaven.
My will is not my own
till thou hast made it thine.
If it would gain a
monarch's throne
It must its crown resign.
It only stands
unbent,
Amidst the clashing strife,
When on thy bosom it has lent,
And
found in thee its life.
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love
which from our birth,
Over and around us lies:
Jesus, lord, to thee we
raise
This, our hymn of thanks and praise.
For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale
and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light:
Jesus, Lord, to thee
we raise
This, our hymn of thanks and praise.
For the joys of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delightĘ
For the
mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight:
Jesus, lord, to thee we
raise
This, our hymn of thanks and praise. For the joys of nose and
tongue,
For the hands that touch and know,
Joys when old and joys when
noung,
Heeart and mind that ever grow:Jesus, lord, to thee we raise
This,
our hymn of thanks and praise.
For the joys of human love,
Brother, sister, patent, child,
Friends on
earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Jesus, lord, to
thee we raise
This, our hymn of thanks and praise.
For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces
human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven:
Jesus, Lord, to
thee we raise
This, our hymn of thanks and praise.
Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy strength and Christ
thy right.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.
run the straight race with God's good grace; Cast care aside; lean on thy guide; Faint not nor fear; his arms are near. Glorious things of thee are spoken, See, the streams of living waters, Blest inhabitants of Zion, Savior, if of Zion's city, As far as I know, all of these hymns are in the public domain. If you think
that putting them on this Web site constitutes a copyright infringement, please
let me know by e-mail.
Lift up thine eyes and seek
his face.
Life with its path before us lies;
His loving mercy shall
provide.
Trust, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life, and
Christ its love.
He faileth not, and thou art
dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.
zion, city of our God.
He whose
word cannot be broken
Formed thee for his own abode.
On the rock of ages
founded,
What can shake thy sure repose.
With salvation's walls
surrounded,
Thou mayest smile at all thy foes.
Flowing from eternal love,
Well
supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove.
Who can faint
when such a river
Ever flows their thirst to assuage,
Grace, which like
the Lord the Giver,
Never fails from age to age?
Washed in the Redeemer's blood,
Jesus, whom
their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis his love
his people raises
over self to reign as kings,
And as priests his solemn
praises,
Each for his thank-offering brings.
I, by grace a member am,
let the world
deride or pity:
I shall glory in thy name.
Fading is the worldling's
pleasure,
All his boastful pomp and show.
Solid joys and lasting
treasure
Only Zion's children know.