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The Christian’s vital breath

August 14, 2009
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from theDesk of…

by Ron Strickland, Lt. Colonel –

In our first corps appointment my wife and I were invited to attend a senior luncheon honoring a group of octogenarians. I was seated next to a 90-year-young lady. In the course of my conversation with her, I asked, “To what do you attribute your longevity?”

With a twinkle in her eye and a ready response, she replied, “I just keep breathing.”

I have thought about her response many times over the years and chuckle about it to this day. Her reply was simple, yet profound as well. For, if we are to maintain physical life, we must breathe in and breathe out. Our breath/breathing is vital to our physical survival.

If the oxygen we breathe is vital to our physical life, what then is the Christian’s vital breath? For me it is the “spiritual discipline” of prayer. Yet, I must admit, it is also one of the disciplines I struggle with the most at times. However, we only have to look at the example of Jesus to understand and appreciate how important prayer is to our spiritual lives. If Jesus prayed daily to his Father, then how much more must we pray to our Father?

James Montgomery eloquently penned words about the importance of prayer in verse 5 of song #625, in our Salvation Army Songbook. Look with me at this verse:

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air.
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

I find the progression of this song to be very moving in its expression concerning the essence of prayer:

vs.1 “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire”
vs.2 “Prayer is the burden of a sigh”
vs. 3 “Prayer is the simplest form of speech”
vs. 4 “Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice”

And then the crowning verse that establishes the foundation of prayer:

“PRAYER IS THE CHRISTIAN’S VITAL BREATH”

My desire is to embrace the “vital breath” of prayer to insure that my life centers on God’s purpose in all that I do. May this too be your prayer in your Christian journey. Breathe in and breathe out “The Christian’s vital breath” of prayer.

In her book, My Sacrifice, His Fire, Anne Ortlund quotes the prayer of Saint Patrick that echoes in a wonderful way the vital breath of prayer. I establish myself today in…

The power of God to guide me.
The might of God to uphold me.
The wisdom of God to teach me.
The eyes of God to watch over me.
The ear of God to hear me.
The word of God to speak to me.
The hand of God to protect me.
The way of God to lie before me.
The shield of God to shelter me.
The hosts of God to defend me.

Christ with me, Christ before me.
Christ behind me, Christ within me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Christ at my right, Christ at my left.
Christ in breadth, Christ in length.
Christ in height, Christ in heart of
every man who thinks of me.
Christ in the mouth of every
man who speaks to me.
Christ in the ear of every man
who hears me.
Confident in Christ.

What a powerful prayer for us to pray daily in our journey with God. It covers all the bases of life as we live and move in his perfect will. Make this prayer your “vital breath.”In our first corps appointment my wife and I were invited to attend a senior luncheon honoring a group of octogenarians. I was seated next to a 90-year-young lady. In the course of my conversation with her, I asked, “To what do you attribute your longevity?”

With a twinkle in her eye and a ready response, she replied, “I just keep breathing.”

I have thought about her response many times over the years and chuckle about it to this day. Her reply was simple, yet profound as well. For, if we are to maintain physical life, we must breathe in and breathe out. Our breath/breathing is vital to our physical survival.

If the oxygen we breathe is vital to our physical life, what then is the Christian’s vital breath? For me it is the “spiritual discipline” of prayer. Yet, I must admit, it is also one of the disciplines I struggle with the most at times. However, we only have to look at the example of Jesus to understand and appreciate how important prayer is to our spiritual lives. If Jesus prayed daily to his Father, then how much more must we pray to our Father?

James Montgomery eloquently penned words about the importance of prayer in verse 5 of song #625, in our Salvation Army Songbook. Look with me at this verse:

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air.
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

I find the progression of this song to be very moving in its expression concerning the essence of prayer:

vs.1 “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire”
vs.2 “Prayer is the burden of a sigh”
vs. 3 “Prayer is the simplest form of speech”
vs. 4 “Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice”

And then the crowning verse that establishes the foundation of prayer:

“PRAYER IS THE CHRISTIAN’S VITAL BREATH”

My desire is to embrace the “vital breath” of prayer to insure that my life centers on God’s purpose in all that I do. May this too be your prayer in your Christian journey. Breathe in and breathe out “The Christian’s vital breath” of prayer.

In her book, My Sacrifice, His Fire, Anne Ortlund quotes the prayer of Saint Patrick that echoes in a wonderful way the vital breath of prayer. I establish myself today in…

The power of God to guide me.
The might of God to uphold me.
The wisdom of God to teach me.
The eyes of God to watch over me.
The ear of God to hear me.
The word of God to speak to me.
The hand of God to protect me.
The way of God to lie before me.
The shield of God to shelter me.
The hosts of God to defend me.

Christ with me, Christ before me.
Christ behind me, Christ within me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Christ at my right, Christ at my left.
Christ in breadth, Christ in length.
Christ in height, Christ in heart of
every man who thinks of me.
Christ in the mouth of every
man who speaks to me.
Christ in the ear of every man
who hears me.
Confident in Christ.

What a powerful prayer for us to pray daily in our journey with God. It covers all the bases of life as we live and move in his perfect will. Make this prayer your “vital breath.”

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