‘constant prayer’ – in Judaism, ‘breathing’ and prayer are connected
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath
given me life” (Job 33:4). Meditation on the breath, then, is direct
meditation on God–“the God in whose hand thy breath is” (Daniel
5:23)–with no intermediary whatsoever.
God is “He that giveth breath unto the people upon [the earth], and
spirit to them that walk therein” (Isaiah 42:5). Just as the breath of
God is the Spirit of God, so also, since we are made in His image and
likeness (Genesis 1:26), our breath one with our spirit, is our true
nature and self. Wherefore: “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I
will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover
you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live.…Thus saith the
Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these
slain, that they may live.…So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived” (Ezekiel 37:5, 6, 9, 10).
Interestingly, in Lamentations 4:20 the Messiah is called “the breath of
our nostrils.”
The breath of God is His creative power; and all things were made by
it. And that power is the Holy Spirit. It is God “in whose hand is the
soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).
Even more, the breath of God is the breath of mankind: “All the while my
breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3).
some thoughts on this post:
‘constant prayer’ – in Judaism, ‘breathing’ and prayer are connected
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath
given me life” (Job 33:4). Meditation on the breath, then, is direct
meditation on God–“the God in whose hand thy breath is” (Daniel
5:23)–with no intermediary whatsoever.
God is “He that giveth breath unto the people upon [the earth], and
spirit to them that walk therein” (Isaiah 42:5). Just as the breath of
God is the Spirit of God, so also, since we are made in His image and
likeness (Genesis 1:26), our breath one with our spirit, is our true
nature and self. Wherefore: “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I
will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover
you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live.…Thus saith the
Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these
slain, that they may live.…So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived” (Ezekiel 37:5, 6, 9, 10).
Interestingly, in Lamentations 4:20 the Messiah is called “the breath of
our nostrils.”
The breath of God is His creative power; and all things were made by
it. And that power is the Holy Spirit. It is God “in whose hand is the
soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).
Even more, the breath of God is the breath of mankind: “All the while my
breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3).