Meditative Prayers Aid Healing & Reduce Stress

Go Slowly, Listen For the Holy

(Passed on to Linda Isham by Maria Harris)

Sister, brother, take your time.
Go slowly.
Listen deep inside you.
Every hour is holy.

NOTE: The first line can be adapted to
“Sister, sister” or “Brother, brother”

  
 

  

Meditative Breathing Prayers

PLEASE NOTE: The following prayers can help connect you to God and bring about a state of relaxation and spiritual peace. The Relaxation Response™ has been proven medically by Dr. Herbert Benson at Harvard Medical School. It is now part of the curriculum and has led American medicine toward treating the whole person: body, mind and soul.  The Relaxation Response achieved through prayer is documented to be stronger than meditation alone. It lowers the heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. It calms the mind. It releases positive endorphins into the body and assists in creating white blood cells that fight infection.

With practice, you can attain the strong, prayerful state of the Relaxation Response™ in 60 seconds. Start by doing practicing these prayers for 5 minutes. Increase the length each time until you reach 15 minutes. Once you are at this level, you will be able to get back to it in a minute’s time.

While not required, these prayers work best when you sit in a comfortable chair, with both feet flat on the floor shoulders width apart and your hands in your lap. They are done with your eyes closed. If your mind wanders, that is normal. Simply refocus your breathing.

Simple Breathing Prayer

Breathe in and out slowly. Now take a deep breath. As you breath in, invite the Holy Spirit to come into you. As you exhale, the Spirit remains with you, but allow God to take away your pain, worry, trouble, sin, sickness, etc. If your mind wanders, that’s normal. Just refocus on your breathing. Repeat for 5-15 minutes.

Mantra Prayer

Choose a mantra. This is simply a word that connects you to God. It does not matter too much what the word is. What’s important is that the word does connect you to God. You may also wish to think of a location where you feel especially close to God.

This works like the breathing prayer, but you silently repeat your mantra with each inhale and exhale. If your mind wanders, that’s normal. Just refocus on your breathing and mantra. Repeat for 5-15 minutes.

The Jesus Prayer – VERY POWERFUL

(From Dr. Marcus Borg)

Inhale: Lord Jesus Christ

Exhale: You are the light of the world.

Inhale: Fill my mind with your peace.

Exhale: And my heart with your love.

Short version for working out with faster breathing:

Inhale: Lord Christ

Exhale: Light World

Inhale: Mind Peace

Exhale: Heart Love

Or

Inhale: God is calming.

Exhale: God is smiling.

Inhale: God dwells in this present moment.

Exhale: It is a wonderful moment.

Short Version

Inhale: Calming

Exhale: Smiling

Inhale: Present Moment

Exhale: Wonderful Moment

Cute Cheeky “Zen” Version

Inhale: Calming

Exhale: Smiling

Inhale: Now

Exhale: Nice now.