Supernatural Breath

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  Genesis 2:7  ESV

God breathes and life is birthed.  Adam was made from the dust of the earth and while he had physical qualities, he was not a spiritual being until he came to life through a God-breath.  God breathes, even today, and we may not be aware of it.  Oh, but sometimes we are.

• Job recognized it.  He said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  Job 33:4
• Ezekiel anticipated it. “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”  Ezekiel 37:9  In a vision, barely revived corpses came to life, stood on their feet, and became a great army.
• The world at the end of the tribulation will know the power of God’s breath when the two witnesses, the prophets Satan kills, come back to life with a breath.  “But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.”  Revelation 11:11
• The disciples were surprised by it.  Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection, told them to be at peace, and then breathed on them.  “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  John 20:22   They left their places of hiding to burn brightly for the kingdom.
• And we experienced it at the time of salvation.  God breathed over us and our spiritual blindness was cured.  We looked up and saw a Savior; we looked inward and saw our sin.  “Unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  John 3:5

Our spiritual fathers focused on the breath of God, too.  They made breathing prayer a way of life during times of meditation and prayer.  As they inhaled, they prayed ~ “O Lord Jesus,” and as they exhaled, “Have mercy on me.”  In 2008, I made this breathing prayer a part of my life and I was different.  It is still a part of my life.

I think of the phrase ‘the living dead.’  It refers to a person who is physically alive but soulfully dead.  That should never characterize any child of God.  The Spirit of God, the breath of God, is within each of us.  In Him, we are promised peace and the surpassing power of His greatness.  Many are waiting for heaven to experience abundant life but it’s a breath away.

 Have mercy and breathe over me, I pray.  Amen