Monday, April 20, 2026
the practice of breath prayer in the Gospel of John
Breath prayer is present in the ministry of Jesus. In John 20:19-23, Jesus greets the disciples after the Resurrection. This Gospel account is generally theologised in relation to the Spirit (Receive the Spirit) and connected with creation and new creation (God breathing the breath of life into the Adam in Gen 2:7). The Gospel account is also a matter of theological dispute, with different denominations debating the relevance of John 20:22 for the practice of the Christian sacrament of confession.
Amid these theological debates, what is regularly overlooked is the practice by Jesus of breath prayer – defined as “a form of contemplative prayer linked to the rhythms of breathing: (1) breathe in, calling on a biblical name or image of God, and (2) breathe out a simple God-given desire” (Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines, IVP, 2005, page 204).
The actions of Christ (“breathed on them” John 20:22) are a drawing in of oxygen and out of carbon dioxide that is mixed with saying of words of peace. In breathing, Jesus is offering a calm physical practice to a group of “freeze, flight, flee” people. We’ve all been told to “just breathe” when we feel strong emotions, because breathing reduces stress and promotes well-being. So the “peace be with you (John 20:19; 21) is not only words. It is the embodied act of breathing when your “doors are locked for fear of the Jews” (20:19). The practical shared practice of breath prayer is present in this Biblical text.
Further, the practical shared practice of breath prayer provides another way of interpreting verse 23 – If you forgive anyone (breathe out in release), they are forgiven … if you do not forgive (hold breath and not release), they are not forgiven. These words, said after Jesus has offered the disciples breath in verse 22, provide a way of interpreting the words about forgiveness in verse 23. The in and out of breathing illustrates the in and out of human forgiveness. We are hurt and we hurt. It is better to release than to hold on. In breath prayer, we can physically explore what it means to breathe in peace and forgiveness, in order to breathe out peace and forgiveness. Sometimes in the simple act of doing something, our emotions find new pathways.
Try it with me. As you consider how someone betrayed you, deeply breathe in God’s peace, hold for a few seconds, then imagine breathing that peace from God out over the person who betrayed you. Repeat these with ongoing deep breaths. This is not something you start, or feelings you need to manufacture. Rather, it is something you share, as you join God’s first and initiating breath of peace in all of life. Sometimes in the simple act of doing something, our bodies find new possibilities.
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