After reading the title, you’re probably a little more conscious of your breathing, and if you weren’t, you probably are now. Don’t stress, though. Take a breath… You’ve been doing it since you were born, so I know you’ve got the knack of it.
It’s quite incredible. We breathe 20,000 – 25,000 times a day. Whether we’re awake or asleep, our brains automatically regulate how fast we have to breathe to manage the CO2 and O2 levels in our bloodstream.
However, if you’re anything like me, you probably take that breath for granted until something like a cold takes the wind right out of your lungs, leaving you feeling lethargic, with your lungs craving more oxygen than you can provide.
What a conundrum! When we’re breathing well and our lungs faithfully do their job 20,000 times a day – we take our breath for granted. Then, when we’re sick – we feel weak and tired, and can easily forget the power contained within every breath. Let’s pause and take another deep breath… But this time, remind yourself of where it comes from, or rather, Who it comes from: God.
God’s breath isn’t just a simple exhale or blow that cools your food down. Psalm 33:6 says,
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”
Psalm 33:6
To say that’s a powerful breath is a bit of an understatement. God’s breath doesn’t merely create distant stars and galaxies. It also goes down into the dust of the earth and gives life. But if you’re not convinced of the power in one’s breath yet, this is what Genesis 2 says,
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7
The big bad wolf has nothing on the power in God’s breath.
When God breathes, He forms the heavens and the stars.
When God breathes, He gives life to mere dust;
When God breathes, He shares His Spirit.
God’s breath didn’t stop giving life in Genesis. Throughout Scripture, God’s breath continues to create, sustain, and empower His people. In John 20, when Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection, we read
“Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:21-22
The Spirit of God is within us. Given to us to proclaim the Good News! Without our breath, we would lack the very thing that fuels our voice. A voice that, with the courage instilled by the Holy Spirit, gives the words we say the power to change lives!
So, what do we do with the power behind our breath? How are we using the voice God has given us? Do we use it recklessly, carelessly snapping or swearing, hurting those around us? Or are we on the other end of the spectrum, and restraining it even when God provides us opportunities to share our faith?
Psalm 150:6 says,
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”.
It’s not a suggestion; it’s a call to action. We are instructed to use our voice wisely, to proclaim our faith and to praise God.
So, before you move on with your day, close your eyes… be still… and take a breath.
Remember who gave that breath to you.
Then use it to thank and praise Him for it.
This article by Cassandra D’Souza was first published in the September 2026 Chronicle Newsletter of the Lamb of God Community in New Zealand.
Top image credit: Group photo courtesy © the Lamb of God community in New Zealand.