Lesson 4: Rethinking Words
Listen: Podcast 4: Rethinking Words
Podcast 4 Resources

Didn't take notes? We've got you covered! Here are the resources we mentioned in podcast 4.
From The Bible:
Books:
Other Resources:
From The Bible:
- Philippians 4:6-7 ("...do not be anxious about anything...")
- Psalm 139:4 ("...before a word is even on my tongue...")
- Matthew 6:8 9 ("...before I even ask...")
- Romans 8:26 ("...groanings too deep for words...")
- Psalm 56:8 ("...tears in your bottle...")
- Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26 (story about the people lowering their friend through the roof to Jesus for healing)
Books:
- Book of Common Prayer (variety of editions)
- Laditan, Bunmi. Dear God: Honest Prayers to a God Who Listens. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021.
- Loder, Ted. Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle. 20th anniversary edition. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005.
- MacBeth, Sybil. Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God. Expanded and enhanced edition. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2019.
- McKelvey, Douglas Kaine. Every Moment Holy, volume 1. Nashville, TN: Rabbit Room Press, 2020.
- McKelvey, Douglas Kaine. Every Moment Holy, volume 1: Death, Grief, and Hope. Nashville, TN: Rabbit Room Press, 2021.
- Ó Tuama, Pádraig. Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community. London, UK: Canterbury Press Norwich, 2017.
Other Resources:
Try It! (Prayer Podcast Suggestions from Podcast 4)

Breath Prayer
Praying with a “breath prayer” is a very old practice. We can trace it back at least to the 4th century, so it’s more than 1,700 years old.
A breath prayer is a prayer you can say or think with just one breath, and easily memorize to repeat throughout the day.
One of the “original” breath prayers is from the Eastern Orthodox Christian “desert fathers” and “desert mothers,” and it is “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” or simply, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
Here are a couple of other examples of breath prayers: “God, I need your peace.” “Holy Spirit, heal me.” “My Shepherd, let me rest in you.”
Repeating a breath prayer throughout the day can be a way of trying to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
These aren’t magic words and there’s no magic that is unlocked in praying a breath prayer a specific number of times. This is simply a way to turn your thoughts to God over and over again. Perhaps asking for God’s help over and over again. And in the process, reminding yourself of your need for God over and over again, and also solidifying your commitment to trust God over and over again.
Would you like to create your own breath prayer? Here’s one way to get started. Although you can go through the following steps quite quickly, you’re encouraged to take it slowly, resting and relaxing as you reflect on the Scripture passage and on your own life. Replenishment and reconnection with Christ comes through being thoughtfully reflective rather than rushing to get it done.
They came to Jericho. As he [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:26-52, NRSV)
Centering Prayer
Centering prayer is wordless prayer, that—in the Christian tradition—has the goal of helping us re-center or re-focus on Christ. While we spend much of our normal day doing, this prayer time is an opportunity to step out of action and simply rest in Christ’s care. Because “doing nothing” is so countercultural, this is an act of submission to God. It’s us giving up our power (or, more accurately, the illusion that we’re in control), and saying, “Christ, I step away from my striving, my productivity, my _____, and simply come to you in humility.” Some people liken this “letting go” to Jesus’ example of obediently and humbly “emptying” himself of his power (Philippians 2).
People who regularly practice centering prayer often do this by sitting in silence with their eyes closed, for about 20 minutes, once or twice per day. While they might pray a short worded prayer (or read a Scripture passage) at the beginning and/or end of the prayer time, they spend the bulk of the time simply trying to let go of all thoughts to be more present with Jesus.
Yet letting go of all thoughts is extremely difficult, so it can be helpful to have a word or phrase you pray when you start to get distracted.
You might try using your breath prayer as the short prayer you will repeat—silently in your mind/heart, or out loud—whenever you feel like you’re getting distracted.
You might spend the time seated, with your eyes closed.
Feeling like you’re distracted pretty much every second? That’s totally normal, and some people say the distractions are gifts in that they offer thousands of reminders to turn back to God!
Plan to spend 10-20 minutes per day in this prayer activity. Twenty minutes is a good amount of time to work up to. Aim for 10 minutes if this is new for you.
And remember, just like the breath prayer itself, there is nothing magical about centering prayer, and the experience likely won’t feel profound to you. Just use it as a time to rest in God’s care.
Visualizing Bringing Someone to God's Care
This is pretty simple. Instead of praying for someone with words, picture yourself holding them up to God and turning them over to God's care.
Or...
Picture yourself making a hole in the roof and lowering someone through that opening into Jesus' healing presence, like we read about in Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26.
Reading/Praying with Written Prayers
Look at the resource list to see our suggestions on sources for written prayers. Of course, praying straight from the Bible is also an excellent option!
Praying with a “breath prayer” is a very old practice. We can trace it back at least to the 4th century, so it’s more than 1,700 years old.
A breath prayer is a prayer you can say or think with just one breath, and easily memorize to repeat throughout the day.
One of the “original” breath prayers is from the Eastern Orthodox Christian “desert fathers” and “desert mothers,” and it is “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” or simply, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
Here are a couple of other examples of breath prayers: “God, I need your peace.” “Holy Spirit, heal me.” “My Shepherd, let me rest in you.”
Repeating a breath prayer throughout the day can be a way of trying to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
These aren’t magic words and there’s no magic that is unlocked in praying a breath prayer a specific number of times. This is simply a way to turn your thoughts to God over and over again. Perhaps asking for God’s help over and over again. And in the process, reminding yourself of your need for God over and over again, and also solidifying your commitment to trust God over and over again.
Would you like to create your own breath prayer? Here’s one way to get started. Although you can go through the following steps quite quickly, you’re encouraged to take it slowly, resting and relaxing as you reflect on the Scripture passage and on your own life. Replenishment and reconnection with Christ comes through being thoughtfully reflective rather than rushing to get it done.
- Slowly read Mark 10:46-52 (below), and imagine yourself in the place of Bartimaeus. Although you’re imagining yourself in Bartimaeus’s place, try to imagine that you’re still your own self (in his place), rather than becoming Bartimaeus the blind man yourself.
They came to Jericho. As he [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:26-52, NRSV)
- Imagine Jesus calling out to you like he did to Bartimaeus. Take time to imagine this. Maybe you can even imagine the sound of Jesus’ voice, mixing with the sound of birds in the trees or the clamber of the passersby.
- Imagine yourself getting up and running to Jesus like Bartimaeus did. Take time to imagine this. Maybe you can even imagine the feel of your shoes on the ground, and what thoughts might have been rushing through your mind. Do you have hope? Are you afraid?
- Then imagine Jesus asking you, “What do you want me to do for you?” Think about that question in silence for a few minutes. Think about where you are in your life right now. Think about how you would respond to Jesus as he asks you “What do you want from me? What do you want me to do for you?”
- Think of a response that is only a few words long, and write down that response.
- You might also think about what name for God is familiar for you. You might choose Jesus, God, Lord, Father, Mother, Creator, Teacher, Shepherd, Divine One, Abba, Friend….
- Then put those two parts—the name for God, and then your request—together to form a very short sentence like “God, let me rest in you” or “Holy Spirit, heal me.”
- This is a breath prayer for you to pray. Write it down, memorize it, and pray it throughout the day or week.
Centering Prayer
Centering prayer is wordless prayer, that—in the Christian tradition—has the goal of helping us re-center or re-focus on Christ. While we spend much of our normal day doing, this prayer time is an opportunity to step out of action and simply rest in Christ’s care. Because “doing nothing” is so countercultural, this is an act of submission to God. It’s us giving up our power (or, more accurately, the illusion that we’re in control), and saying, “Christ, I step away from my striving, my productivity, my _____, and simply come to you in humility.” Some people liken this “letting go” to Jesus’ example of obediently and humbly “emptying” himself of his power (Philippians 2).
People who regularly practice centering prayer often do this by sitting in silence with their eyes closed, for about 20 minutes, once or twice per day. While they might pray a short worded prayer (or read a Scripture passage) at the beginning and/or end of the prayer time, they spend the bulk of the time simply trying to let go of all thoughts to be more present with Jesus.
Yet letting go of all thoughts is extremely difficult, so it can be helpful to have a word or phrase you pray when you start to get distracted.
You might try using your breath prayer as the short prayer you will repeat—silently in your mind/heart, or out loud—whenever you feel like you’re getting distracted.
You might spend the time seated, with your eyes closed.
Feeling like you’re distracted pretty much every second? That’s totally normal, and some people say the distractions are gifts in that they offer thousands of reminders to turn back to God!
Plan to spend 10-20 minutes per day in this prayer activity. Twenty minutes is a good amount of time to work up to. Aim for 10 minutes if this is new for you.
And remember, just like the breath prayer itself, there is nothing magical about centering prayer, and the experience likely won’t feel profound to you. Just use it as a time to rest in God’s care.
Visualizing Bringing Someone to God's Care
This is pretty simple. Instead of praying for someone with words, picture yourself holding them up to God and turning them over to God's care.
Or...
Picture yourself making a hole in the roof and lowering someone through that opening into Jesus' healing presence, like we read about in Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26.
Reading/Praying with Written Prayers
Look at the resource list to see our suggestions on sources for written prayers. Of course, praying straight from the Bible is also an excellent option!
Journal Your Thoughts!

What stood out to you from Podcast 4: Rethinking Words?
Write down your thoughts to process your learning! If you're not sure what to write about, consider the following:
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when it is completely private. If that feels like the best option for you, keep your journaling between you and God.
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when you give someone else the opportunity to witness and perhaps speak into your thoughts. If that feels like the best option for you, consider sharing your journal with a trusted friend, mentor, spiritual director, therapist, pastor, or family member, or email your journal entry to Sierra (either typed or a photo of what you've written by hand) for a brief reply.
Write down your thoughts to process your learning! If you're not sure what to write about, consider the following:
- Do you feel more like Andrea, in that words of prayer flow pretty easily for you, or more like Sierra, in that putting prayer into words can be challenging for you?
- What is your experience of prayer during times of anxiety? Do you have experience with prayer bringing solace and soothing? Of prayer stirring up additional anxiety? Write about those experiences.
- What are your thoughts about praying with written prayers, like from the Psalms, a prayer poem, or a prayer book? Does it strike you as "real" prayer? Why or why not?
- What excites you and/or troubles you about the idea that we can pray with no words at all?
- What breath prayer could you create today, and pray throughout the day or week?
- Have you tried centering prayer? Was there anything about that prayer practice that was refreshing, challenging, or scary for you?
- What do you think of visualizing lifting someone up to God's care, or lowering them through the roof into Jesus' care? Could that be prayer for you?
- Did this podcast or your time reflecting and journaling stir up anything that you want to think about some more? If so, what?
- Did this podcast or your time reflecting and journaling stir up anything you feel God is wanting to say to you? If so, what?
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when it is completely private. If that feels like the best option for you, keep your journaling between you and God.
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when you give someone else the opportunity to witness and perhaps speak into your thoughts. If that feels like the best option for you, consider sharing your journal with a trusted friend, mentor, spiritual director, therapist, pastor, or family member, or email your journal entry to Sierra (either typed or a photo of what you've written by hand) for a brief reply.
About the Instructors

Sierra Neiman Westbrook, M.Div.
Founding Director of Eden Spiritual Care & Certified Spiritual Director
Sierra spent seven years working in the Christian publishing field before beginning eight years of teaching at George Fox University (writing, theology, and spiritual formation) and Portland Seminary (spiritual formation). A graduate of Portland Seminary, Sierra holds a Master of Divinity degree and a certificate in Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. She is also certified through Portland Seminary as a spiritual director. Sierra brings to her work a curiosity about how theology of lament, narrative pastoral care, and explorations of one's God image can enrich a person’s relationship with God. She also enjoys hiking, watching ballet performances, baking, writing, drinking lots of tea, and spending lots of time with her husband, Justin, and their young son.
Founding Director of Eden Spiritual Care & Certified Spiritual Director
Sierra spent seven years working in the Christian publishing field before beginning eight years of teaching at George Fox University (writing, theology, and spiritual formation) and Portland Seminary (spiritual formation). A graduate of Portland Seminary, Sierra holds a Master of Divinity degree and a certificate in Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. She is also certified through Portland Seminary as a spiritual director. Sierra brings to her work a curiosity about how theology of lament, narrative pastoral care, and explorations of one's God image can enrich a person’s relationship with God. She also enjoys hiking, watching ballet performances, baking, writing, drinking lots of tea, and spending lots of time with her husband, Justin, and their young son.

Andrea Catlett, MA
Andrea is a former pastor and has served a wide variety of ministries. She currently serves as a hospital chaplain. Through her education and experience, she has found prayer to be her constant calling. As a special needs mom and being disabled herself, she naturally advocates for those who need their voice heard in the healthcare system or simply a fellow friend.
Andrea is a former pastor and has served a wide variety of ministries. She currently serves as a hospital chaplain. Through her education and experience, she has found prayer to be her constant calling. As a special needs mom and being disabled herself, she naturally advocates for those who need their voice heard in the healthcare system or simply a fellow friend.