The Need for Breath – Thoughts from Edges while following Jesus.

Breathe on Me, Breath of Life

Pastor Calvin Cook

January 30, 2026

A Devotional for the Worn and Weary

“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 (NIV)

I visited recently with a person who depends on highly concentrated oxygen every minute of the day.  This person shared that without the oxygen and concentrator that life becomes impossible

I left the visit to the outside cold that takes our breath away thinking of times when life feels heavy and each breath, each step, each moment requires effort. Weariness settles not just in the body, but in the soul. We grow tired of carrying responsibility, grief, prayers that seem unanswered, and disappointments grow as the common way of life.

While in this mode of thinking, being concerned and submitting it all to the Lord in prayer, I was reminded of another who in his physical health battles have said “I’ve hit the wall.” I thought about what that “hitting the wall is like.”

Many of my moments of thinking on these instances of hitting the wall and the life-giving breath we all need has brought me to a place to remember the words of a hymn I remember singing and still do to this day, I find myself in these situations uttering these words out loud and in the quiet places of my life.

“Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew.”

Last night as I came before the Lord and continuing this morning in these moments of sanctuary the hymn continues to speak to my heart. This hymn is not a song of receiving but a song of prayerful surrender. Reminding me that life does not come from striving harder, pushing through, or pretending we are fine. Life comes from God’s breath, presence, and times when we are willing to surrender it all to an understanding that God is in control. From the beginning of creation to the quiet moments of our own exhaustion, God is the One who breathes life where there is no hope, and when all seems gone. Where only dust and dryness and saying this with a smile where only the cold, cruel, hard world continues to hit us with every step.

When you are worn out, you are not failing, you are human. Even Jesus paused to breathe, to withdraw, to pray. The hymn teaches us to stop long enough to ask God to do what only God can do: restore what is depleted, revive what is fading, and renew what seems to have been lost.

“Breathe on me, Breath of life, until my heart is pure.”

This is not about perfection; it is about being renewed by God. God’s breath clears the clutter of anxiety, fear, and self-reliance. It replaces everything that is exhausting us with peace.

If you feel burdened today, you do not need to carry it alone. You do not need to have the right words. Simply open your heart and breathe this prayer: “Lord, breathe on me again.”

Just like God’s breath did for that first created human, it is personal. The scripture describes just one person at a time being created. And when God breathes once again to us personally even those who are the weariest, our soul can rise again.

But here is the hard part. We must be connected. Just like the life-giving oxygen fills my friend’s lungs with what is needed to get through the day, she must be connected through the oxygen tubes and concentrator. To experience the fullness of God you must remain connected as well to God through prayers of confession and seeking forgiveness, staying connected through worship, prayer, scripture, holy conversations, the life-giving breath of God that is offered to you personally.  When the world tells us what we need that is when the breath of life will supply everything we need through surrender.

Prayer:

Breath of Life, I am tired. I am worn. I am running low. Breathe into me again. Fill the empty places with Your peace. Renew my strength, calm my spirit, and remind me that my life is sustained by You. Amen.