Do you remember when you were little and you always wanted to be with your daddy wherever he went? Or maybe it was your mom, big brother, or big sister? Toddlers are like little chicks following their mother around — they just want to be close to her all the time!
Imagine being like that with Jesus. I know you’re a big person now! But don’t think yourself so big that you can’t relate to the Lord Jesus like a little child.
God is Like a Loving Mother
Remember Jesus said with tears in his eyes as he looked at the people of Jerusalem who were too serious and too religious to love him with their hearts: “I have longed to gather you… as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37).
Psalm 91 teaches us to dwell in the shelter of the Lord like a chick finds safety and nurture under it’s mother’s wing. The chick cuddles close under her soft feathers and follows in her shadow everywhere she goes. Yes, God is like the best mother — he is that nurturing, that safe, that accessible to us! If only we would be filled with affection for him and keep returning to him in prayer.
One of the most important things that you and I can do is to cultivate our desire for God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Intimacy with Jesus is the source of “the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19), the life we all long for, the life that never ends, the only life worth living!
A Breath Prayer
To open your heart to Christ and follow in his shadow all day long try my Breath Prayer inspired by Matthew 23:37 and Psalm 91:1-4:
“Jesus, my shelter… I stay in your shadow.”
Breathe in: “Jesus, my shelter…” And breathe out, “I stay in your shadow.”
More Breath Prayers
To pray a short verse or paraphrase of Scripture as a Breath Prayer is refreshing and empowering. It helps you learn to practice God’s presence all day and stay in tune with the peace of Christ. I’ve selected key verses of Scripture and developed step-by-step instructions for meditation, breathing rhythms, and prayer in “Breath Prayer Guides.”
