January 7

Psalm 103

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name."

Remember the musical Godspell? Remember the song, "Bless the Lord." This is it. This psalm may be as close as the Hebrew scriptures get to the spirit of "Amazing Grace." The Hebrew word translated as "soul" comes from the same root as the Hebrew word for "throat." The people of Israel understood that in one's breath, body and spirit were joined. We "moderns" have a tendency to divide the two into the Mental and the Physical, and never the twain shall meet.

But you can use your breath to enhance your life of prayer. Take today's psalm. Find a verse that, for some reason you can't yet articulate, appeals to you. Focus on that first verse. Say the first half of the verse in your mind as you inhale, then say the 2nd half as you exhale. Then do it again, and again, until you've memorized that verse. Then keep doing it throughout the day, whatever you're doing, and you'll be praying.

There's a famous prayer in the Orthodox tradition that's famous for this kind of praying: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale, and you've gpot the prayer down, for life. Let your very "throat" become a vehicle through which the Spirit of God consoles you or enlightens you. Praise the LORD with all your throat!