5 Breath Prayers for Moms When You Feel Overwhelmed
In this post: When emotions overtake you in motherhood, the breath prayers for moms can help you focus on Jesus and the peace He offers.
Being a mom is the greatest honor of my life. But no one told me how hard it would be.
Not hard because my kids are bad, or because I’m unhappy or ungrateful. It’s hard because I want to be the best mom I can be.
I want to give my boys a good life, and raise them to love Jesus.
Society gives us a long list of things we should do as moms. Just hop on Pinterest for a minute, and you’ll probably see all kinds of “great” ideas. It’s easy to look at all of the crafts, lessons, and parenting advice and think, “I’m really blowing it.”
But the truth is, God doesn’t give us this long list of things to do. He commands us to love God, obey God, and tell our kids about God.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
When all the noise gets overwhelming, I can come back to these simple priorities.
Praying When You Feel Overwhelmed
Even when we know what matters most, it’s still easy to become overwhelmed.
We give ourselves a long to-do list and don’t get it all marked off. A great idea turns out to be not-so-great. Chores don’t get done, a memory isn’t as magical as we hoped, or a child disappoints us.
Thankfully, our wise Heavenly Father knows we are only humans who don’t always trust as we should. But He promises to be our strength when we can’t carry on ourselves.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2
When my heart is overwhelmed, I can run to Him. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Prayer should be as natural to us as breathing.
Breath prayers are the perfect way to calm our hearts and remind us of God’s presence.
What Are Breath Prayers?
A breath prayer is a short, simple prayer that matches your natural breathing rhythm. You say a few words as you breathe in, and a few words as you breathe out.
You may say it once, or you may repeat it over and over. Breath prayers aren’t powerful because of a particular breathing pattern or special combination of words. They give us a quiet way to turn our attention back to God and the truth of His Word.
5 Breath Prayers for Moms
When you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or worried, you can turn to Jesus for help. Use the five breath prayers to encourage your heart.
1. A Breath Prayer for When You Feel Overwhelmed
As moms, we naturally carry a lot of burdens. Even though the Bible tells us that we can cast our cares on Jesus, we like to carry them ourselves. (Crazy, right?)
How do we find this peace? By focusing our thoughts on Jesus.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” — Isaiah 26:3
Use this breath prayer to recenter your heart on Christ when you feel stressed:
Inhale: Jesus, You are my peace.
Exhale: I will trust in You.
2. A Breath Prayer for When You’re Running Out of Patience
Nothing will try your patience more than having kids. Yes, you love them. But they can also push your buttons and drive you nuts!
But longsuffering (patience) is a Fruit of the Spirit. We develop the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives as we learn more about God and grow closer to Him.
When you feel yourself starting to lose your cool, use this breath prayer to calm your mind and heart:
Inhale: Fill me with your love.
Exhale: Help me love my family well.
3. A Breath Prayer for When You Feel Inadequate
Social media, TV, and Pinterest show us a picture of the “perfect mom.” Of course, she’s not a real person. She’s a figment of imagination.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot measure up to this ideal mom. We will continually fall short.
Thankfully, God doesn’t require us to reach this unattainable standard. The Bible tells us not to be conformed to the world. (Romans 12:2) Instead, we are to live like Jesus as mom, serving and loving our families like Jesus.
Remember, when you are weak and imperfect, God is strong and capable.
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
When you feel inadequate as a mom, try this simple breath prayer:
Inhale: Your grace is sufficient.
Exhale: Your strength is enough.
4. A Breath Prayer for When You Feel Anxious
Worry comes easily in motherhood. We love our children deeply, and there is so much we cannot control. But God doesn’t want us to carry those fears alone.
Again and again, Scripture invites us to bring our fears to Him and choose trust.
The truth is, the world we live in is a scary place. Many things cause us to fear.
In the Bible, God acknowledges that we fear. But He also tells us we can trust Him.
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” — Psalm 56:3
When your heart starts to race, and your mind is filled with anxious thoughts, try this prayer:
Inhale: When I’m afraid…
Exhale: I will trust in thee.
5. A Breath Prayer for When You Want to Remember What Matters Most
Life moves fast. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with all the things we need to do, want to do, and must do.
But so many of those things don’t matter in the long run. What does matter? Loving God, loving others, and teaching our kids to do the same.
When you look at your to-do list (and your wish-I-could-do list), remind yourself that serving God is what matters most.
Society will push you to work harder and do more. But God says to rest in Him and let Him take care of everything else.
When your to-do list is too long, and you’re struggling to focus, take a moment to pray this:
Inhale: More of You…
Exhale: Less of me.
Finding Peace in the Middle of Motherhood
Motherhood will always have overwhelming moments. There will be long days, unfinished to-do lists, worries about our kids, and times when we wonder if we’re doing enough.
But we don’t have to carry those moments alone.
Sometimes, we don’t need a long prayer or the perfect words. We simply need to turn our hearts back to Jesus.
That’s what I love about these breath prayers for moms. In just a few quiet words, we can remind ourselves of what is true: God is with us. His grace is sufficient. His strength is enough. And when our hearts are overwhelmed, we can run to the Rock that is higher than we are.
The next time motherhood feels like too much, stop for just a moment. Take a slow breath and pray.
Inhale: Jesus, You are my peace.
Exhale: I will trust in You.
Then take the next step, trusting that you don’t have to be a perfect mom. You simply need to keep turning your heart toward a perfect Savior.
