Everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. Galatians 5:14 (msg)
That’s the anchor verse for July 4 in my upcoming new release, Our Daily Breath: 365 Prayers and Practices that Whisper Peace in a Shouting World.
But before we get to that…
The printers sent over an official sample copy of the hardcover to my publisher, and my editor just sent it to me, and wow. (!!!!!!) The design team outdid themselves. If To Light Their Way is a type of book you have on a coffee table…this one is one you want to have on a coffee table and your nightstand, too. It’s hardcover with embossed gold foil on the front and back…and just so gorgeous inside with these daily breath prayers and readings.
I wrote a daily devotional I’d actually like to read…and I hope it’s one that resonates with you, too. One that offers an exhale. That helps you breathe in compassion and exhale action. That reminds you of the grace, mercy, and love of God. That whispers peace in a shouting world.
Want to see a couple of insider shots before anyone else?
It may sound cliché, but I am just incredibly grateful for the privilege of sharing my words in this way. I hope when you hold this year of work in your hands, you feel a little less alone and a little more rooted in a Love bigger than what we can ever fathom.
I always say this about my prayers, and it’s true with this book, too:
These aren’t my prayers.
They’re ours.
INHALE: Because of Your love
EXHALE: I will love freely.
A man, pamphlet in hand, recently knocked on my friend’s front door. As soon as my friend opened it, the man launched into the exact steps to “get right with God.” He even offered a scripted prayer to recite. His words were well-meaning, but they misinterpreted the liberating gospel of Christ’s love as merely a formula for salvation.
Paul reminded the early church that reducing faith to legalistic rules and rituals was an exercise in missing the point. The whole of God’s law, he said, is fulfilled in a single sentence: “Love others as you love yourself.”
Jesus taught that love of God and love of neighbor are the heart of every command.
Love isn’t a sentimental afterthought—it’s the center on which everything rests.
We don’t have to be held back by religious rules that tell us we’ll never be good enough or by the broken ways of our world that prompt us to disregard others and worship at the altar of self.
Our love for others reflects our relationship with Christ. Our love for God is the guiding force in all our interactions with our neighbors.
We are free from the pressure to perform, free from trying to pray the “perfect” prayer, free from needing to get everything exactly right. We don’t have to make ourselves right with God—because in Christ, God has already made us whole.
And when we trust in that truth, we live into a freedom that embodies love in real life. It is the overflow of God’s love for us, which transforms into our love for others, moving beyond rote prayers into holy actions.
Spirit of breath, Spirit of life,
You are the God who sets us free.
Part our lips, expand our lungs.
Help us drink deep
The cool promise of freedom,
The shattering of chains,
The fullness of You.
In You, we have
A new way,
A new breath,
A new hope.
We confess: Too often, we settle
For musty basement air
Over the liberating breath of heaven.
But now—fill us.
With peace.
With mercy.
With goodness.
In every inhale, we receive
What You restore.
Amen.
If you’re able, purchasing copies of Our Daily Breath from your retailer of choice is an amazing gift to me as an author. If you see authors talking about preorders, rest assured it’s not because we want to inflate our egos. (I guarantee you most of us actually cringe a ton doing marketing! We just want to write!) It’s because preorders indicate to publishers and bookstores that there is genuine demand for our work, which leads to more marketing efforts and a greater likelihood that books will be in stock and on display.
Preorders also count toward that first push of book sales, which can lead to bestseller status, which means it’s shown to more people. I know it sounds convoluted, and that’s because it is. (What an incredible but also weird job it is to be a writer!)
If you’re able to put in your order early, it genuinely means more than you know. (Yes, one book sale at a time really does matter!) I am working on some thank-you gifts as a token of my appreciation.
My publisher can also offer bulk discounts, and I think Our Daily Breath would make an awesome choice for small groups, churches, book clubs, and more.
Get your copy at Bookshop
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from page 234 of Every Season Sacred
Paul encourages the church, reminding them that they were called to be free (verse 1). This freedom, he says, means that rules and regulations are no longer the most important things in our lives. Instead, the only thing that matters is “faith expressing itself through love” (verse 6, niv). As the passage progresses, it becomes clear that when we tend the soil of our hearts, the Holy Spirit grows fruit there. The same is true of our families. As we live out our faith together by loving our neighbors and being loved by God, we will find our gardens being filled with the fruit of the Spirit.
Instead of relying on religious rules to give scaffolding to the soul of our families, what if we began to trust the Holy Spirit to help us cultivate goodness in our rhythms together—for the flourishing of not just our family but all people?
“I want to raise these amazing, beautiful, frustrating children to become wise and strong, kind and generous, loving and whole individuals who love God and love their neighbors well,” writes Sarah Bessey. “And just as I mother my children with that endgame in mind, I do believe the Holy Spirit mothers us with an endgame. It’s not only our own wholeness, it is also for the wholeness of the world.”
from page 275 of Every Season Sacred
The love of Christ swings wide the gates of oppression, releasing us from the bondage of violence and hate. As I write this, politicians are screaming at each other, refusing to let history and empathy meet. As they shout with red faces and turn their backs on justice, they’re losing sight of humanity—of God’s reflection in others and themselves.
As followers of Jesus, we must stand firm in the truth that this is not the way. Jesus sets us free from legalism and tribalism. Jesus sets us free from a scarcity mindset and a lust for power. In Jesus, God invites us into a better way. Jesus gives us life—and life abundant (see John 10:10). This is freedom! This is good news.
Lisa Sharon Harper says that God broke into the universe to disrupt humanity’s reign.
A confrontation had long brewed between what she calls the “dominion of humanity and the dominion of God.”21 In the person of Jesus, God confronted the rulers of this world. This is the freedom we stand firm in. This is the freedom that compels us to lay down our weapons.
I teach my kids that if you’re going to go to jail, go to jail bearing witness to what’s true and right, like many civil rights leaders did in the 1960s. If you’re thrown to the lions, let it be because you worship the ways of God and refuse to worship the ways of the world.
This is freedom! This is good news.
Needing a bit of a reset? Below, you’ll find a breath prayer to make your own for each day of the week this week. You’ll also get a curated playlist about belonging, prompts for personal reflection or as jumping-off points for intentional conversation, a spiritual formation practice, and more.
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