The Holy Spirit, The Powerful Breath Within You

“Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”” (Joshua 6:4-5 NIV, Bible App)

“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed.” (Nehemiah 7:1 NIV)

“When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon’…..When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.” (Judges 7:18, 22 NIV)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” (Acts 16:25-26 NIV)

In these Scriptures, we see music being used in unusual ways. We see the blowing of trumpets causing wars to be won. We see the utilization of singers (Levites) for protection at the gates. We see the use of singing to bring about freedom. What is behind the music originating from our body that makes it so powerful to overcome these obstacles? It is the use of the breath of God, the Ruah, placed within us!

We have discussed in the past the importance of God’s breath in and for our body. Not only has it given us life, sustaining our bodies to live on this earth, but there is so much more healing to its essence. In fact, the deeper the breath, the healthier our bodies, physically and spiritually!

We have seen and often encourage the deep breath in medicine. Many health professionals encourage activities that promote deep breathing (e.g. exercise, meditation) to evoke its many mental and PHYSICAL healing benefits. However, we can’t forget about the other ways we powerfully use the breath of God as in singing or blowing musical instruments. Not only do these activities require us to take in a deep breath but, because they do, there is spiritual power behind them! It doesn’t make much sense in our tangible world how these activities would evoke God’s supernatural powers but they do!

In these stories, we notice the power of God’s breath coming from the body to overcome the obstacles at hand. But, what we likely realize, is this isn’t the typical way that we would tackle the issues in these verses. It wouldn’t be considered normal for singers to promote protection at an entrance. Furthermore, singing wouldn’t be utilized to evoke physical freedom causing chains to break. And, the usage of musical instruments is not generally a strategy that is used to win wars. However, the point of these verses wasn’t just to tell an impressive story. It was to remind us about the POWER in our utilization of the deep breath of God! 

This power in using God’s deep breath works for two reasons. First, quite simply, it is to show how we must trust in God, no matter how impossible a situation may seem! It may not make sense in our physical world but we must walk by OUR FAITH! God does things in totally different ways than the world. This is strictly by design! When He does it His way, then we know it was He Who helped us and no other person or system of this world. Utilizing our faith, regardless of the situation or circumstance we are facing, we know He will sustain us and keep His promises to us… “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29: 11 NIV).

The other reason there is power in using His deep breath is because what we are accessing is coming STRAIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD! It was breathed directly into us straight from Him and, therefore, even though it has been placed temporally in these human bodies, it is still His! IT IS STILL HIM! Even when utilizing it in common, presumably unimportant activities such as singing and playing instruments, it still has supernatural ability when we correlate Him to it ! When we have faith in our powerful, limitless God and deeply utilize HIS BREATH within us to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks by seemingly simple measures, we can make the impossible possible!

In these verses, God is teaching us, once again, about the power of the breath of God within us. In fact, if these verses tell us anything, God wants us to know that those powerful breaths can fight our battles…the right way!!! Allowing Him, NOT US, to fight the battle! Letting those deep breaths keep our minds and hearts at peace, not focusing on the problem and worrying about it but, in fact, doing something totally outlandish (like singing or blowing a trumpet) in the face of it! This is our faith in action! We know God will handle our problems! We don’t have to perseverate on an issue at hand! We have to take a deep breath and SING! And, the beautiful thing is, when we do it His way, by utilizing those deep breaths, we are healthier not only spiritually but physically! As we are growing in our faith and trust in Him to handle our issues, the peace and love that fills our minds and hearts, physically heals our bodies (as now shown in science)!

This is why the Scripture so frequently talks about singing. We are to sing and praise God in gratitude in every situation because there is power in our breath, in this wind that comes from our bodies, which is the Holy Spirit. It should come as no surprise, then, that one of the greatest kings of Israel (an ancestor of Jesus’) was King David, a shepherd boy, a mighty warrior,…and also a singer and songwriter! He used this power of the Holy Spirit all the time to express and release the feelings he was feeling right to God, to help fight his battles, and to offer praise to God! This use of the deep breath kept Him close to God, strong in his faith, and, overall, successful in life!

This is so important in our health and healing. As discussed, there is so much physical healing in our deep breath. Any way that we can deeply breathe in the Holy Spirit, whether by deep breathing exercises or physical exercise or simply by singing or playing instruments, we should be doing it and believing in its abilities! As in the verses above showing how powerful this breath is to literally break walls and chains and win wars, we need to use God’s breath to heal our bodies and sustain our health. We think the benefits come from the deep breath physically circulating nutrients and causing chemical changes throughout the body but that is a short sighted view. It is the strong inhale of the Holy Spirit Whose power heals the body and, only then, do we see the body respond physically in a restorative manner. I know some of you might be saying that this is too much of a stretch to think that simply deep breathing can heal our bodies. However, that was the exact point of the verses above! It was to show the power of what the Holy Spirit (and FAITH!) can do when we do something as simple as taking deep breaths!! We don’t have to do as much as we always think we have to in order to heal… sometimes, it is a simple act of faith in knowing Who lives within us and what He has given us!

So, let us go sing and blow our trumpets to heal our bodies! Sing as you pray, praising and thanking God for the health and healing He promised! As Jesus told us, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV). Sing boldly and with confidence believing God has given you what you have asked for! Take those deep breaths of the Spirit in, allowing any discouragement, fear, worry, frustration to melt away and allow the peace and calm that enters your body start to move it towards health and healing (as has been shown scientifically). Your physical body will start to respond and your spirit will become empowered keeping you focused on the promise that God told you…“I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jeremiah 30:17 NIV)… “not by (your) might nor by (your) power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)… the Spirit that is the breath within you!

God is blessing you!

PS. One last thought…remember, singing is just a melodic extension of speaking. If we can heal through singing, then we can also heal through SPEAKING! When the breath of God (which also includes His Will and Spirit!) is behind your words, they come alive!! Stay tuned! More to come!