Today, it’s my great joy to welcome my long-time friend (and fellow Iowan!) Kayla Craig to the blog. Kayla is a former journalist, bestselling author, and spiritual director whose work blends contemplative faith with fierce tenderness for the world God loves. She brings curiosity, compassion, and a love of connection to her writing. This week, her brand new 365-day devotional released: Our Daily Breath. The book is filled with prayers, practices, and devotional reflections that whisper peace in a shouting world. Let’s welcome Kayla to the blog, where she is sharing an excerpt from her new devotional.
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
LAMENTATIONS 3:23 (NLT)
INHALE: Your mercies are new
EXHALE: Each morning.
Mornings aren’t my thing. It takes me a while (and at least two cups of coffee) before I’m ready to face the world. But even night owls like me have to admit that something shifts with the sunrise. In the light of day, the worries that kept me up at night don’t seem so bleak.
Just like our breath, the rhythms of our days are beyond our control—day falls into night, night rises into a new day. As sure as the moon lights the night and the sun rises to meet the morning, we’re given a chance to start anew.
The rhythm of inhale and exhale, night into morning and morning into night, whispers of God’s mercy. Every new breath is an opportunity for renewal.
Jesus once told a story about a man who owed what would be billions of dollars today.* It’s hard for most of us to grasp that kind of debt. Yet after the man pleaded his case, the king forgave it all. Jesus said that’s what the Kingdom of God is like—endless mercy that surprises us. Mercy that doesn’t add up, that feels absurd in a world obsessed with keeping score.
But here’s the twist. The same man who’d just been forgiven his enormous debt encountered someone who owed him around a few thousand dollars in today’s money—pennies compared to what he’d just been released from. But instead of passing on the mercy he’d received, he lashed out, violently demanding repayment.
Mercy is the air we breathe in and what we breathe out. We live in mercy so we can give mercy—not because it makes sense, but because this is the radical reordering of Jesus.
Mercy begets mercy. Breath by breath, morning after morning, mercy overflows. No matter how dark the night, we can carry a hope that fills our lungs, rising with the sun and lingering with each dusk.
You don’t have to be a morning person for that to be true.
(* Matthew 18:21-35, NLT)
PRACTICING THE WAY: Plan a morning this week to reflect and reset. Choose one or two simple practices:
Disconnect: Leave your phone outside your bedroom at night so it’s not the first thing you see in the morning. (You might have to invest in an analog alarm clock!)
Pray: Before getting out of bed, pray Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Write: Practice three “morning pages” (a practice popularized by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way) to clear your mind. Set a timer, grab a journal, and let yourself process what you’re thinking and feeling by freewriting for a set time—no edits allowed.
Breathe: As you brew coffee or make your toast, turn making breakfast into a time of breath prayer.
Walk: Notice the light, the air, and the sounds around you.
Listen: Tune in to the daily Pray as You Go podcast as you walk or get ready for the day.
Our Daily Breath Devotional is now available. You can get your copy anywhere books are sold. Request it from your local bookstore, find it at your Barnes & Noble, or grab a copy on Amazon by clicking here.
This post contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.
Adapted from Our Daily Breath Devotional: 365 Prayers and Practices That Whisper Peace in a Shouting World by Kayla Craig. Copyright © 2026. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.
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