Faith-optional resets
Breath prayers for anxious moments
A breath prayer is a short line of Scripture you pray in two halves: the first half as you breathe in, the second as you breathe out. Choose a prayer, press start, and let the orb pace each line for you.
By Amanda Perry, founder of Reset Buddy and author of From Burnout to Breakthrough
Updated 11 November 2026
Pray as you breathe
Psalm 23:1
Get ready
3
The LORD is my shepherd / I shall not want.
In for 4, out for 6. One round is about 10 seconds. Breathe gently, and stop if you feel dizzy.
How to pray a breath prayer
Pick one prayer below
Whichever line feels closest to what you need right now. There's no right one.
Breathe in slowly through your nose with the first line
Pray it silently or under your breath while the orb grows, for about 4 counts.
Breathe out a little longer with the second line
Let the out-breath be slow and unhurried, about 6 counts, as the orb gets smaller.
Repeat 5 times, or until your shoulders drop
Five rounds take under a minute. Stay with the same line, or move to another one.
You don't need the right words or a quiet room. A breath prayer works at a desk, in the car before you go in, or lying awake at night. If your mind wanders, that's fine: come back to the next breath and the next line.
Six breath prayers from Scripture
Tap a prayer to use it with the orb above. Each one shows the line for the in-breath, the line for the out-breath, and the full verse from the Berean Standard Bible.
Scripture is from the Berean Standard Bible, which is in the public domain. The out-breath line for Philippians 4:6-7 is a short paraphrase, so it's marked "from".
Why a breath prayer may help
When you feel anxious, your thoughts can race faster than you can follow them. Pairing a slow out-breath with a short, familiar phrase gives a racing mind one simple thing to follow. The breath slows down, and the words give your attention somewhere to rest.
Slow breathing with a longer out-breath is one of the better-studied ways to calm down in the moment. You can read the research, and its limits, on our science page. A breath prayer isn't a treatment, and it won't take away what you're facing. It's a way to pause and pray in the middle of it.
Inside the app, faith is optional
Inside the app, faith is optional: add prayer and Scripture to your resets, or keep them neutral. You choose whether to switch the faith layer on, and you can change your mind any time.
For a breathing reset without words, try the 5-minute nervous system reset or the box breathing timer.
Keep going
More free tools and guides
- Physiological sighTwo breaths in through the nose, one long breath out. A guided reset in under a minute.
- Box breathing timerIn 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. A free guided timer with a square to follow.
- Interactive feelings wheelTap how you feel, find the exact word, then try a reset matched to it.
- 5-4-3-2-1 groundingName what you can see, feel, hear, smell and taste, one tap at a time.
- Brown noise playerBrown, pink or white noise in your browser, with a fade-out timer.
- 5-minute nervous system resetBreathe, shake it out, ground yourself, take one small step. Guided and free.
- When everything feels too muchA free 90-second reset, then six steps for calming down when you're overwhelmed.
- Overwhelmed at workA discreet 90-second reset for your desk, between meetings and before your inbox.
- Can't switch off at nightA gentle 3-minute wind-down: write it down, low brown noise, slow breathing.
- White vs pink vs brown noiseHow the three noise colours differ, what research shows, and a player to compare.
- The science behind the resetsThe published research behind each technique, graded honestly, with its limits.
- Free Right-Now Reset KitSix two-minute resets on one pocket card, sent to your inbox.
Pray, breathe, then take one small step.
Reset Buddy starts with a feelings wheel. Tap how you feel, breathe with a calm orb, then do one simple activity matched to that feeling. Switch on the faith layer to add breath prayers and Scripture, or keep it neutral.
Start your free trial. After that, $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Cancel any time.