And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life:
and man became a living soul
Genesis 2:7

This verse from Genesis, which describes the creation of man, reveals something about the relationship between God and man. God created man in the most intimate way: by breathing life into his nostrils. He did not create man through uttering a command, as He did with the rest of creation. But He created man through a physically intimate act. The image of God breathing into man’s nostrils is an image of a lover, of a caring parent, of closeness.

When we pray to God and try to get close to him, we can hold in our mind this image of love, and intimacy.