 Coming Up to Breathe received positive reception from music critics. Steve Losey of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying "In a concerted effort to revert back to the days when they were more a rock band and less of a hitmaking machine, MercyMe delivers. While it's certainly not heavy metal, the songs definitely keep driving forward. Guitars are more prominent and production leans on a more earthy formula ... MercyMe is able to rock on portions of each song but they always bring it back to a memorable chorus or a hooky verse. That's the formula that has always worked for them, and it does here, too". Deborah Evans Price of Billboard noted that "For the most part, MercyMe has built a multiplatinum foundation on compelling power ballads. But on this set, the Texas band rocks out with passion and edgy intensity. It doesn 't stray so far that it would alienate the faithful, but it delivers a powerful collection of pop / rock that should take the band's career to a new level". She also praised Millard's vocals and called it a "landmark album in an already impressive career". Mark Joseph of CCM Magazine gave the album a B-; he called the album "enjoyable" but suggesting that a stronger producer or A & R team would have resulted in better lyrics. Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms gave the album nine out of ten stars, praising the vocals and string arrangements as well as the choir on "Bring the Rain". Russ Breimeier of The Fish called Coming Up to Breathe MercyMe's "best album to date" and an "impressive step in the right direction for a band that many have pegged to be too formulaic", but derided the album's "simplistic songwriting".
