Weekly Breath Prayers: August 2025
Every Sunday, we begin our worship services with a simple breath prayer from Milford First's lay leader to guide us through the week. Below are this month’s breath prayers along with weekly reflections from Deb Johnson. We hope these prayers are meaningful tools for your spiritual life and journey!
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Guide our daily choices, Lord, until all flourish.
Did you know that trees support each other? Through an intricate underground network of chemical signaling system they do! This network is called the “wood-wide-web” as the trees share nutrients, water, and even warnings about threats like pests or diseases. This allows all tree species to thrive and flourish, creating a more resilient ecosystem. Perhaps we humans have a bit more learning to do!
Can you imagine our world if humans were to do the same? Share resources, support each other, warn of threats? What a concept! Our breath prayer this week could be the first step to this amazing concept. We DO wish for all to flourish, right?
Our daily choices do make a difference...think of all the people you interact with in just one day! Pray for guidance, think about the many times you respond to adversity or confrontation. Pray about your daily choices. Imagine an Earth where ALL humans flourish! That just might be heaven on Earth!
Lead us all Lord to help others flourish.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Use us, O God, to bring hope and healing.
The first two words…”use us”…not “here’s what I need” nor “here’s what I am worried about today” but… "Here I am Lord, It is I Lord, use me!” I am willing to open the door and invite in whatever and whomever you send my way today.
Hope…we ALL need more hope, it seems especially right now! So we prayerfully ask our heavenly Father to provide chances for us to bring light and life to all we meet. We ask for the courage to encourage! A simple smile or an encouraging word can go a long way for someone who is discouraged!
And you may question the “healing” part of this breath prayer. I am not capable of healing! BUT think…if you offer light, love and hope, isn’t that the very best form of hope and healing our souls could ask for? You DO have that super power to heal broken hearts and heal those who are feeling low. We are truly the lucky ones....so let’s pray for the ability to share that Good News!
Sunday, August 17, 2025
We lovingly lift these confirmands to You, gracious Lord!
Wow! We have an amazing opportunity to welcome these young people into the church of Christ! We are the lucky ones! So it seems fitting to lift them up all week with this breath prayer! We show them our care and support by committing to surround them with love. The power of prayer is a mighty one!
For the past 6 weeks, these confirmands have given up. their Sundays to learn about the church and their faith. They have been inquisitive and venerable. In the process, they have discovered their inner beliefs and considered their future choices. You as a congregation have much to share in experience and thoughts but your greatest gift to offer is Christ’s love.
In the famous words of one our confirmands, “No matter how I am feeling when I walk in, I walk out with a smile on my face.” Now that is true wisdom! Wrap your hearts and minds upon these confirmands all week and into the future because they ARE our future!
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Wrap your arms around our youth, Lord, as we nurture them in faith.
How amazing was it to welcome 11 fantastic young people into our church family? They are inquisitive, bright and articulate and certainly worthy of our love and support! Today, we also have the opportunity to bless our students and educators as they head into a new school year, worthy of our prayers of love and support as well. So this week we focus our breath prayer upon our youth.
I think we can all agree it is challenging to be a young person growing up in this world. Peer pressure, social media, in addition to academic all must be navigated at a younger and younger age. The beauty is that we as a church family can wrap our arms around them and show them the love of Christ. We can let our lights shine as they navigate these darker paths.
The seeds have been planted. It is our responsibility to nurture them. When we take that task on with smiles, hugs and genuine faith support, life can only become brighter for all of us. We have been blessed with an incredible opportunity…let’s pray fiercely for all of our youth!
Sunday, August 31, 2025
So many generous hearts - we lift them up in love.
Today we celebrate Missions Sunday and highlight some of our volunteers. Truth be told, so many of you out there have such generous hearts and give in so many ways! We pray today for all of those who have already answered the call, taking Christ’s light out into the world. We lift up those who donate their time, money and talents to make this world a better place for someone else.
Spirit is always there nudging us to offer ourselves up in service. The amazing thing is when you do offer generosity, you end up feeling even better yourself! That generosity can be as simple as a listening ear or a warm hug. Being fully present to someone in need is a true art.
Lifting each other up in prayer is a generous gift in itself! Sincerely praying for those who volunteer surrounds them with the love of Christ. We are the sum total of our own generosity. This church is a beacon of light for so many others! Let us continue to love and support one another as we move out into the world!
