August Breather Month
We invite all of our Lifesprings community leaders, prayer partners, stewards, and friends to join us for the month of August in practicing sabbath rest as God might lead. Over the next four weeks, Tuesday Together writings will center around the theme of rest. In place of all our regularly scheduled meetings, we invite our community to spend more intentional time each day in silence, solitude and rest with God, to focus on “being” with Him rather than “doing.” There is no formula or set of rules for “breather” month — just take time to “be” with God.
Here is a PDF with some suggestions to help you draw closer to God during the month:
We pray breathing a month of refreshing Sabbath air will be a time of life giving and soul strengthening for you.
Listen:
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.” (Psalm 62:5 NIV)
Reflect:
As we enter our Lifesprings Breather Month, with the focus on rest, restoration, a pause from meetings and organisation, these words encourage me to let my soul rest in God. The psalmist is tormented by the wickedness around him, yet he knows that he can find a place of solace and hope in God.
Today I was reading about Susanna Wesley. Educating her ten children was her vocation. To find rest in the midst of this, she would simply throw her apron over her head and that was her place of solace and prayer. I have much more time and space, yet I don’t always find rest in the way she did. My mind is often the place where rest struggles to find a home.
Our Father instructs us to ‘Be still and know that I am God’ Psalm 46:10. This is a command I want to take to heart this breather month. To stop, to breathe, to listen, to see God in the small things, the leaves on the trees, the sound of the wind rustling through them, a bee buzzing, a cricket chirping. This is where I find rest in God and I am thankful for His creation providing me with inspiration to see Him without striving. In the night, when sleep evades me, using a breath prayer helps calm my mind and focus it on the hope I have in God. So yes, this breather month, and all the other months of the year, I will find rest in God and my hope in Him will be my focus.
Prayer of Response:
Father, my soul calls out to You in my unrest and you respond with a still, small voice that calms me and brings me hope. I will praise you in the midst of chaos, help me to look away from the distractions and look at your loving face and find rest. Amen.
Questions to Ponder:
- What helps you to find rest in God: His word, a song, a book, a creative hobby, exercise—can you focus on one of these during breather month?
- If you don’t already have a special place of solace, could you find one that will help you focus on God’s rest for your soul – yes, it could even be putting a veil over your face?
Breath Prayer:
As a new weekly rhythm, join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale(Breathe in): My soul
Exhale(Breathe out): find rest in God
—Submitted by Lis Lo
Lis is an empty nester, living in Lyon, France. Lis attended her first Lifesprings retreat in 2010 and was part of the LSM Lyon team as well as the retreat team in May this year. She is involved in the prayer ministry team at her church and has a heart for getting alongside women and healthy ageing. She is a pilates instructor and is finding much joy in providing a peaceful and encouraging haven for her students. Her ‘word’ for this year is ‘steadfast’.