Prayer Pondering and Promting

There is a lot of praying going on at FPC. All for good reasons, including, but not limited to: expressing gratitude, intercession for pain, seeking discernment, lifting others in care, and sometimes, simply reaching out for a relationship with our gracious and merciful loving Creator. 

Today, I am compelled to share an eclectic collection of prayer practices in our blog time together. Though the ideas seem 

Yvette Wyatt

random, don’t despair, I do have an intended presentational order in mind. After all, teaching is my jam! (Is that still a thing – ‘It’s my jam’? Probably not.) ​

So let’s begin there. In the FPC Pre-K class, we have an opening and closing prayer time. And because we are wiggly-jiggly, we first do body-calming prayer prep. The children not only take turns choosing which strategy we will use, but they are also contributing inventors of new ways to calm our bodies in preparation to ‘talk to God’. Adding a repeating movement to an intention helps create body memory, which in turn, supports the desired outcome, even for adults.

---

Pre-K Prayer Prep: 3 Deep Breaths

• Roller coaster: Hold up three (just 3) fingers on one hand. Then, with the pointer from the other hand, chug up one side of the first finger, INHALE. Drop down the other side, EXHALE. Repeat with the two remaining fingers. Counting quietly, “1… 2… 3…”. Challenge – just 3! 
• Flower/Candle: Hold one pointer finger in front of your face. INHALE – smell the flower at the tip of the finger, EXHALE – gently blow the single candle out. Repeat twice. Challenge – no spittle on the cake as you blow the candle out.
• Boss Hands: Hold hands with fingers spread out, in front of the chest, with the fingertips of the right-hand mirror touching the fingertips of the left (“Like a boss”, the inventor explained). INHALE – hands with fingertips still touching, elongate. EXHALE – fingertips push back to the center. Hands look like lungs filling, then emptying of oxygen. Repeat two more times.

---

Centering Breath Prayers 
Now that we have warmed up our INHALE and EXHALE, we are perfectly positioned to practice Centering Breath Prayers. Sometimes life feels too heavy and dense with so much going on. Often, a simple Breath Prayer of praise or petition, repeated as needed, provides the release necessary for the moment.
This style of prayer is helpful to focus your intention in specific circumstances or if you have been reading scripture and an inspired thought has emerged. Simply identify and divide a full thought into an Inhale part followed by an Exhale part. Repeat for 10 to … 100 or more breaths. 

As examples, here are the breath prayers from our recent
Courage to Flourish Women’s Summit:

Inhale
“I don’t need to know”
“It is You, Oh God,”
“Breathe a new dream”
“Oh God, I am not alone.”
“May all I do”

Exhale
​“What comes next.”
“Who Makes good things grow.”
“Into me, Oh Lord.”
“You have been here all along.”
“Be an act of worship”

---

Walking Prayer
Perhaps you, like I, find that praying while outside provides better focus. This is especially true if I am walking and my gaze is captured by new objects as they come into view: emerging spring growth offers thoughts of gratitude for creation; noticing neighbors inspires prayer for the needs only God knows about; even the act of walking provides the opportunity to praise our Lord.

Certainly, our own neighborhoods provide ample occasions for prayer, yet I challenge you to walk or drive around the FPC block with the intention to notice all there is for which to offer prayers. The first time this idea was shared was in a Session Meeting. Charlie Nipp shared some of the history of FPC with incoming Elders, and he encouraged us to tour all the rooms in the church, considering how we benefit from the amazing faithfulness of those who were stewards before us. 
​
So, with this idea in mind, I am including the legend for the map of the church property and possible prayer topics. The map itself is provided as a link at the end of this blog.

---

Prayer Walk Within & Around the FPC Block

Walking either through the church or around the perimeter of the FPC property, consider the decades of answered prayers and the future blessings that will take place because of the love born from the first love of Christ. May you offer prayers of gratitude for the people whose faithfulness has made possible all that we currently steward and prayers of petition that would be a blessing for those coming after us. 

Sanctuary (1908)

• Original Church Building- Sabbath School
  • Refurbished/updated (by an amazing team) as part of the Big Five Moves campaign
  • Gathering Worship space: sermons, music, prayer
    
    

Krueger Hall (2018) and Hunter Building (1956)

• Completed as one of the goals of the Big Five Moves campaign; artistic and accessible transition space between the entrance, Krueger Hall, and the Sanctuary; envisioning intergenerational use 
  • Fellowship/Hospitality: Gatherings & connection; welcome, celebration, and remembrance space
  • Children: Nursery, Children’s Room (Keefer Cabin), Youth Room – Jr & Sr High, Adults in Lakeside Room
  • Second Floor Rooms: Sunday School classes for Pre-K through 5th grade, Faith Presbyterian Fellowship Chapel, CDAIDE office, Jubilate Children’s Choir, and Family Promise ministry several times a year.
  • Basement level: The Love First Neighborhood Closet, Bell Choir Room, History Room, and our AA Meeting space.
    
    

501 South West Corner Rental Property and Parking Lots (1977)

• United Way of North Idaho: a nonprofit supporting youth opportunity, healthy community, financial security, and community resiliency
• Good Samaritan Thrift: a nonprofit supporting folks in addiction recovery
• Ascend Pediatric Therapy: Emily Slater, Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) Therapist, treating children with motor delay to support progress towards developmental milestones 
  
  

Family Life Center (Gym, Kitchen, Fireside Room, Admin Office spaces) (1988)

• Gym/Kitchen – Church gatherings/group use: potlucks, Sunday Kid Zone, Pickleball groups; Community: Ecumenical Kitchen, dance/music practice space, Green Summit
• Fireside Room – Leadership & Community: Session and Deacon meetings, Knitting for Warmth
• Admin Offices: Pastor McLane, Kierstie Renninger - Family Ministry Director, Bonnie Piovesan - Administrator, Naomi White and Susie Olson - Receptionists, Janet Starkey - Communication Director, Stephanie Rogge - Bookkeeper, Mikal Johnson - Custodian, and our lyrical Music staff - Jenny Shotwell, Deborah Sinn, and Renee Kurtz
• Earth Care Team Reflection Garden- a green space created to offer a place to rest and reflection, a gentle invitation for our neighbors to visit
  
  

520 North East Corner Rental Property (2025)

• Property purchased in 2025 as a long-term goal- completion of ‘whole block footprint’
  • Current use – Rental income for FPC
    • Scout Industries: survey and research for potential mining deposits 
  • Future use – Holy Spirit-inspired ministry opportunities
    
    

Our Neighbors

• Those who live and work around us each day
  

---

In closing, I am sharing a favorite part of our Contemplative service prayer time. Susan Lauer, the talented crafter of this prayer service, describes it beautifully: “It is like a shield.”

Spirit, thank You for praying with me,
and I acknowledge that there are
no places You have abandoned,
no people You have forgotten,
no tasks You shy away from,
and no powers You fear.

​Peace, Yvette

​Map of Church Property