ver.: 23 October 2007
In past eras when crime inside churches was rare, the church sanctuaries were open most, and often all, of the time, ready for anyone with spiritual needs to come in and pray in peace. As with everything else nowadays, the fears, expense, staffing and effort to do that is too much for most congregations. But then, where can we pray? Anywhere, I suppose, but the rest of our lives and our world get in the way. There is still a need for a place to go, set aside for the purpose of praying, set up to help us in the act of praying. Often, this would be an outdoor area, such as at a riverside, or (as in Korea) on a hill on or near the site, or (as for the English) in a garden, or (especially in Africa) under large shady trees, for morning prayer and meditation. A few believer's groups have put praying spaces and prayer vigil sites in unexpected places, along the mean streets, in the shopping malls and outlet centers, and in the hubs of hedonism.
A growing proportion of churches are setting aside a special room solely for the purpose of prayer. There are several models for this, each reflecting a different approach to prayer. These are places to actually pray, rather than places to think about or learn about prayer.
In the prayer closet model, a small room is chosen. It is designed to be a private room for prayer, though it needs to be large enough for at least two so a comforting presence can be given to those who need it, or perhaps for prayers of confession. This style is best when it is in a stripped-down form : a padded kneeler, a basic altar-like area with a cross on or behind it, a pair of soft-seated folding chairs, a box of tissues. A less basic approach would add sound-deadening walls or sound-canceling headphones to provide maximum silence for the praying person. Some churches would find the prayer closet to be too individualistic, a me-and-God way of faith, but if it is part of a congregation's wider prayer practices, it does not have to be so. Most churches lack the space or money for much more than this sort of a room; it is sometimes quite literally a former utility closet.
In the larger prayer room model, the room is large enough to do some walking around in, maybe large enough for several different things to be happening at once. It always has an outside door (so it can be used when the rest of the building is locked), but may not have an inside door (for security reasons). It may have the walls set up in sections, each dedicated to some different aspect of prayer : prayer for missions and missionaries in one section, prayer for the church's staff in another, still another for posting prayer requests. Other spots would have icons, headphone music and art for contemplative prayer, or a place for answered prayers and other thanksgivings, or a section for prayer journaling with a table, pad, pencils and such, or perhaps even an "E.R." section with assigned prayer ministers and an emergency phone for stat-calling a prayer helper if one is not there. If the room is large enough, there may be a labyrinth that courses through a changing set of prayer challenges and hard questions about life, prayer, and God. Noone that I know of has the whole idea in effect. Some partial varieties of this model are found among the larger US non-denominational congregations, and in several urban prayer ministries. It is quite adaptable to places outside of the parish grounds, and for use by people who are allergic to churchy formats.
A report on one church's prayer room was found in the Covenant Companion magazine, Feb 2005. The report is great, but especially dig the photos of what this type of mid-sized prayer room looks like, right down to the note-laden walls and ceilings, and the "sin shredder". A wonderfully glorious mess, made by people simply giving themselves over to God.
Another current example is in Vernon, BC, where they've made a video on the room and the experience of people taking a scheduled hour in the prayer room for purposes of a 24/7 prayer vigil.
The oldest of the current models is that of the prayer chapel, most commonly found in parishes of the 'liturgical' churches. It is set up like a small sanctuary, with an altar that has the Bible and (actual or symbolic) Eucharist elements, sometimes a baptismal font, hymnals, and (unfortunately) several rows of pews. The walls would have stations of the cross, or icons or other contemplative faith-art, or congregationally-made paintings and banners. The chapel room can be used for small weddings and specialized worship services. (Some see that as an advantage, others as a problem.) While this model is fine with liturgicals like me, for many others its churchy atmosphere will cause the wrong kind of discomfort.
A "prayer station" is usually a place set aside for prayer in the back or sides of the worship hall / sanctuary. It can be set up with a combination of candles, crosses, icons, Scripture passages, devotional questions, a prayer notebook (for sharing thoughts and asking questions), a box for prayer requests, photos, art, prayer concerns lists, video images, music (through headphones), and a soft place to kneel or sit. (You don't need to have all of these, just what is right for your church.) Have in it only what's directly for use in prayer and meditation; it is dedicated to and focused only on prayer. It can be made of, or include, a portable kneeler / altar. Many places that have prayer stations allow people to use the stations freely, even during worship services, sermons, classes, and meetings. There may even be a trained prayer helper "on duty" to pray with you. This not only shows prayer's high priority, but (more importantly) puts this space at the ready for the moments when the Spirit is touching us. There must be strict rules, though, against using it as an area to chat in. There are other places for that. If other people are led to pray there, they will see the chatterers and walk away.
One or more of these options may suit your parish especially well. A congregation with a place for prayer in its churchly life needs a place for prayer in its churchly facilities.
There's also a need for a place where anyone can find information about prayer and prayer ministries. The best place for this is somewhere near the place set aside for prayer, but not directly in it (unless it's part of a large-style prayer room), in the form of a kiosk or table. Do you want to learn more about:
If your church is serious about prayer, it needs a place where people can do their own self-starting on the road to a prayerful life, a place that is ready when they need it. Prayer can be safe, easy, and natural for people to do. A wise congregation will give people every opportunity to do it, and take down any barriers that might stop them.
One of the tools that praying parishes have found most helpful is the prayer wall or bulletin board. It's space set aside for posting what's been happening on a specific prayer concern of the congregation, usually where the prayer information is. The news may be an update on the condition of a cancer patient. It may be word from former members who moved to Arizona, that they've settled in safely. It may be praising God for a new job, or for healing, or for a new baby. When they go to or leave worship services, people will see the board, and thus also see that the prayers are having an impact. It gives everyone something to praise about. A few pastors have tried to use it as a place to put thinly-disguised announcements or commentaries; when that's done, the wall becomes distrusted or ignored and won't have its intended effect.
A personal space for prayer can really be just about anywhere that you can stay (relatively) undisturbed. Perhaps there's a quiet place in a park or woods or field, or a garden (as Jesus did). Maybe there's a really good rock to sit on, overlooking the beach and the sea. Your place may be up on the roof of a flat-roof apartment building or dorm, or maybe on a balcony or even a fire escape. Indoors, maybe it's the bedroom your children grew up in and left, or a corner of the den. Or maybe all you can muster up is a closet. God doesn't care if there's still a mop in it, what matters to God is that you are in it. When you get down to it, it's only a prayer room when someone's praying in it. (You're more likely to use the room if it's cleaned out and set aside just for prayer.)
There are some good things to have on hand in personal prayer places. A Bible, perhaps a notepad and pen for thoughts or a journal for journaling, perhaps headphones and some music or nature sounds. Indoors, a lamp is a good idea; outdoors, a flashlight would help.
The prayer space is not chosen so people can see you pray,
nor is it a place to relax and fuzz out. It is a place to lose
yourself in or to lose track of time, a place to wrestle with
the Creator, "to feel one's body made a temple of the Holy
Ghost", as Charles Spurgeon put it. What matters most is not
the place itself; what matters is that it helps you to be able
to pay full attention to the most important of all
relationships.
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