The 24-7 Prayer Movement initiated the spread of interactive prayer rooms. In the past, prayer rooms were a venue where people simply went to spend time in prayer. Some young people in England, however, decorated their prayer room and created ‘prayer stations’ by utilising the walls and floor space.
Nowadays, in a prayer room, you will typically find the following prayer walls and stations:
- A Worship Wall – Where you can listen to music and just be silent before the Lord.
- A Wailing Wall – Where you can pray for unsaved family and friends, and pin their names to the wall; as well as, pray for the lost using world maps.
- A Thanksgiving Wall – Where you can write “Thank You” notes to God and attach them to the wall, or put them in a container, etc.
- A Creative Wall – Where sheets of paper are pinned to the wall and people are free to express their devotion in art, drawings, poems, etc.
- A Scripture Wall – Where Scriptures are pasted on the wall so that people can pray using these Scriptures and add other Scripture verses for prayer.
There are so many ways to do a creative prayer room. The possibilities regarding the type and number of prayer stations, and how to decorate and use a prayer room, are endless. The main idea is just to be creative! The names of the prayer stations can be changed, more added and some taken away. Much of the way a prayer room is utilised depends on the focus of the prayer room, its size, the material available to furnish and decorate it and the ages of the people who will use it.
Below, you find suggestions on how to create an interactive prayer room, but it is important to understand that this is just to give you an idea of what can be done. Please decorate your prayer room in your own creative way. In this article, we discuss 14 prayer stations, i.e. 14 areas that you can decorate and furnish to help people get more actively involved in prayer when they enter the prayer room. These are only a few examples of the variety of possibilities that can be achieved when creating an interactive prayer room.
A. Facing the Cross
This is a time for introspection; asking the Lord to reveal any sin that hinders a deeper walk with Him. Then, nail it to the Cross.
Suggested Scriptures: Colossians 2:13, 14; Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20, 5:24; Matthew 16:24; Isaiah 1:18.
Materials needed: Two flat pieces of wood, a hammer and nails to make the Cross; a red cloth on which to lay it on the floor; a small, bedside lamp; coloured paper and pens.
B. A Hidden/Deeper Walk
Reflect on your relationship with the Lord and make a commitment to consecrate yourself to Him afresh.
Suggested Scriptures: Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Materials needed: White cloth to decorate the area (symbolising the righteous acts of the saints), A4 paper, pens, chairs, pillows and a floodlight for backlighting.
C. Walk of Remembrance/Remembrance Wall
This can be an altar to the Lord, where you can write the promises God has given you – those that have been fulfilled and those yet to come to fulfilment – on a white stone and add it to the heap of stones as a thanksgiving altar. Alternatively, it can be a wall of bricks, on which people can write the promises which God has given them, and then thank Him by building up the wall.
Suggested Scriptures: Joshua 4:21-24; Psalm 26:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 62:6; 2 Corinthians 1:20.
Materials needed: Fifty small stones, permanent markers, black plastic (to put the stones on), 30 bricks (or large sheets of paper to draw bricks on the wall), a floodlight on the wall or a lamp besides the altar.
D. The Potter’s House
This is a place where people can make a vessel or an ornament while contemplating God’s work in their lives.
Suggested Scriptures: Isaiah 64:8; Romans 9:21.
Materials needed: A table (covered with plastic or newspaper), clay, chairs and a small bedside lamp.
E. Dine with Me
This is a Communion Table.
Suggested Scriptures: Revelation 3:20; John 6:53-55; Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:27-28.
Materials needed: A table, table-cloth, cups, plates, juice, bread, chairs; candles and matches, small lamps or fairy lights on the table.
F. Golden Bowl
This station is where people can bring prayer requests before the Lord for any needs they have in their lives.
Suggested Scriptures: Matthew 7:7; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:15; Philippians 4:6-7; Revelation 5:8.
Materials needed: A golden bowl, table, tablecloth, pieces of paper, pens and a small lamp.
The next feature in the prayer room should be an outward focus towards unsaved family members and friends, the community and the rest of the world.
G. Wailing Wall
This is a place where people can bring prayer requests before the Lord concerning unsaved family members and friends etc. and the lost in the rest of the world. Make this an interesting spot by placing the pieces of paper containing your prayer requests in the gaps in the chicken wire. Light up this area with two small floodlights from above.
Suggested Scriptures: 2 Peter 3:8-9; Ezekiel 22:30; Colossians 4:2-6; Philippians 4:6-7.
Materials needed: Chicken wire, hooks to attach the chicken wire to the walls; pieces of paper and pens; two small floodlights.
H. Reality Wall/Altar of Incense
Pray for the needs of the community and the world. Prayers can be hung from string using clothes pegs.
Suggested Scriptures: Matthew 18:19; Philippians 4:19; Revelation 8:3-4.
Materials needed: String, hooks to attach the string to the walls, clothes pegs; newspaper clippings, adverts of upcoming community events and world events; tacks to pin the articles to the wall; two small floodlights from above.
I. Breaking the strongholds
Construct a small prison and put a table inside. Place on the table, paper and pens; a candle and matches; a basin, jug and towel. On the floor next to the table, place a rubbish bin. People can write down whatever bondages in society hamper the knowledge of God, for example, alcohol, sexual addiction, pornography, idolatry, bloodshed, racism, etc. Burn each piece of paper as you pray for God to break the bondage, and throw it in the rubbish bin.
Suggested Scriptures: John 8:32, 8:36; Isaiah 61:1.
Materials needed: Three room dividers draped with black cloth, 14 thin pieces of wood (or bamboo) to construct two ‘prison windows’; a small table, paper, pens, a candle and matches, and a rubbish bin.
J. Sowers of the Word
This station is used to pray for the nations of the world and for your own nation. Use wheat to symbolise the sowing of the Word into a nation.
Suggested Scriptures: Psalm 2:8; Deuteronomy 1:21; Daniel 7:18; Matthew 24:14.
Materials needed: Two room dividers, a map of the world and a map of your nation; articles about unreached people groups, persecuted countries, wars, etc. Grains of wheat (and something you can use to stick them to the maps) and a floodlight to light the maps from above.
You could also name this prayer station, ‘Fishers of Men’, and decorate it using fishing nets.
K. Beautiful feet
A station where people can wash one another’s feet, pray for each other and for reconciliation.
Suggested Scriptures: John 13:5, 13:14; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Matthew 5:24.
Materials needed: Six chairs and towels, three basins, buckets, jugs and a standard lamp.
The last feature in the prayer room should be a few stations to focus on God, His Kingdom and His glory.
L. The Secret Place/Throne Room
A place to sit and reflect on God’s character, His Names, etc., and to worship Him for who He is.
Suggested Scriptures: Psalm 95:6; Song of Solomon 2:10; Isaiah 55:1; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 11:28.
Materials needed: Purple, white and gold cloths, God’s names written on cardboard, chairs, cushions, water fountain and plants. One floodlight placed behind the cloths, and one placed at the bottom, focusing on the names of God.
M. Word Watch
A place where people can sit and read the Word (or a Psalm) and reflect and meditate on what they have been reading.
Materials needed: A small table, chairs, a bedside lamp and a few Bibles.
N. Creative Wall
A place where people can write, draw or paint graffiti or other art on a wall. Either people can paint/write/draw directly onto the wall covered with a large piece of paper, or they can create their work first and pin/tack/tape it to the wall. People can also display their art on easels, if they are available.
Materials needed: Table (covered with plastic or newspaper) or a wall (pre-prepared to paint on directly), paper on which to create; paint, paint brushes, coloured pens, crayons, etc., tacks/pins/tape, easels (if available).
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For more ideas: Interactive Prayer Room manual