We have already touched on what Christian Prayer Rooms are and where to find them in our previous post. So, once I learned what a prayer room was, I was ready to take my new knowledge a step further. Now I was ready to create a prayer room. Not only did I want to create my very own prayer room, but I wanted it to encourage deeper prayer to strengthen my faith.
What are Prayer Room Ideas to strengthen your faith? Choose your room wisely. Then create the room to suit your needs and preferences. Keep the space personal by adding what you connect with the most such as natural elements, symbolic representatives, Biblical scriptures, and worship music in the room. These personal connection points will deepen your prayer life. Deepening your prayer life will strengthen your faith.
Ideas to Start
First things first; you must choose a space. A designated room, very large or very small. No matter the size, ideally, the entire space should be set apart. So, no, I do not mean just a corner of any room.
The room is crucial to the entire prayer experience. And every prayer room idea will be determined by the space you choose. Keep in mind that the room does not have to be extraordinary, but it should truly fit with your lifestyle.
So even if you don’t own a mansion with many spare rooms or have a massive church, you can still find a prayer room.
Finding the Room
Think creatively… and purposefully… Any room in your home, church, or ministry that does not get used regularly has the potential to be a prayer room.
Have all of your children left home, and you’re still keeping their bedrooms around? What a perfect space for a prayer room. Or does that office in your home never really get used? Also, a perfect place for a prayer room. Could that nursery space next to the church sanctuary also be used as the church prayer room? If yes, then you have a perfect space for a prayer room.
I even know families who have used their walk-in closet as a prayer room…
So, let the prayer room suit your life. Jesus does not ask us to be extraordinary with our prayer spaces, He just longs for us to pray.
How to Create Your Prayer Room
Let’s not forget about aesthetics here. What do you like? How can your prayer room fit the rest of your home or organization? And, most importantly, how will you best connect with the Lord?
Lighting
Do you need plenty of lighting to help you focus? Some people say that bright lighting will keep them in fervent prayer so that they do not become sleepy. Scripture calls us to stay awake and to be watchful, so maybe the bright lighting is right for you.
For others, they need to calm their mind. To help them meditate on God, they will use a softer, ambient light to help them relax. This helps to take away the anxiety of the world. Having a calm place to pray is ideal for most, and lighting is an excellent way to ensure this calm.
Colors
God made us to be personal creatures and to enjoy His colorful world, so choose away! Choosing the right colors can really help your prayer room be personal to you. Allow the room to be your favorite color, to be a color that your whole family picked together, or a color that helps you keep calm.
Design
Do you enjoy decorating? If yes, then there is no need to exclude this from your prayer room. Decorating your prayer room cam include prayer symbolism, of course. But that is not all. You can have family photos to make the space family-oriented. Having photos or beautiful objects that you enjoy should be included in your prayer room because you want it to be a happy place. Make it a place you enjoy, because after all, prayer is a joyful journey.
Furniture
This will greatly vary on where your prayer room is within your home or ministry. Your prayer room may be so small that you cannot even fit a recliner, or it may be so large that you can fit rows and rows of chairs. Don’t worry too much. Again, let it fit your life. Do you have a couch that would fit nicely in your prayer room? Then use it. Or maybe old pews from the church? That’s fine for the church’s prayer room.
Make a trip to your local home goods store or even a thrift store. There are plenty of ways to create a comfortable room for prayers, such as spare blankets and pillows. Maybe buy a new lamp or rug to tie the entire room together. It is up to you and your budget.
How to Keep the Space Personal to You
How do you connect in prayer?
Nature
Some enjoy looking at nature to connect with the Lord. If this is you, then a window in your prayer room would be most beneficial. If you cannot have a window in your prayer room, consider having portraits, photos, and paintings of nature. Change the images every so often, as you feel the need to connect in new ways.
Symbolism
Some symbols that help Christians connect in prayer include crosses, images of Christ, the symbol of the Trinity, and written prayer testimonies. Many people feel that having a cross in the room reminds them that their prayers are being heard. Written prayer testimonies will help you remember that prayers are powerfully answered, therefore it will encourage you to keep praying.
If you do not know which symbol you best connect with, if any, then I encourage you to give any or all a try! There is no reason not to. You never know how each symbol will impact you.
Scripture
Reading Scripture is one of the best ways to connect in prayer. Reading God’s word will strengthen your prayer walk, it will remind you of the promises He has made to you, and it will encourage you to press in. Meditating on Scripture is a form of prayer as well. So having posted Scripture around is a great option for a prayer room.
Worship
Many people, like myself, enjoy having worship music playing while in the prayer room. Worship music can range from hymns to the most contemporary of music. Regardless, the intent is all the same. The music should aid you in fixing your eyes on your Heavenly Father.
Hearing words, melodies, and tunes that focus on His greatness, His Faithfulness, His holiness, etc. can help you to be fervent in your prayer. When we look upon His goodness, it helps us to pray.
Practical ideas for worship in the prayer room include a Bluetooth speaker (so you can play all of those favorites in your library), a computer with speakers connected to YouTube for new playlist ideas, or even a book of hymns to help your soul connect to the words of worship.
Differences in Prayer Rooms
Prayer rooms, as mentioned in our previous post, can be found in homes, churches, and ministries.
How will these prayer rooms vary based upon the location?
Size
Well, size, is one of the main differences. In a home, you may only be able to use a closet as a prayer “room”. In your own home, you may be looking to make a prayer room for one individual, like yourself. If this is the case, your prayer room may be very specific to your own preferences and it may be very small. However, if the payer room in your home is for your entire family, then it should be larger and it may include all of your family’s preferences.
In the church, you may have much more space to work with for your prayer room. It may be an entire classroom that is no longer being used, it may be an office, or maybe a specific room already built into the church for prayer. In a church, the size may be much bigger than a home, but it may not be as big as some ministry prayer rooms.
In the case of a large ministry, the prayer room could be as vast as an entire church sanctuary. Is this excessive? Why absolutely not. The more people, the larger the room should be. If you want your ministry to be beaming with a heart of prayer, then make room for the entire ministry.
Intention
What is the goal? Are you trying to accomplish individual prayer in your prayer room, or to bring families together in prayer? Maybe your goal is to bring the entire congregation together in prayer.
In your home, the main intention of prayer may either be to be alone in prayer, to create a space to be more intentional with prayer or to bring prayer into the life of the entire family. This prayer room may feel more “homey” or intimate. I wouldn’t be surprised to find pillows, throw blankets, and couches.
The intention of a church or ministry will vary in different ways. The church may want to start a focus around prayer for all of its members. Or they may want a place to pray for the healing of entire families, partners, or individuals. A ministry may want a prayer room for all people to pray together at the same time. So the seating may look more like a traditional church, rather than a cozy prayer room. There may be rows of seats for all to partake in the prayer.
The spaces will appear differently based on the goals of each individual prayer room.
Making it Useful for the Whole Family
Your children may connect with God slightly different from you, as adults. Children connect with God in unique ways. There are plenty of ways to help a child in the prayer room. Getting them toys that present Biblical stories, having nursery music playing, or having a children’s Bible are all ways to make the prayer room useful for a young family.
The organization is key in these prayer rooms. Make sure to have baskets for your children’s toys, shelves for the books of all ages, and spaces designated to prayer symbols.
