Jesus said, "My Father's house shall be a house of prayer," (Matt. 11:17). In other words, one of the primary activities in the local church should be to seek God and ask that his will be accomplished in our congregations and communities.
Today we build "houses" for preaching and fellowship. Our churches have rooms for offices, music practice, youth events, and meetings. We even have a place for the bride and one for the janitor. Yet when it comes to prayer, we have no room. The very thing Jesus told us to house, we make no provision for.
Many churches today, however, are correcting this oversight. Local churches all over the land are making room to pray. In fact, one of the fastest growing spiritual movements in the country is prayer-room intercession. Why is this?
We know cities are becoming more and more wicked. We also realize that God is raising up prayer in the land as never before. Prayer concerts, prayer marches, prayer at city hall, prayer at high school flag poles -- all kinds of prayerful expressions are coming forth. Many Christians are finding a room in the local church designed especially for prayer to be a tremendous aid in focused intercession. In this manner, local churches are becoming houses of prayer.
The "Prayer Room" isn't a New Idea
This prayer room phenomenon is not without precedent. In Acts 1:14 we find the early church praying continually in the upper room. Around the clock, they came to seek God. They met there again in Acts 4. Later, in Acts 16:13, we see the apostles going to "the place of prayer." Evidently the early church had special sites for frequent and intense prayer. Today we see many such prayer centers in Korea.
Thankfully, churches all over America are also providing such places:
- Over 1,500 Southern Baptist churches have intercessory prayer room ministries. Many of these are 24-hour prayer rooms with telephone numbers to call for personal needs.
- One consortium of churches in Kansas City have rooms where prayer is conducted at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. daily.
- A church in Dallas, Texas, has a "house of prayer" where someone is available to pray personally for anybody in need who stops by.
- The Church on the Rock in Rockwall, Texas, has a prayer room for large numbers of intercessors who come early in the morning.
The list could go on and on.
In these unique places of prayer, people are crying out to God day and night on behalf of their communities for spiritual awakening. Jesus said, "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly," (Luke 18:7-8, NIV).
Advantages of a Prayer Room
Churches are simply taking closets or infrequently used rooms and turning them into attractive and inviting places for prayer. There are many advantages to setting up a special room at your church. Prayer rooms can:
Enable the church to schedule prayer. In Acts 2:15 they prayed at 9:00 in the morning. In Acts 10:30 it was 3:00 in the afternoon, and in Acts 10:9 it was noon. Quite often, if we don't schedule prayer it just won't happen. Usually members sign up for one hour in the prayer room weekly.
Provide information for focused intercessory prayer. This may include maps, lists of civic leaders, pictures of government officials, hospital lists, and the leadership's vision for prayer. As people gather in prayer, agreement is promoted with regard to the church's mission (Matt. 18:18).
Record God's deeds for the members to see. The Titusville Baptist Church has an ongoing journal in their room to record the answers to prayer. They've kept this since 1972. Prayer journals provide excellent feedback to inspire continued prayer.
Make an ongoing statement to the church and community about the importance of communicating with God. The rooms cast an image of loving concern to people when they call with special needs. It's exciting to drive by a church with a prayer room, see a car parked out front and know they are seeking God.
Promote a learning environment for prayer. Prayer is learned more by doing than reading. In our prayer room, young mothers bring their children when they pray. These children get to see prayer in action, and they are taught by example.
Communicate the inclusive nature of prayer. Anybody can sign up to pray in a prayer room. In Acts 1:14 a wide assortment of people came to pray. We find apostles, new Christians, women and men, and Jesus' relatives there. Prayer rooms provide a sense of awe where people of various spiritual levels can feel comfortable and not be intimidated.
Offer church leaders an additional source for discerning direction from God. As people come to sit quietly and pray, God may speak to them through Scriptures and visions which can be written down and passed on to church leadership.
Afford a setting where major concerns can be "soaked" in prayer. As a pastor, I receive many heart-felt requests every week. Plus I am aware of major concerns in schools and in certain sections of our city. Therefore, I welcome the help of those praying with me in the prayer room. We have 150 signed up to pray, and they join me in feeling the burden of these prayer requests. Ownership of our ministry and vision is facilitated by this corporate prayer team.
Enable people to meet God in a new and exciting way. One woman exclaimed, "This must be what the Holy of Holies was like!" In a society full of noise and telephones, a prayer room provides an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can minister to people in special ways.
Operate as a war room of spiritual warfare for our communities and churches. As we gather regularly to pray in Jesus' name and repent on behalf of our cities, a holy God is honored, and he can send the Holy Spirit or dispatch angels of light to drive out the enemy. Therefore, this battle is not left to a few or the pastor alone. Corporate repentance in a place of prayer will invite revival and spiritual awakening.
Inspire us to pray regularly for the lost as we sense God's burden for them. This in turn encourages evangelism and service in the local church. The Holy Spirit honors churches that spend much time in prayer for the unchurched.
As you can see, wonderful ministry can be accomplished through a church that is committed to seeking God, and setting aside a room designated only for prayer. Christians everywhere are feeling a greater call to intercede, and prayer rooms in their local churches help to provide a setting and focus in this new urgency.
Perhaps you would like to make room to pray in your church. Can you imagine people coming to your church on Saturday to pray for the Sunday morning service? If you are a pastor making hospital calls, you could tell a troubled parishioner, "I'll call the prayer room at the church and we'll pray for you." Do you have a group of intercessors in your church who would pray regularly if they had a place?
With some cleaning up and little paint, can you picture that junk room off the sanctuary with people coming to pray eight-to-five? Jesus said, "My Father's house is a house of prayer." Is your house a house of prayer? If not, make room to pray.
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to hear from his Father (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16). We can do no less.
Terry Teykl is pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in College Station, Texas. If you're interested creating a prayer room you can order a group workbook entitled Making Room To Pray from Bristol House Ltd. (800) 451-READ. This article first appeared in the March/April 1993 issue of Good News magazine.
