My Prayer Corner
“Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob” (Ps. 132:3-5).
Not only does this passage bespeak the yearning in David’s heart that a physical temple might be built for the Lord but it introduces a concept for us as the temple of God ourselves. We must make certain that God is given a habitation in our day, a place of remembrance, a period of time to work in our hearts!
With this in mind, I wanted to share ideas for setting up a prayer corner in your home! This is something I have done since my early teen years and was a first consideration when my husband and I purchased our first home. Here are the key elements I have found necessary in establishing a place for God in my life:
* Location, location, location! To establish a prayer corner, you might have to do some research on the habits of your family or even yourself! First and foremost, you need to find a location that is as free of distractions as possible! Having prayer in the family room that everyone walks through when entering, exiting, and traversing the house is going to lead to more frustration than peace! This is the time to look at your house: what rooms are seldom used? are there corners that aren’t frequented much? is there a large closet you could make into a comfortable escape? I found mine in a far corner of my sitting room; the room is only used by me when I am studying devotional lessons and by my cats when they nap. The corner was hardly touched!
Now, having found the perfect place, consider the temperature of the location you have chosen. Is it in direct sunlight that might become uncomfortable in the summer? This could lead you to shortening your prayer time or lead to the distraction of trying to fan yourself. Or, is this corner of the basement a bit drafty and cold? If so, think about including a blanket so you’re prepared no matter the temperature and don’t waste time finding another spot!
Next, consider the lighting. You may not want it too dark if you are reading God’s work or making notes from your prayer time; brighter light can lead to headaches. We are cautious when we set up a place to be our office or study, wouldn’t our prayer corner be the most important consideration of all? Then, don’t just swing by your coat tails, set it up for optimal experience and function.
* Mood… Psalms 100:4 proclaims, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Truly, I have found that the easiest way for me to clear my mind from the distractions of the day and focus on prayer is through song. As a youth, I used to spend hours choosing different prayer mixes to record onto cassette tape for my thirty minute and then hour conversations.
Today, with the ability to download mp3s, it’s much simpler! I use my ipad to create different mixes of worship music to enhance my prayer time. There are times, of course, that the prerecorded music isn’t even needed or wanted; I simply begin to sing the choruses from church. I usually sing three to four songs, worshipping God for his goodness and enjoying his presence, before I begin to really pray. Try it, you’ll find that God inhabits the praises of his people (Ps. 22:3).
Another mood setter is consistency. It is important that the corner and the surroundings you choose for your daily prayer be consistent. As a former teacher, I learned that studying at the same time and place everyday prepared the mind and body for better study; it trains our mind and disciplines our spirit. It makes it easier to pray when your mind and body are in harmony, expecting prayer at a certain hour and in that certain place.
* Purpose, having the right supplies…Aside from having the obvious–tissue, a blanket handy in case of cooler temperatures, and a cushion for your knees in case of longer prayer times–there are countless prayer books available out there! Essentially, different people will respond and be strengthened by different ministers and different readings. For me, two books I keep handy are Spiritual Warfare by Judy Doughty and The Bible Promise Book by Barbour and Company, Inc.
The warfare book gives insight into how to intercede for the lost, your family, your church, and even your leadership. It gives purpose and direction. The promise book is wonderful when you are facing a trial, be it sickness, depression, or even trust issues. It gives scriptural encouragement for many areas and helps build faith in God’s love and willingness to answer your prayers! Finally, I keep, what I call, my ‘little black book’ with me. This is a book that I carry in my purse at all times and contains a list of the people and circumstances I want to remember to pray for. Not only has this book, which I’ve kept with me since I was 19, reminded me of my key prayer requests but it has served as a witness as well.
One particular instance occurred while I was 19 and had just started carrying the book. A gentleman came to my teller window and was extremely rude and impatient. I felt impressed that he was troubled. I reached for his hand and asked him if there was anything I could pray for. He was perplexed. I showed him my ‘little black book’ and explained its purpose, sharing my prayer requests with him. This man, who must have stood over 6’5″, broke into tears at my teller window, opening up and relating how he had just declared bankruptcy, lost his business, and was just served divorce papers that morning. He watched as I added his name in my book. I have not seen the man since but in eleven years, I have yet to forget him or forget to pray for him. I don’t know where he is but I know he was placed on my prayer list for a reason; I have a calling to pray for him. My prayer is that I will meet him someday on the other side!
With each petition I log into the book, I leave space underneath for the victory report! It is an act of faith that the prayer will be answered. Also, once God answers prayers and I enter them in my book, I am able to look back on the goodness of God in future trials! It’s a built-in faith-builder!
* Availability for God to speak…. I have often viewed people who pray but never listen–at least not to the naked eye. The key in prayer is not just to be heard of God, but to communicate with him. We have all had friends before who did all the talking and by the end of your visit, you felt you had not been heard. It’s important that we allow time for God to talk to our hearts during our prayer time. He can talk to us in that still, small voice and also through his Word. I like to always be prepared so I keep a ‘Prayer and Bible Reading Journal’ handy with a pen and some highlighters. Often, I want to write down what God is talking to my heart about for future reference; the scriptures that he will bring to your mind during your trials are worth remembering!
* Method…Please don’t misunderstand me; praying is not a formula. We do not recite pre-written prayers or need to follow a specific pattern each time. Sometimes, my prayer time has been just worship that ushered me into his presence; I had a jumping, shouting, dancing time! Other times, I’ve been burdened and wept through much of my prayer time; still other times, I was so broken, all I could do was weep and then listen as God and the music ministered to my heart.
However, as you know, prayer isn’t always easy. Sometimes there are things that hinder our ability to pray: distracting thoughts of the day, anxiety, even inability to think of things to pray for. It is in those times that I have found The Prayer Journey by Fredi Trammel to be an invaluable resource. My mother, during the initial years of building their home missions work in New Mexico, created a version of the prayer journey for our young church. We had many new converts who didn’t yet know how to pray. My mother set up five prayer rooms, each with its own theme.
In each prayer room, large framed bulletin boards with scriptures pertaining to the theme lined the walls. In this way, our people learned to pray the Word and what elements should be included in our prayers. The rooms were organized into five easy steps: (1) Worship, (2) Repentance, (3) Petition, (4) Thanksgiving, (5) Praise.
Sister Trammel provides other methods as well, but this one, having been in place during my early teen years, is my method when I struggle in prayer. Not having five separate prayer rooms available in my home nor at our current church, I created a prayer section in my ‘little black book’ that has places for me to write in scriptures that pertain to each prayer step as I find them in my daily Bible reading. Now, I simply carry my ‘little black book’ wherever I go! The verses not only help me memorize and pray the Word, but they instill faith!
Keep in touch, I’ll post a printable rendition of The Prayer Book soon!
