I love tangible prayer stations. Of course tangible prayer is nothing new. People have always had the habit of joining their prayer lives to scents, sounds, sights, tastes, and touches. In Exodus we see the care woven in and through the tabernacle. in it we have a picture of the tangible nature that prayer life can take. The intricate weaving of the priest’s garments, the heat of the fires, the darkening fabrics of the tent, the scent of sizzling sacrifices on the altar. As a little girl I was told to fold my hands and close my eyes so I could focus on my prayer. Today I wonder how much we miss when we try to separate our mind from our body? Prayer life is so rich when we open ourselves up to praying through our senses.
I began working with tangible prayer on a larger, corporate level more intently when my friend and fellow prayer warrior, Cheri, and I started putting together prayer services. The first one we planned launched our programming for the year. We set us stations in different areas of the church, one for each ministry, and people were invited to walk our church (with a map) stopping to pray when and where they felt compelled. Each station was different and had sheets of instructions that guided individuals through the different stages. Chairs were set up as a way to control the crowds, displaying how many people could be at a station at once. Feed back was on the whole very positive. Many were surprised at how much they enjoyed their time with the stations, finding at least several that spoke to them. One comment that still remains with me almost ten years later: “I thought that I was in there for 20 minutes, not 2 hours!”
Since that point I’ve planned more prayer-station services, pulled smaller scale items into the corporate hour, and continued gathering and writing them for myself and my own personal prayer life. I have visited churches that have prayer wings filled with places for different types of prayer. I have seen sanctuaries with rotating stations set up in corners. The list here is what I’ve accumulated to this point. I encourage you to tweak them to your own needs. Many offer flexibility as you get creative, adapting to suit an individual as well as a large collective.
Since that point I’ve planned more prayer-station services, pulled smaller scale items into the corporate hour, and continued gathering and writing them for myself and my own personal prayer life. I have visited churches that have prayer wings filled with places for different types of prayer. I have seen sanctuaries with rotating stations set up in corners. The list here is what I’ve accumulated to this point. I encourage you to tweak them to your own needs. Many offer flexibility as you get creative, adapting to suit an individual as well as a large collective. This list is in no particular order.