What do I do in a Prayer Room?

Essentially, a prayer room is exactly what it sounds like.  It’s a room where you pray!  The real question is, “What is prayer?”.  If we understand prayer as simply speaking with God, then this is a good place to start.  We may speak to God in song, we may speak to God in the inner recesses of our heart, in intercession, in tongues, or in words of praise.  All of these things are components of a healthy prayer life.   

The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to, “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”[1]  This apostolic push to function in healthy spiritual communities of prayer is at the center of the prayer room culture.  A prayer room is designed to take Jesus’ command to “pray in secret”[2]and give it a corporate thrust.  Those ideas may seem a bit contrary, but we are to be a people of His presence with both a personal and a community dimension to our prayer lives. 

Many long for a place where they can encounter God saturated in worship and prayer.  The idea of long, uninterrupted moments where uplifted hands meet poured out hearts is something of an ideal for many Christians.  But moving from idealism to practicality often requires a bit of instruction.  So, now that I’m in the prayer room, what do I do?

Worship, intercession and Bible reading are three of the most effective ways to engage God in the prayer room.

WORSHIP

Most of us need no definition or instruction on worship.  In worship we sing together, we lift our voices in adoration and praise to God, and we close our eyes as we think about what He means to us and what we mean to Him.  Often, just the atmosphere created by musical worship makes it much easier to hear and receive from the Lord.  Worship is often the most enjoyable part of a corporate gathering. 

“Be filled with the Spirit, [singing] to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Eph.5:18-20

INTERCESSION

Intercession is a facet of prayer in which we present a person, people, city, region, or nation before God asking Him to restrain wickedness and release righteousness.  The Bible describes Jesus as a High Priest who lives to make intercession, or as The Passion Translation reads, “He lives to pray continually for them.”[3]  In intercession we offer our time to pray for others and for ourselves.  God longs to release his goodness over creation but a measure of that release is tied to the praying church.  God does more because we ask Him too.  In a prayer room we have dedicated times for corporate intercession which typically includes a prayer mic. and a prayer leader giving instruction.  But intercessory prayer is much broader than the prayer mic.  We can pray quietly as we sit, stand, or pace.  Writing a prayer list is a great way to help us to pray continually.  It serves as a practical reminder and guide to aid us in the call to pray for others.  The Bible teaches that the Spirit helps us to pray for ourselves as well.  Praying in tongues allows for the manifestation of the Spirit’s own prayer language through us and for us!   Praying the scripture also provides a powerful spiritual exchange as we take the very words of God and echo them back to Him.  Even short phrases from Bible passages pack a powerful punch!  For example, James 1:5 tells us that God gives wisdom generously to those that ask for it.  So, we pray that.  “God, let the Spirit of wisdom rest on me.”

BIBLE READING

Bible reading is one of the most important and practical spiritual disciplines to master.  We need to be familiar with what the Bible teaches because it is our source for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction.  We are commanded to, “Let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly.”[4]  We are called to store, or treasure, His commands in our hearts in order that we would not sin against Him.   Jesus commanded us to remain in His love by obeying His word.  He likened the word of God to food that sustains.  In addition to all of these things, the written word of God is to us a doorway into the knowledge and experience of God Himself!  The scriptures provide more than just commandments and practical guidelines for a healthy spiritual life, they point the way to the excellencies of Christ Himself!  In a prayer room we turn desire into discipline, discipline into delight, and delight into destiny as we engage God according to the beauty of His word!

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4

[1] 2 Tim.2:22

[2] Matt.6:6

[3] Heb.7:25

[4] Col.3:16