The Designation of a Prayer Room

Part Two of what I didn't get to from my devotion on Saturday ladies brunch with our awesome EC Chicks.  It was a sweet time with some amazing ladies.  

For years, while I was busy raising my precious daughters, my prayer time was right before I went to sleep. I would wait until bedtime, after I had prayed with my girls, or listened to them pray, I would talk to God and often write in an old journal that is long gone now.  

Sometimes my prayer time was standing at the kitchen sink.  I've had more than a few prayers with my hands in soapy water trying to clean hardened bits of casseroles off of pyrex while I slowly relinquished the hardness of my heart to Jesus' merciful hands.  If I'm alone at home, the praying and talking to God is done aloud.  If there are others around, I tend to be more "in my head/heart" praying.

I've spilled many tears into the dishwater while He cleaned my heart.  I took my complaints, my frustrations, my anxieties and my brokenness to Him.  I remember the kitchen sink where most of my praying took place.  We've had many kitchen sinks--but there was one where I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit begin a work in me that I never expected.  It was the sink that overlooked the district offices.  I spent time questioning God--and believe it or not, HE let me ask all I wanted to ask.  And when the time was right and I was still enough, He gave me some answers.

Sinks have come and gone, but I realize the prayers prayed, with hands in hot water, was typical of the hot water my life seemed to be in during those times.  

Then came the day I learned to begin "early".  I learned to find a place to pray that is away from the reminders of the struggles I was facing and get alone with God.  The prayer room, to me, is one of the most important rooms in the house.  Right up there with kitchens and bathrooms.  "Muy importante!"

The year I established the "place" to meet with God on a regular basis was the year my life began to change.  Sure, I still prayed in the car on the drive to work, but this spot became a place of refuge, a place that I actually hungered to be in.  It was the best part of my weekend when I knew I had uninterrupted time with my Lord right there in that certain place.  It was the true highlight of my weekend.  Later, when I left my job to pursue ministry, it became even more important.

Don't think I wasn't a Christian before I established this "place".  Indeed I was--but I was missing out on the best part of the journey with Him.  The place where the soil was overturned and the seeds were planted.  It was the place that new life in me really began.

The pages of this journey all stem from that designated place.   It was in this place where I truly made up my mind that I was going to get more of God...even if it killed me.  Oh, it did.  I had to die in order to truly live!  All my notions about what a Christian was supposed to look like also died.  God must be center of all desires and dreams.  The prayer life is where all that happens.

Jesus said:  

"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.  When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do.  They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him! ..."  Matthew 6:6-8 NLT

Notice Jesus said, "When you pray"?    Not "if".   He then goes on to teach them a pattern to use to pray to our Heavenly Father.  I sometimes use a pattern.  But more often than not, I simply talk to my Abba Father as if He's right there.  Because He is.  That type of praying began long before my "place" was designated though.  I always picture Him with me in my mind--so I talk to Him in that same manner.

So, my "place" had to change according to what was going on in the house at the time.  There was a time it was a comfy wingback chair in our bedroom.  Then for years, it was a cozy corner of my big brown sectional sofa.  Wherever it was that I chose for whatever reason--I had to have my certain Bible, notebook, special pens/pencils and music.  There was always music--instrumental piano generally playing worship songs.  Some of these are still practices today.  The location has changed--but Who I talk with hasn't changed.

Oh goodness, if I could choose anything to do over again it would be to get this part right the first time.  It would be to spend more time with Him than on anything else.  I've learned many valuable lessons over these 60+ years, but this one is most important.  

Designate a place of prayer.  

Next up:  A Prayer Room at Your Church.  This is something that came to me several weeks ago--actually after a dream I had (and I blogged it).  What would it be like if there was a room set aside for those who wanted to meet at church and pray, uninterrupted for an hour or so before service... Do you think the prayers prayed in that special place would make an impact in the service??

Photo credit:  Unsplash.com (Not my sink, although I wish it were! :)  Free photo from unsplash.com)

© Angie Knight.  All rights reserved. 

 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT