By Pastor Mel Holmes
Seven years ago, I received the call to pastor the 800-member Christ for the Nations church in Athens, GA. As I sought God for His priorities for this particular church, He impressed on me that I was to “make room to pray.” A prayer room seemed an obvious step to accomplish His directive. I learned a long time ago that prayer precedes fruit in ministry. My motive for building a Place of Prayer (our name for this room based on Acts 16:16) did not spring from hopes or expectations of any kind; rather, it was born out of an understanding of the necessity of strategic intercession.
But there was no room in our church for a dedicated place of prayer. As
I began to ask God to show me where this room should be, He drew my
attention to an enclosed, unheated utility space adjacent to our
building that housed the air conditioning units. A plan began to form
to enclose the area and put the A/C units that previously occupied the
space on the roof of the new room.
The project was expensive—it ended up costing $25,000 to complete the
project. We wanted the room to be large enough for corporate prayer
times, and it needed an outside entrance so that it could be utilized
24/7. But the Holy Spirit had so impressed me with the priority of
obedience to this leading that the cost became a non-issue. Where the
Lord guides, He provides.
Our board of elders was in complete unity about the expenditures,
further confirming the Lord’s leading. But any time you decide to make
prayer a priority, there is always some type of opposition from the
enemy waiting in the wings! One of our staff pastors began a covert
campaign to undermine the project, insisting that the church had
survived thus far without a prayer room and would continue to do so. He
pushed for the money to be spent on staff raises and increased program
budgets. I chose not to confront him, but prayed that God would deal
with his heart. He resigned soon after.
The Lord was faithful in His supply. Within the same year that we built
“The Place of Prayer” and began to use it, much larger than usual
tithes and offerings started showing up in the offering plate. In one
three-week period, we received three separate donations totaling over
$800,000—an amount almost equal to our budgeted income for one year! I
believe we honored God in obedience and in return, God honored us. We
were able to pay off our mortgage debt (over $500,000) and move forward
with other kingdom priorities.
Our prayer room, under the volunteer leadership of our prayer
coordinator, Renee Bell, is primarily a headquarters for intercession
and secondarily a chapel for personal prayer. Registered intercessors
may come and go as they please using the outside entrance as long as
scheduled times of prayer are not in progress. There is little cost to
maintain the daily operation of the prayer room. Various prayer
stations were designed to be easily changed. Our “Armor-Bearer”
intercession team oversees scheduling corporate intercession times,
enforcing prayer etiquette guidelines, and keeping prayer stations
up-to-date and strategic!
From my perspective, everything good that has happened to our church,
and everything bad that has been diverted can be attributed to the
intercession that happens in our “Place of Prayer.” Every Tuesday
morning at 6:00 a.m., I join the intercessors to pray strategically for
the vision of the church. Saturday evenings we pray strategically for
our Sunday services and ministries. So I believe that every salvation,
miracle, newcomer, and blessing that has touched our congregation is
connected to our “Place of Prayer” corporate prayer times.
One of the most exciting outreach projects that resulted from our
prayer room, was when we identified and adopted an unreached people
group. God miraculously led us to the Kazak’s of China and we now have
placed a missionary couple on assignment there in that region.
Pastors, if you are thinking about establishing a prayer room, my
advice would be for you to evaluate what you truly believe about having
such a place. If you’re considering it because it’s popular or because
you are being pressured by a few, I don’t think you should waste your
time. With that frame of mind, the room will probably be used for a
season and then be converted into just another meeting room. Be
convinced in your own mind, as I am, that prayer is a necessity—a
priority. As I stand here looking at the 77 answers to prayer currently
posted at one of our prayer stations, I believe that each of our
members who has received one of the listed healings, jobs provided,
deliverances from various addictions, soldiers home safe from Iraq,
financial miracles, salvation of loved ones, healed marriages, etc.
would agree.
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January 2006 
