Designating one particular space in your church as a prayer room is one way to raise the awareness of the value of prayer. Often space is at a premium, but even a storage area can be transformed into an inviting place for people to spend time in God’s presence.

For years our church used a storage room as a prayer room, but boxes, wedding decorations, and miscellaneous bulky items often overtook the room. The space would be cleaned up and organized for special seasons of prayer, but then it quickly reverted to storage.

When our leadership decided to include in its mission statement the value of being a “house of prayer,” they made a conscious decision to transform the storage closet into an inviting prayer closet. They designated funds to purchase furniture, a small stereo system, and a new paint job. It became a priority to create an inviting space to draw people in and demonstrate our commitment to prayer.

Careful Planning Matters  

As part of the prayer team sharing the responsibility to convert the storage room, I immediately recognized my lack of ability to pick out a paint color or coordinate furnishings. So I enlisted the help of a friend whose home clearly indicates she has a gift for decorating. The greatest success of the storage area’s transformation was my admission that this was not my gift!

We started with a large world map that I purchased online for about $150.00. That might seem like a large expenditure for a map, but we wanted an entire wall to be the focal point of the room. We intend our commitment to “pray for the nations” to be instantly evident when someone walks into the prayer room. The beautiful muted earth tones of the map give the room a feeling of warmth.

We purchased all the room’s other furnishings to coordinate with the map. All items in the room—including paint, furniture, pillows, and wall hangings—had to complement the map. We bought two large leather chairs and an oversized ottoman, which allows people to be comfortable while praying, whether they sit or kneel. We added a desk and chair in the corner so that people can journal or draw. A small table between the chairs provides a place to set a cup of coffee or tea.

Because this was a storage room, there is no direct heat coming in—an important issue during Minnesota winters! So we purchased an electric fireplace that generates enough heat to keep the room warm on winter nights. We also installed a doorbell near the church’s front door so that people can alert others in the prayer room—to rotate in and out during our 24-hour prayer seasons.

One immediate challenge we faced was retraining the congregation that this room was no longer available for storage.  After three years of diligent reminders, the prayer room remains an inviting place, used at various times during the week and for seasons of all-night prayer. People are drawn into the room now, and often the first comment we hear is, “I love that map!”

Carol Madison is editor of Prayer Connect