From 12 a.m. Thursday morning to 12 a.m. this morning, our campus ministry's new prayer room held thirty different people in prayer. A schedule was set up, filled, and there it was: twenty-four hours of non-stop prayer, meditation and reflection in that one room.
I was blessed to have a chance to take part in that 24 hours, my time being from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. yesterday morning. Honestly...I went in there not feeling in a hugely prayerful mood, part of the reason being that I was so very tired. Casey's hour in there was from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., so it was tough for me to sleep while he was gone. But I went in, determined to spend my hour as best as I could.
Let me explain that this prayer room has been a long time coming for our student center. It's been something that many people have planned on and wished and hoped for, and with God and lots of help, donations, support and hard work it has finally come to be. And it is beautiful! Four stations have been set up on the four walls:
1) Inspiration -- This contains a bookcase with books on spirituality and prayer, a CD player with music by artists from Jennifer Knapp to Michael Card and others, plus there is paper covering the wall to draw, paint, write poems, or just share thoughts about God.
2) Meditation -- It's really tough to beat this one, and I know Casey is so proud of this, but his Uncle Dan worked for months on a very large, original painting for our prayer room of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just saying that doesn't at all come close to how powerful this work of art really is. But at this station, you can sit and see how Jesus might have looked as he struggled in prayer, and you can see -- far in the background -- the crowd approaching with their torches. It is a very intimate painting, one that has pulled reaction after reaction from everyone I've seen look at it for the first time. And even though I had seen it many, many times...yesterday morning that setting pulled deep emotions from me.
3) Reflection -- This is a table where you can sit and journal out some prayers, praise, and thoughts. There is a world map above the table so that one might actually look to different places that need our prayers.
4) Mission -- This fourth wall is almost entirely covered in chalkboard paint and is entitled "Prayer Garden." This is where we can write our prayer requests and in turn pray for those who have written something on the wall. By the time I got there, the 24-hour schedule hadn't reached its halfway point and the wall was nearly covered in writing.
There is also a large cross in the room. At the bottom are slips of paper, nails and a hammer. If you choose, you can write out a sin or sins and actually nail them to the cross. For me, this was a very powerful visual in the room.
So, like I said, I went in there during my signed-up hour but I wasn't truly feeling the 'prayerful mood' at the beginning. Before long, though, I was visiting each station and could hardly believe how quickly the time was passing. I needed more time! And before that hour was up, I knew I had been transformed by this one small experience. I am so very excited for what this new prayer room will do for so many students in the future. Praise God!
I was blessed to have a chance to take part in that 24 hours, my time being from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. yesterday morning. Honestly...I went in there not feeling in a hugely prayerful mood, part of the reason being that I was so very tired. Casey's hour in there was from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., so it was tough for me to sleep while he was gone. But I went in, determined to spend my hour as best as I could.
Let me explain that this prayer room has been a long time coming for our student center. It's been something that many people have planned on and wished and hoped for, and with God and lots of help, donations, support and hard work it has finally come to be. And it is beautiful! Four stations have been set up on the four walls:
1) Inspiration -- This contains a bookcase with books on spirituality and prayer, a CD player with music by artists from Jennifer Knapp to Michael Card and others, plus there is paper covering the wall to draw, paint, write poems, or just share thoughts about God.
2) Meditation -- It's really tough to beat this one, and I know Casey is so proud of this, but his Uncle Dan worked for months on a very large, original painting for our prayer room of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just saying that doesn't at all come close to how powerful this work of art really is. But at this station, you can sit and see how Jesus might have looked as he struggled in prayer, and you can see -- far in the background -- the crowd approaching with their torches. It is a very intimate painting, one that has pulled reaction after reaction from everyone I've seen look at it for the first time. And even though I had seen it many, many times...yesterday morning that setting pulled deep emotions from me.
3) Reflection -- This is a table where you can sit and journal out some prayers, praise, and thoughts. There is a world map above the table so that one might actually look to different places that need our prayers.
4) Mission -- This fourth wall is almost entirely covered in chalkboard paint and is entitled "Prayer Garden." This is where we can write our prayer requests and in turn pray for those who have written something on the wall. By the time I got there, the 24-hour schedule hadn't reached its halfway point and the wall was nearly covered in writing.
There is also a large cross in the room. At the bottom are slips of paper, nails and a hammer. If you choose, you can write out a sin or sins and actually nail them to the cross. For me, this was a very powerful visual in the room.
So, like I said, I went in there during my signed-up hour but I wasn't truly feeling the 'prayerful mood' at the beginning. Before long, though, I was visiting each station and could hardly believe how quickly the time was passing. I needed more time! And before that hour was up, I knew I had been transformed by this one small experience. I am so very excited for what this new prayer room will do for so many students in the future. Praise God!
2 comments:
Wow! That's sounds so cool! Congrats to all of you for getting the prayer room finished. I'd love to see pictures of it and to see that painting you described.
Say a prayer for Olomouc, Czech Republic. :)
Sounds really awesome, Trace :) I'm glad it changed your day!
I'm working on replying your email soon :)
Post a Comment