I once attended a conference where a prayer room was set up, and people were free to visit the prayer room any time during the conference.

However, I knew this prayer room was different the moment I entered it. It was dimly lit but sufficiently bright that I could identify what to do: I could see five demarcated sections in the room, clearly meant to be five stations that anyone seeking to pray could go through.

There was no facilitator to guide me as to which order of stations I should do or lead me in prayer; this was meant to be a time of prayer taken on in one’s own time.

Eventually, I realised the order didn’t matter. All I had to do was prepare my heart, quieten my mind and choose one of the stations to start with before letting the Holy Spirit lead me along the rest of this journey.

At each station, I found instructions left on a table which introduced the station, the theme and some Bible verses for meditation. Often, each of the stations had an activity to do that was in line with the theme.

At one station, there were rocks. You would pick up a rock, write down your deepest fears and then release your rock into a big bucket of water.

The instructions helped me to release my fears unto the Lord, as I carried out this symbolic and prophetic action.

In another station, I was instructed to write a letter to my future self, and leave it in a box with a slit. Months later, I was impacted by what I had wrote when I received this letter in the mail. The organising team had indeed sent the letters out! 

While the order of the stations didn’t matter, my experience of each one took me on a spiritual journey of self-discovery which uncovered what God was moulding and breaking in my heart.

By the time I left the prayer room, I was surprised at how refreshed I felt!

Next week, we’re hosting a prayer room just like this — come join us!

If you have never walked through a prayer room like this before, you will have the chance to next week at our Thir.st Youth Night!

Be assured that there is no mystique or supernatural power to this prayer exercise we’re putting together. It’s merely a series of stations that lead the participant to reflect and pray.

Before we see you on the evening of 19 October at St.John’s-St.Margaret’s Church (Anglican), we thought we’d share some handles to help you get the most out of the experience:

For starters, lay everything else aside before starting. Take your time on the journey. Don’t rush! Go at your own pace. There is no right or wrong way to walk.

Leave all your concerns at the door, and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you navigate the different stations set up for you.

Then be fully present in the moment, paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and surroundings. Trust that the Lord will speak to you!

Prepare your heart as you enter each new station, knowing that this is a special time for you to connect with the Holy Spirit.

Whenever you reach a new station, pause and spend some time in silence and reflection. Then when you are ready, engage with the instructions and materials at the station.

Before you leave, pray and meditate on what you have just gone through. Don’t be too quick to end the experience. Take time to reflect, and make sure to pray together with friends as well if you’re not alone! 

We trust that you will have fun, and that this special prayer walk will be a beautiful and transformative experience in the midst of trying times.

Come pray with us at the upcoming Thir.st Youth Night next week! We’ll be at St John’s – St Margaret’s Church, Shalom Hall (Level 6) at 7:30pm on October 19. More details below — see you there!