A prayer room is a room for prayerful concentration and for performing Christian worship. Unlike a temple, it does not have an altar, so the Liturgy is not celebrated in the prayer room, but sometimes prayer rooms are called home churches. Places of worship are located in private houses, mansions, apartments, and sometimes in public institutions. The prayer room in modern perception is often perceived as a place where a Christian is not disturbed by vain worldly sounds, smells, and visual distractions.
In Russian, the name “prayer room” is established for Orthodox and Old Believer rooms, while “prayer room” or “prayer room” is the designation of premises for meetings of adherents of other faiths, as well as sectarians. The adjective “prayer room” in relation to rooms is not entirely correct, although it is also sometimes found in certain texts.
The creation of prayer rooms is a very ancient tradition, dating back to the first gatherings of Christian communities in the catacombs. Divine services were held in shelter caves decorated with frescoes on the walls - prototypes of future icons. The first Christians came to these same caves for solitary prayers, and the first Christian holidays took place here. And if Orthodox churches, as architectural and artistic complexes, developed the idea of collective holidays and public prayers, private prayer rooms remained a place for individual and family appeals to spiritual ideals and values.
In the palaces of the Russian imperial family, the equipment of house churches was adopted, which were full-fledged Orthodox churches. But at the same time, there was a tradition of creating Cross rooms - prayer rooms for members royal family, and the king, queen and children had their own prayer rooms.
Prayer rooms were also created in the magnificent palaces of aristocrats. Separate churches were often built in landowners' estates, but at the same time, in the mansions there were also prayer rooms in which services were held only for the landowner's family.
Prayer houses often became places where icons and various items religious items - crosses, arks, small plastic items and textile works of Christian art. The existing custom of donating icons led to the replenishment of such collections, and although many of these unsystematized “collections” were very motley groups of heterogeneous icons and objects, it was there that those artifacts were preserved that are now recognized as historical, cultural and spiritual heritage.
Prayer rooms were especially common in the houses of Old Believers, whose persecution led to the hiding of all signs of religious life from prying eyes. The impossibility of visiting the temple contributed to the emergence of community prayer rooms, in which not only divine services were held, but also all church ceremonies and sacraments.
Unfortunately, during the years of revolutionary hard times and civil war The worshipers were the first to suffer from looting and robbery. It was from the prayer rooms that valuable utensils and icons were stolen; they were the first to remain empty, subsequently becoming modest “rooms for household purposes” in the interpretation of Soviet art historians, who kept silent about the existence of traditions of family and household Orthodoxy.
IN modern realities prayer rooms are usually created in fairly large private estates, where it is possible to allocate a separate room.
Iconostasis for a prayer room
The interior decoration of a prayer room suggests the presence of at least one icon, but, as a rule, a small iconostasis is installed in prayer rooms. Sometimes preference in choosing icons for the iconostasis is given to new icons specially painted for this purpose, sometimes the iconostasis is selected from ancient icons, and this requires a very delicate and competent approach.
On a number of websites there are proposals for “competent selection of icons for completing prayer rooms,” but it seems that there is some deceit in this. Creating a prayer room according to the principle of template interior design, as if it were a kitchen or hallway, eliminates the very idea of space for spiritual aspirations.
Of course, the authors of this project, iconologists with experience and knowledge in the field of Christian traditions, iconography and Orthodox history are able to create a harmonious space, imbued with a common artistic idea and Orthodox mood. But we shy away from a flat commercial approach and purely business relationship to such projects.
In creating prayer rooms and selecting icons for them, we always assume co-creation, a collective and meaningful embodiment of aspirations, in which there is a high note of pure thoughts and sincerity of faith.
Icon as a gift for a prayer room
In most cases, already created prayer rooms have icons with basic and common subjects, so donating an icon for a prayer room should be done with a certain tact: there is no need to present the tenth image of the Savior Not Made by Hands or of Kazan. If the donor has seen the prayer room for which the gift is intended, or has at least heard about it, then he roughly knows what icons it already contains, and what style of artistic execution of the icons meets the tastes of the owners of the house. If knowledge about this side of the life of the gift recipient is not enough, it is better to focus on simple, and at the same time logical, iconic plots and motifs.
As a gift for the prayer room you can give:
. icon of the namesake saint
. an icon of a saint with a “professional” accent
. an icon from a certain geographical region(for example, where the owner or lady of the house is from)
. an icon painted in a certain artistic style, if this particular style meets the preferences of the gift recipient
. an icon with some interesting story
. an icon suitable for the collection that the recipient of the gift is collecting.
Prayer rooms
Meaning
God is invisible; He can reveal Himself to us regardless of circumstances. To create an atmosphere more conducive to fellowship with Him, it is best to set aside a special place for prayer; it can be either beautifully designed or very simple.
Location
If possible, designate one room in the Church or home for prayer; if necessary, it can also be used as a living room. This will help us learn to serve others the same way we want to serve God and True Parents.
If you can’t allocate a special room, free up some of it yourself large room under the main place for prayer.
Purpose
Conducting services and daily use
Services can be held in a place specially designated for prayer.
It is good if parishioners pray in the designated place for prayer every day upon returning to church or home and before leaving church or home, but this is not necessary.
If desired, this tradition can be applied to any daily activities- for example, pray even before running out to the store. In this way, you will show Heavenly Father your desire to live in humility and purity of a sacrificial life, honoring Him even in the simplest, everyday situations. Thanks to this, you can feel strong spiritual support.
Maintenance of the prayer room
Clean your prayer area daily to develop a holy attitude towards it. Let this place be special, like the Consecrated Ground.
More attention needs to be paid to maintaining the prayer room. Beautiful curtains or curtains, fresh flowers and houseplants, special chairs with cushions will help you create an atmosphere of holiness.
Prayer Room Decorations
The prayer room can be decorated with a panel with the text “Family Vow” in Korean or native language, as well as the symbol or flag of the Unification Church.
Etiquette in prayer room
Bowing when entering and leaving the prayer room
In fact, there is no tradition that requires bowing when entering and leaving a prayer room. If you wish, you can bow (or bow your head respectfully, or bow from the waist). However, it is much more important than any external rituals to cultivate a heart of service and reverence during prayer.
Position during prayer
In the first chapter, which covers the etiquette of serving, you can find a detailed description of how to properly make a full bow. During prayer, it is most respectful to sit on your knees, but you can pray either sitting or standing. Congregants should remember that sitting in front of Heavenly Father and True Parents with their legs outstretched is disrespectful and indecent.
Altars
The meaning of the family altar
On August 15, 1985, True Parents victoriously completed their 40-year journey in the desert. This day True Father proclaimed the Day of Complete Victory.
In 2002, True Parents proclaimed the following motto for the year: “Mansey in honor of the successful establishment of a free, conflict-free and happy country of Universal peace and unity, the ideal of the Parents of heaven and earth!” Thus, the peaceful establishment of the Cheon Il Guk era was proclaimed.
May 5, 2004 became the Day of the unity of two principles and the victory of the number “ten” (Ssanhap Shchipsyn Il). On this day, True Parents declared the end of the era before the onset of Heaven and the beginning of the era after the onset of the Kingdom of Heaven. On this day the tradition of Anshiil days was founded.
The peaceful establishment of the Cheon Il Guk era means that the eternal God can now live with the central blessed families at their home. This brought real liberation to Heavenly Father's heart.
For the peaceful establishment of the Cheon Il Guk era, we must follow family tradition Hongdoghwe. By placing a photo of True Parents in our home, we express our readiness to serve them. By daily following the tradition of the family hundokhoe in front of the family altar, we proclaim and affirm the peaceful establishment of the Cheon Il Guk era.
Historically, the family altar is a tabernacle - a prototype of the Temple and a meeting place for the Jewish people with God. Therefore, for us, the family altar should be the most sacred place in the house. On the altar we place things given to us by God.
Before setting up a family altar, there are a few things to consider. Don't worry too much about whether it's pretty or too plain. Of course, the altar helps create a certain atmosphere, but the most important thing is the attitude with which we say the prayer. We are talking to Heavenly Father before the altar, and for Him highest value has the purity of our soul during prayer.
If you have difficulty installing the altar
For members or missionaries who move frequently, it may be difficult to establish a permanent altar. Of course, prayers and services can be held without an altar and without a photograph of True Parents. The most important thing in this case is your attitude; It is important to remember that you are dedicating this service or prayer to God and that it is not just an external ritual.
Temporary altar
If circumstances allow, carry with you a small photo of True Parents or any other items mentioned below; if desired, all this can be used to set up a temporary altar before prayer or service.
How to set up a family altar
If you want to install a permanent altar, you must first thoroughly clean the place intended for it, and then consecrate it with Holy Salt (see Chapter 17 “Holy Salt”, section “ Practical use Holy salt: rooms and other premises").
Place a clean tablecloth or piece of light-colored fabric on the “altar” (this could be a small table, bedside table, etc.). Place a photo of True Parents on top. On the altar you need to place a Cheon Il Guk candle, a box of special Holy Salt (for example, made by senior parishioners or received by one of the parishioners for the first time, and not one intended for everyday use), a vessel with Holy wine, the Divine Principle and Cheonsongyeon.
Previously, small photographs of Heung Jin-nim and Taemonim could also be placed on the altar if desired.
You can place flowers (preferably fresh) on the altar.
Attributes of a family altar
- The photograph of the True Parents is a symbol of the tablets, which personified the Messiah and the Holy Spirit for the Jews and were located in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle.
- Divine Principle and Cheonsongyeon - God's Word to guide people.
- The Cheon Il Guk candle is a symbol of sacrifice. By burning for others, it protects us from Satan and helps create a holy atmosphere.
- Holy Wine and Holy Salt are attributes of Cheon Il Guk that all central blessed families should have.
- Holy wine is a symbol of readiness to always convey the Blessing of True Parents to all people.
Practical questions organizing a family altar
It is advisable to choose a special place in the room for the altar. It is best to install the altar near the north wall. However, if the location of doors or windows does not allow this, the altar can be placed near any wall. If possible, have him there permanently.
If the size of the room allows, then it is better to make a separate altar. Otherwise, you can use a separate shelf in a closet or other space that suits the purpose of the altar. You can also decide whether to cover the altar with a white tablecloth or not.
The box for Holy Salt should be small. It is desirable that it depicts the symbol of the Church.
A small darkened bottle can be used as a vessel for Holy Wine. You need to pour it into a small amount of Cheon Il Guk Holy Wine, which must be taken from the Church leaders. The remaining wine can be stored in the refrigerator.
Hongdokhwe in front of the family altar
Every morning, by the light of the lit Cheon Il Guk candle, the central blessed family participates in the Hong Doghwe tradition in front of the family altar, thus serving True Parents and establishing the peaceful establishment of the Cheon Il Guk era.
Offering table for Holy Days
On Holy Days, parishioners set the “offering table” by placing dishes and baskets of fruits, nuts, candies, etc. on the altar. (See Chapter 6, “Holy Days and Holidays,” section “Holy Days: Guidelines for Observing Holy Days at the Local, District, or National Level.”)
But you, when you pray, go into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:6)
Prayer of repentance
“Heavenly Father! I come to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that He died for my sins and rose from the dead inmyjustification. I admit that Isinner before You. PI love youforgive all my sins and iniquities that I have committed in my life,cleanse me and sanctify me. Come into my heart, become my Lord and Savior. From this day on I am your child, and You there is my Father. I renounce all my past sinful life. Teach me, instruct, admonish. Help me fulfillYour commandments and live according to Your laws.Give me the strength to overcome all sinful habits...(list them). Help me solve all my problems. Thank you God for your forgiveness and gift eternal life. Amen".
Basic prayers for every day
“First of all, I ask you to make prayers, petitions, supplications, thanksgivings for all people, for kings and for all those in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and serene life in all piety and purity.”
(Apostle Paul. 1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Prayer Our Father
“Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be it your name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (John 6:9-13).
Prayer to Jesus Christ for every day (Optina Elders)
“Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your holy will for every hour of today, instruct and support me in everything, reveal to me Your will for me and those around me. Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings; in all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Teach me, Lord, to act directly and wisely with every name in society, my family (in the monastery of brotherhood), without confusing or upsetting anyone, but comforting, helping and pleasing everyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during this day. Guide my will and teach me to pray to You, Lord, to believe, hope, endure, forgive and love. Amen".
Prayer for Healing
“Lord Heavenly Father! In the name of Jesus, I thank You for the healing of my body 2000 years ago at Calvary. I confess Your Word which says:
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, having been delivered from sins, might live for righteousness; by His stripes you were healed” (1 Pet.:24).
According to the Holy Scriptures, the Son of God bore my weaknesses and illnesses. I no longer need to carry the disease (name the disease by name) in my body. Jesus carried her. I release Your healing power and accept my healing now. Amen".
Dear friend, if you would like to listen to an audio recording with the text of a healing prayer, you can go to the virtual office using this link “Healing by prayer”.
Prayer Before Reading Scripture
“Heavenly Father! In the name of Jesus Christ, instruct me in reading and studying the Bible. Grant meby His Spirit the ability of understandingScriptures read. Give me a thirst for Your Word. DLet me see, let me understand what my Father wants to give me. May I comprehend with all the saints, What There islatitude and longitude and depth and height...Amen".
A Call to Prayer in These Troubling Times.
I have a question for you: What can God's people do in this time of impending judgment to touch the heart of God?
We are now seeing natural disasters on a scale that has never happened before: tsunamis, hurricanes, fires, floods, and droughts. I think now about the devastation that shook the world, such as the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the earthquakes in India and Pakistan.
I also think about the horror and despair that man-made disasters have caused in people: the events of September 11, 2001, the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, the acquisition nuclear weapons maddened leaders. Even the most skeptical commentators say that we are already on the verge of the outbreak of World War III.
Now in almost every country there are threats from Islamists to destroy Christianity. When I was in London recently, I heard two young Islamists say in a radio interview: “Our faith is not the same as the Christian faith. We will not turn the other cheek. We will cut off your head."
And I ask you: is it really that in such dangerous times as now, the church is powerless to do anything? Should we sit back and wait for Christ to return? Or should we do something radical measures? When the whole world around us trembles and the hearts of people melt with fear, are we called to take up spiritual weapons and wage war against the enemy?
Throughout to the globe There is a growing belief in the futility of trying to cope with the growing pile of problems. Many people have a feeling that the world has reached the lowest point of hopelessness. Alcoholism is on the rise around the world, and there are more young people drinking than ever before. I am seeing an equally disturbing trend in the church as more and more Christians turn to materialism. With their lives they seem to say: “There is no more hope. God doesn't act."
Tell me, is this how God's people should behave in dark times? Do followers of Christ have to conform to the rest of the world just to get their piece of the pie? No never!
The prophet Joel foresaw how a similar day was approaching Israel, “a day of darkness and darkness.”
In the book of the prophet Joel, the day of darkness and gloom that was approaching Israel would be such as had never happened before in its entire history. The Prophet exclaimed: “Oh, what a day! for the day of the Lord is at hand; He will come as a desolation from the Almighty” (Joel 1:15).
What was Joel's advice to the people of Israel on this dark day? He gave them this word: “But even now the Lord still says: turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and repents of the calamity. Who knows if He will not take pity and leave the blessing...?” (2:12-14).
When I read this passage, what strikes me most are these words: “And even now.” When deep darkness covered Israel, God cried out to His people: “Now yet, even in this very hour of My vengeance, when you have driven Me out of your company, when mercy seems no longer possible, when humanity has laughed at My warnings, when fear and darkness cover the earth, now I still call you to turn to Me. I am slow to anger, and I can often postpone My judgments for a certain time, as I did for Josiah. My people can pray and thereby please My mercy. But the world will not repent if you say there is no more mercy.”
Do you see what God is telling us in these words? As His people, we can intercede with Him in prayer and He will hear us. We can appease Him, knowing that He will surely answer the sincere, effective, passionate prayers of His saints.
I have a word of warning to the church at this moment: Beware! Satan comes precisely at such a dark hour, when the nuclear threat hovers over the earth, when the pagans are rioting and terrorizing the nations. The devil knows that we are vulnerable, and deliberately plants this lie on us: “What good can you do? Why try to evangelize Islamists if they want to kill you? You can't change anything. You can give up on this whole sin-soaked world. There is no point in praying for the outpouring of the Spirit. All your repentance is in vain.”
But God comes to us with this word from Joel: “There is hope and mercy, even now. I am merciful and slow to anger. And now is the time for you to turn to Me in prayer. I can withhold My judgments and even give you blessings.”
Right now, in times of bloody Islamic extremism, militant homosexuality, when our country has lost its moral compass, when the courts are eradicating God from society, when fear is gripping the entire earth, this is the time to turn to the Lord in prayer. Even though His judgments are striking the earth everywhere, even though the vessels of wrath are being poured out, the Holy Spirit is still calling and crying out to mankind, and will continue to do so until the last minute of the very last day.
What specifically should we pray for in times like these?
This is Joel’s recommendation for Israel in that day of darkness and gloom: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, call a fast, and call a solemn assembly. Gather the people, call an assembly, invite the elders, gather the youths and infants... Between the porch and the altar, let the priests, the servants of the Lord, weep and say: “Have mercy, O Lord, on Thy people; do not give up Thy inheritance to reproach, lest the nations mock them; Why will they say among the nations, “Where is their God?” (Joel 2:15-17).
This was the call to the church: “Do not lose heart and do not give in to despair. You must not believe all these devilish lies that there is no hope of awakening.” Instead, according to Joel, the prayer of God's people should be: “Lord, stop this reproach of Your name. Do not allow Your church to be mocked in this way anymore. Make it so that the pagans can no longer dominate us, mock us and ask: “Well, where is your God?”
You may think, “What God promises is just a possibility. He says He can hold back His judgments. This is nothing more than a possibility, that is, perhaps yes, but perhaps not. Whatever He calls His people to do may be in vain.”
I don't think God is making fun of His church. And He will not send His people on a futile mission. When Abraham prayed to God to spare Sodom (where his nephew Lot lived), God's heart was already set to save that city, even if there were only ten righteous people in it. Moreover, Abraham prayed about this just at the time when the destroying angels were already entering the city. I am convinced that God's people today must appease the Lord in the same way.
Zechariah tells us that God has appointed three places where His people should come before Him in prayer.
According to Zechariah, there are three places to pray: (1) God's house (church), (2) your home, and (3) your secret place. The Lord said to Zechariah: “And on the house of David... I will pour out the spirit of grace and compunction... And the earth will weep, each tribe separately: the tribe of the house of David especially (i.e., the church)...; the tribe of the house of Levi is special (i.e., family or house), and their wives are special (separate members)” (Zechariah 12:10,12-13).
When Zechariah spoke this, Israel was surrounded by enemies, full of determination destroy them. They were all in great fear and trembling, but it was at this very time that this amazing word came from the Lord: “God is coming to deal with those evil forces that are rising up against you. So start praying sincerely in church. Start praying in your homes, and pray in your secret rooms. The Holy Spirit is coming, and He will give you the spirit of tenderness and grace, giving you the ability to pray.”
Do you see what God is telling us in this passage? He says to His church at all times, “In times of fear and trembling, I want to pour out My Spirit on you. But for this I need praying people on whom I can pour It out.”
1. Prayer begins in the house of God.
All the Old Testament prophets called God's people to common prayer. Jesus Himself declared, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13). The fact is that all world history was formed through the prayers of the Church of Christ.
Judge for yourself: the Holy Spirit was first poured out in God’s house, in the Upper Room. There the disciples “continued with one accord in prayer” (Acts 1:14). We read that Peter was led out of prison by an angel while “many were gathered together and praying” (12:12). General prayer for Peter's release was offered constantly.
It is clear that God releases great power through the prayers of His church. Thus, the call to such prayer cannot be neglected. We know that the church was established to save souls, to do good, to serve as a meeting place for the preaching of God's Word. But above all, the church must be a house of prayer. This is her most important calling, since all other aspects of church life originate in prayer.
However, corporate prayer has limitations. It is limited by time, as well as by the types of prayer to which God calls us. For example, church is not the place where we can say our tearful prayers of sorrow and mental anguish, where we can call our lusts by their proper names before the Lord and repent of them. Sometimes general prayer can even become an excuse for avoiding such personal prayer, in which the state of the heart is analyzed. Some may state with satisfaction, “I just returned from a two-hour prayer service,” or “I have fasted with my church for the third day in a row.” But it is not the only kind prayers that God wants to hear from us.
2. Our home should also be a place of prayer.
“If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Some Christians call this the “prayer of agreement.” You are blessed if you have a godly brother or sister with whom you can pray. Indeed, the strongest prayer warriors I know pray in twos or threes. If God has blessed me in this life—if He has used me for His glory—then I know it has all been through the prayers of several strong prayer leaders who pray for me daily.
The place where this type of prayer is most effective is the home. My wife Gwen and I pray together daily and I believe it keeps our family together. We prayed for each of our children as they grew up, that none of them would be lost to eternity. We prayed for their friends and acquaintances, that God would lead them away from such friends and girlfriends who could be a network for them. We also prayed for their future spouses, and we now do the same for our grandchildren.
Sadly, very few Christian families take time to pray at home. I can personally testify that it is only through the power of family prayer that I am able to minister today. Every day, no matter where my siblings and I played, in the front yard or outside, my mother would come out onto the porch of our house and call to us: “David, Jerry, Juanita, Ruth, it’s time to pray!”
The whole neighborhood knew that it was time for prayer in our family. Sometimes I hated this call, and went home grumbling and vexed. But something clearly happened during these prayers when the Holy Spirit moved in the midst of our family and touched our souls.
You may not even imagine yourself leading family prayer. Perhaps you have an uncooperative spouse or a disobedient child. Beloved, it doesn't matter at all if someone doesn't want to participate in prayer. You can always go into the kitchen, bow your head and pray. This will be your family prayer, since every family member will know that you are praying.
3. The third place of prayer is the place that Jesus Christ used and recommended to His disciples: prayer in the secret chamber.
Solitary prayer occurs when we are alone in our room. “But you, when you pray, go into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).
Recently the Holy Spirit spoke to me about this type of prayer. In the past, I have preached that because of the constant need to earn a living, we can create a “secret prayer room” anywhere: in the car, on the bus, during a break at work. To some extent this is correct.
However, that's not all. The Greek word translated “room” here means “private room, secret place.” This word was clear to Jesus' listeners, since their homes in those days had an inner room that served them as a kind of storage room. Jesus' command was to enter this secret room and close the door behind you. And these words are addressed to each individual person, and not to the church or to the prayer group.
Jesus gave an example of such prayer when He went into secret places to pray. Time and time again we find in Scripture that He “withdrew” to spend time in prayer. There was no one busier than He, since He was constantly pressed by the needs of those around Him, and He had so little time left for Himself. However, we read: “In the morning he rose up very early, and went out into a desert place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). “And having dismissed the people, He went up into the mountain to pray in private; and at evening he remained there alone” (Matthew 14:23).
And remember the command that was given to Saul in Acts. When Christ stopped this persecutor of the church, Saul was not sent to some general prayer meeting, or to Ananias, that great man of prayer. No, Saul had to spend three days alone in prayer and knowing Jesus.
We all have excuses not to pray in secret, in a special secluded place. We say that we do not have such a secluded place, or we do not have time for such prayer. Thomas Manton, the pious Puritan writer, says this on this subject: “We say that we have no time to pray in secret. However, we find time for everything else: food, drink, children, but not for the things that support all this. We say that we have no solitary place, but Jesus found a mountain, Peter a roof, the prophets a desert. If you love someone, you will definitely find a place to be alone with them.”
David testifies: “Before I was afflicted I was mistaken; but now I keep Your word” (Ps. 119:67). He recognized that when everything is calm and quiet, and we have few problems, we tend to grow cold towards prayer. We say that we love God, but in prosperous times we may even retreat from the Lord, neglecting fellowship with Him. Therefore, from time to time God allows sharp arrows sorrows awakened us.
Many godly church fathers have addressed this topic. John Calvin said that we will never obey God unless we are forced to do so by His discipline. And C. Lewis wrote: “God speaks to us in whispers in our pleasures, but calls out loudly in our suffering. Suffering is His megaphone to awaken a deaf world. Pain removes the obstacle."
When everything is good, we pray, but only occasionally. In times of trouble, we regularly, every day, stand before the Lord in prayer until we are convinced in our spirit that He is in control. The more we want reminders of this for our confidence, the more often we go to our prayer closet.
The truth is that God never allows sorrow in our lives for any reason other than love. We see this in the example of the tribe of Ephraim in Israel. The people fell into great sorrow, and they began to cry out to the Lord in their distress. He replied, “I hear Ephraim weeping” (Jeremiah 31:18).
Like David, Ephraim testified: “You have punished me, and I am punished like an untamed calf; Convert me, and I will be converted, for You are the Lord my God” (31:18). In other words: “Lord, You punished us for our deed. We were like young, untamed calves, full of energy, but You punished us to tame us for Your service. You have taken control of our rampage.”
You see, God had big plans for Ephraim, plans to use him fruitfully and to His satisfaction. But first they had to be trained and taught. So, Ephraim says: “I repented, and after that I was admonished” (31:19). What they were saying was essentially this: “In the past, when God trained us in school to prepare us for His ministry, we did not accept admonition. We ran away from Him, shouting: “This is very difficult; we can not". We were stubborn and constantly broke out of the yoke He placed on us. Then God put a tighter yoke on us, and used His loving rod to break our stubborn will. And now we yield to His yoke.”
We are also like Ephraim: we are like those young, self-centered oxen who do not want to be yoked. We avoid the disciplinary severity of plowing in every possible way; we do not want to endure pain or receive blows from the rod. But we want to get it all at once - victory, blessing, fruit - simply by claiming God's promises, or "taking them by faith." We are annoyed that we are taught to remain in solitary prayer, that we are forced to remain in a long prayer struggle with God before His promises are realized in our lives. And then, when sorrows come, we wonder: “We are God’s people, so why is this happening to me?”
The prayer room is ours training room. And if we do not have this solitude with Jesus—if we are “released” from intimacy with Him—then we will not be ready when the enemy comes like a river.
Not all sorrows in our lives are punishments from God.
There are other reasons for our sorrows that go far beyond our understanding. Yet we know that His love is always in action, even when we are in sorrow. God tells us: “Throughout all your suffering, I remember you. You are My precious child. I feel your pain, and I will soon have mercy on you.”
More importantly, in our most difficult trials, He sends His Comforter to us: “The Comforter, the Holy Spirit... will remind you of everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (John 14:26-27).
In what way does the Lord give us His peace and tranquility in our sorrow? He leads us into a secret room of solitude with Him. It is there that Jesus reminds us, the Father touches us personally: “When you pray, go into your room and close the door. Pray to your Father, who sees you in your solitude. And He will reward you openly” (see Matthew 6:6).
Not long ago, a close friend of mine, a Pentecostal bishop in Hungary, died tragically in a very strange accident. The kitchen stove on which he was cooking suddenly caught fire and he suffered severe burns. He underwent treatment and thought it was all over when he suddenly died a few days later from blood clots.
His friends around the world now stand with his widow in prayer for her. However, true consolation for her will come only from above. No counselor can ease the severity of her pain. Only the Comforter will be with her and console her in her secret solitude with Him.
I know a dear minister and his wife who run an orphanage in Central America. Several years ago they took in a boy who was almost dying. This precious boy became everyone's favorite "little prince," as the entire orphanage called him. Then recently, also as a result of a strange accident, this child died: he was run over by a parked van, in which the transmission gear shifted and he drove off.
This married couple is now in despair over their loss. Also, other children, in front of whom this accident happened, are now inconsolable. What can you say to them now, what words can you choose to console them in such great grief? Despite all my fifty years of ministry, I don't know what to say to them that would touch the right chord in their hearts and comfort them. They are surrounded by care, in loving arms, but true comfort will come only from the Father, who sees their pain in secret.
I realize that I am unable to provide comfort to the thousands of suffering believers who write to us. We received a letter from a pregnant woman who is married to a pastor. She recently discovered that her husband is a pedophile. She writes: “I don’t know what to do. I think I need to divorce my husband. I don’t want him to corrupt our child.”
There is one remedy that every suffering brother or sister can take: Bring it all to Jesus, shut yourself up with Him in your prayer closet, and seek the comfort of His presence. The Lord says: “I will give water to the weary soul and satisfy every sorrowful soul” (Jeremiah 31:25). But how does God do this? He meets her in a secret place, i.e. under cover: “He who dwells under the shelter of the Most High (in the secret place of the Most High - English translation) rests in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1).
Do you see now how important it is to set your heart to pray in a secret place? The point here is not in legalism or in imposing some additional bonds, but in love, in God’s goodness towards us. He sees what is ahead and knows that we will need huge forces, and with daily updates. All this can be achieved only by being in a secret place with Him, under His roof.
You may be thinking right now that you don't know how to pray or what to say. But you can start by simply praising Him. All that matters is that you go there in faith, in obedience and love, and your Father will come to you there. He will reveal His love to you secretly, and will reward you openly with the fruit of His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will pray in you and fill you with prayer! Amen
The center of all programs, activities and ministries of the International House of Prayer is the 24/7 prayer room, which is open to visitors 24/7, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The prayer room was created to reflect the tabernacle of David (1 Chron. 22 - 24); it is a place where we never cease to worship the Lord and intercede for our world. Each twenty-four hour period is divided into twelve two-hour prayer sets, each led by a full worship team.
Each visitor can freely come and stay in the prayer room for as long as they wish. When you are in the prayer room, you are free to participate in corporate worship and prayer, read the Bible, study favorite commentaries, journal, or pray for personal needs. You can sit, stand, or walk up and down the aisles. Whatever you do, we ask that you do it in a way that honors and serves the other people in the room.
If you have any questions during your visit, please do not hesitate to ask the Welcome Center staff or any member of staff wearing a name badge. We warmly invite you to be our guests and hope that the Lord will minister to you during your presence.
Worship and Prayer
Our prayer format is based on the heavenly image that we see in Revelation 5, which talks about the harp and the cup - worship and prayer. In the Gusli and Chalice prayer model, we use two main formats of worship and prayer. Each twenty-four hour period is divided into six two-hour intercessory sets (or sessions) and six two-hour worship sets with the Word, which are more aimed at personal spiritual creation and renewal of relationship with God.
Intercession sessions are usually energetic as everyone in the room is invited to participate in communal prayer. There is usually a specific theme of prayer and each individual is invited to pray into the microphone for a common prayer burden that may concern the Kansas City area or believers around the world. There are so-called prayer cycles - “quick fire prayers”, when hadatai pray into the microphone in turns with 15-second prayers for a special topic, as well as times of prayer in small groups, in which anyone can also take part.
Intercessory sessions take place daily at night - 24:00, in the morning - 4:00, 6:00, 10:00, and in the evening - 16:00 and 20:00.
Worship with the Word is a format of prayer in which we agree with God's heart as we sing biblical truths about who God is and what His promises are. These sessions are more focused on personal spiritual creation, providing a favorable atmosphere for Bible reading and prayers of reflection and contemplation.
Worship sessions with Solov take place daily in the morning at 2:00 and 8:00 o'clock, at noon at 12:00 o'clock, and in the evening at 14:00, 18:00, and 20:00 o'clock.
View prayer room schedule"
