Prayer Center Installation
A prayer desk or ‘center’ is a visual witness to the priority of prayer as a major part of a Christian life of faith and walk with God – AND with one another.
The prayer center is a quiet, unassuming presence, and personal in scale (Scripture notes that we are to pray quietly, in secret, not drawing attention to ourselves). The desk has a unique appearance through the integration of ‘prayer text’ on it’s surface (including the Lord’s Prayer, part of worship liturgy, and the 23rd Psalm); this is a reminder of the center’s intended purpose – the communication of thoughts and feelings, expressed through language, knowing that during prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes when we are unable to form words on our lips that accurately express what is in our hearts.
The desk is white, a reminder of our redemption from sin, our ‘new Adam’ nature as a child of God, in the world, but ‘called out’ from it, as well, to live God-pleasing lives.
The white basket is a container for prayer requests, and evokes outstretched, imploring hands to our Heavenly Father. The basket has a boat-like shape; in Christian art the Church is often symbolized as a ship – and in that sense, Christians are ‘all in the same boat’, together, in the stormy world, committed to love and care for one another – through prayer, to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them, to build up the Body of Christ.
The prayer desk is an encouragement to personally, actively pursue a prayer-walk with God, and to be enriched by the opportunities it presents: Write a prayer request (in your own handwriting) on paper, date, and fold – and place in the request ‘basket’. (It is up to you whether you want your name, or other’s specific names mentioned. Leave out specific names if privacy is desired.)
While people are in the church building, at any time (on Sunday, during the week, etc.,) they may visit the prayer center and take a prayer request with them to a quiet place – a pew in church, for example – and offer up a prayer, privately, on behalf of the specific ‘request’ they pulled from the basket. After their prayer, they place the paper ‘request’ back into the basket. They may continue to offer up other prayers as time allows.
Above the prayer desk is an oval focal point emphasizing Jesus; through Him, our Savior from sin - our mediator, great high Priest, and dearest friend, we can approach God in prayer.