The Help Club for Momsናሙና

Making Room for Prayer

By Rae-Ellen Sanders

I love the movie War Room. The older woman, Clara, is a powerhouse prayer warrior! She diligently removes herself to a tiny room where she has lined the walls with pictures and Scriptures to motivate her in her spiritual battle through prayer. The movie inspires me to fight the enemy with the Word of God and to persevere when my prayers aren’t answered in my timing.

According to James 5:16 (NKJV), “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” From what I understand about Scripture, the most spiritually successful people were men and women of prayer. Jesus Himself regularly removed himself from the crowds to find a quiet time with the Father. If Jesus, as our greatest example, found time to pray, how much more should we follow His standard to pray!

Creating a secret place to meet the Lord in prayer is how we begin to make quiet time a life-changing priority. A comfy chair or a nook reserved for your prayer closet or war room will allow you to slow down, quiet your heart, read God’s Word without interruption, hear the voice of the Lord, and pray.

If you’re like me and don’t have room in your house for a dedicated war room, another option would be to create a prayer board made from a trifold board that you can find at most office stores. I’ve added prayer cues and Scriptures to my board that moves me to pray. Pinterest has been a great resource to help me tailor my board to my liking. When opened, my board shields me from the laundry and other distractions that want to pull me away from time with God. When I am finished, it folds up and easily stores under my bed.

After creating this safe haven and refuge from the world, go into your “secret place” and thank God for all His blessings and provisions. Thanksgiving gives you a humble posture for prayer. You can journal your praises and even acknowledge answered prayers. Play music that inspires you to sing songs of praise. Pick up a hymnal or sing songs you know from church. Lifting your voice in worship invites the Lord to join you. Open your Bible, and before reading, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom to understand the mysteries of His Word. Read Scripture out loud. Take notes, underline, and meditate on what the Lord has spoken to you. If you feel like trying something new, sing the words of the Psalms as David did. Don’t forget to be specific in this time of conversing with God and pray for people by name. Your quiet time will become a time of refreshment with the Lord that might even become your favorite part of the day!