17Oct2018
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Prayer Stations

Prayer Stations

Prayer stations are small learning centers set up around a room or church that have a theme for prayer. They utilize objects related to the theme that help to instruct or stimulate the mind of the person praying with what to pray for. The objects may be things as simple as a picture or elaborate as a full-scale replica of a soldier with armor.

The benefit of prayer stations is that they give kids a visual way to focus on praying for different things that they may not otherwise think of. The things they see will get them thinking and help them to focus. In addition, when they see related things in their everyday lives, it may cause them to remember that they prayed for a similar thing in kids prayer and remind them to pray again.

Where to have them
Prayer stations can be set up in any room or even spread around the church building, such as on various hallway walls, the fellowship hall, prayer room, etc. Some kids prayer groups have dedicated rooms that they use each week where the stations may be assembled and left. Other groups have to share rooms and may have to put up and take down the stations each use. If you cannot leave a prayer station up, consider having a simpler station that won’t take a lot of effort to manage and store.

What themes to use
Each church and prayer group have different focuses for prayer time. Some churches have a greater focus on world issues while others may be more centered on their immediate community. The goal is to get a diversity of stations that encompass personal, church/family, and kingdom needs. Here are some ideas:

Nations Lost Souls Your City Your Church Disasters
Healing Leaders Families Schools Missionaries
Youth Ministries Pastor Government Revival

There are many others but this gives you a starting point.

You may also wish to create your theme based on some special focus that your church is promoting. This will help your children to feel like they are a part of the program and that they have something to contribute. When people (including children) feel ownership in something, they will tend to stick with it much longer. In addition, this will teach them to be supportive of the pastor and direction of the church leadership.

How to use prayer stations
The use of prayer station will vary based on the set schedule of your kids prayer meeting. You can start with group worship and prayer and after everyone has their mind on the Lord you can allow the children to go the prayer station that they feel led to visit. You may also wish to try using prayer stations first, as a way to get children praying before your regular lesson or group prayer time. You will need to stress to the group the importance of being serious and actually praying – not just playing with the items. When you first get started you may need to have an adult helper at each station to help train the child what to and how to act.

When the child gets to the prayer station, they will use the items you’ve placed at the station as reminders and ideas of what to pray for. The child can hold photos, flags, lists, clothing, and other items at the station as they pray. If you use maps to pray for areas of the world they can place their hand on specific areas while praying. You may wish to play soft worship music in the background while the prayer stations are in use.

Bring the kids back together and have time worshipping and thanking to God for hearing you and for all He’s done during your prayer time. After prayer, have a time where you ask the children if God shared anything with them while they were praying. This is a vital step as it gets the children in the practice of listening for God speaking to them. Write down whatever they share (even if it doesn’t always make sense) and always encourage them that they did a great job listening for God’s voice and sharing what they felt. Although their answers may not always make immediate sense to you, or them, oftentimes you will see similar theme or word from God during follow-on church services, prayer times or things that happen. God does speak to children.

Here are some photos of various prayer stations that some churches have done:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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