What the Prayer Room Taught Me about My Prayer Life
One really big thing I miss about home is privacy.
I need alone time.
Don’t get me wrong, I love people. But if I’m going to continue loving people, I need to get away from them every once in a while.
It’s a great feeling to step away from all of the noise and spend some time alone in prayer. Whether it’s a quiet walk through the woods or morning devotions by the lake, there’s nothing like time alone with God.
Prayer is a battle.
Soon after coming to college, I realized that those quiet moments would be few. I saw that the fight for prayer would be a constant struggle.
Almost anywhere you go on campus, there’s something to distract you. If you’re fortunate, you might get a few moments alone in your room on occasion. But other than that, sometimes the only part of the day that you get to yourself is when you take a shower (praise God for hot water and long showers!).
It wasn’t too long after coming to these realizations that I found out about the prayer rooms on campus. In every dorm, there are small rooms specifically set aside for students to get alone for prayer and reflection.
“What a great idea!” I thought to myself.
“I’ll finally be able to have some alone time to just sit and pray.”
But…that didn’t happen.
Last semester went by, and I never stepped foot into the prayer room. I complained to myself over and over again about not being able to find quiet moments, but I never took advantage of the prayer room.
Why?
I have to be intentional about prayer.
I love being alone. I enjoy peace and quiet. So why didn’t I go to the prayer room? Well, to be completely honest with you, it was because prayer wasn’t very high on my priority list.
There were so many things I placed above prayer in my life. School. Friends. Sports. Facebook. I constantly ran to my preferences instead of falling on my knees. And it reflected in my neglect of the prayer room.
“Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.” —William Wilberforce
What about you?
Of course, the prayer room isn’t the only place where you can get alone to pray. Maybe you have another spot you go to find tranquility and commune with God. Your prayer room can be anywhere.
How often do you visit it?
We establish times for when we wake up, when we do laundry, and when we eat. So I know it’s possible to set aside a specific time to pray.
As a Christian, you have a gift you should never take for granted. You can talk with the Creator of the universe wherever you are. The God of heaven loves you and listens to your pleas. If nothing else, let that be your motivation to pray.
I hope you won’t neglect the prayer room as I did. I hope you come before your Father every day on your hands and knees in worship and request.
Let’s make this a campus filled with prayer.
Let’s be intentional about finding our prayer room and going there often.
“O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved spot on earth.” —Andrew Murray
Where is your prayer room? Comment below your favorite spot to spend alone with God.
36
You must be logged in to post a comment.