“A prayer room needs to provide privacy and be closed off from outside distractions. It should be comfortable, with a pleasant atmosphere—an inviting place to enjoy the Lord’s presence. It’s important that it be safely accessible 24 hours a day, with a telephone and preferably a separate outside entrance that is well lighted and has a combination lock. It should be inspirational and should have helpful information displayed to guide people as they pray.” Terry Teykl

As you think about developing your prayer room, realize that there are so many ways to make a prayer room attractive and stimulating for prayer. There are no rules as long as it is conducive to prayer. When we first saw the prayer room in Spain, we knew we were in for a great challenge. Everything was a mess, but we found that God could transform almost anything into a beautiful place of prayer. Hopefully this will help you to take the necessary steps in setting up the House of Prayer in your city.

To summarize a few very important suggestions, think about the following: When choosing a place to pray, make sure your prayer room is easy to get to and doesn’t require complex directions. Do you want to be seen by others, and is it a safe place at night? Remember that some will be traveling at night so safety is an important issue. It’s good not to have people praying alone at night, but there are exceptions. What about privacy?

Is the room big enough for people to walk around or pace back and forth? Some prayer warriors like to walk or wave banners as they pray. Is it big enough for groups but still intimate in atmosphere for one person? You may want a medium-sized room with dividers or theme areas of prayer. A larger room next to a smaller room is ideal for flexibility. Do you need a telephone nearby in case of emergency? Is there a rest-room? Is it neighbor-friendly? What about the noise level or loud music with noisy intercessors? Here at IHOPKC many wear earplugs. Different ages like different volumes of music.

All of these practical details are important to discuss as you plan your House of Prayer. Also think about the following suggestions:

• Pray and look for the right place – Praying for the right location added a lot to the success of our month of prayer in Spain. There were several factors associated with this: An emblem of the Spanish culture, the Hotel Solana is a two hundred year old hacienda, very rustic in appearance. It became a sign and a wonder from the Lord because prior to our initiative, most did not know of its existence. The possibility of its use would have been remote. People enjoyed being there because they were surrounded by nature, light, and the green outdoors. It was a central location, easy to access from any direction. There were large rooms for eating and fellowship, and a smaller one off to the back that was used as the 24/7 prayer room.
• Have a warm, friendly, and inviting atmosphere outside the prayer room – The atmosphere outside the prayer room was friendly and welcoming. You may want to supply drinks such as coffee, tea, or water outside your prayer room. Right next door to the Global Prayer Room in Kansas City, there is a coffee shop called Higher Grounds where people can buy coffee, sandwiches, and snacks, and meet for fellowship and building relationships.
• Have an attractive prayer room created for prayer – As one approached the prayer room in Spain, shoes were removed, and no talking was permitted inside the prayer room. We emphasized vertical communication only. Don’t use too many bright lights, except at the entrance. We had lights in the prayer room that could be turned on or off, depending what people wanted. Lighting in general should be warm and inviting.
• Music DVDs with suitable types of background music were selected to accompany prayers – It’s important to have a broad choice of DVDs and ones even for children. A book was left at all times in the prayer room for people to write verses, prayers, what God had spoken during their prayer time, impressions, pictures, etc. This was a valuable reminder of what happened in people’s lives in the prayer room.
• The room was well furnished – There were seats around the perimeter, DVD player, instruments, carpets, pillows, and a candle that was burning throughout the duration of the event. The candle was a symbol representing the presence of the Lord and our passion for Him. Some Houses of Prayer do not permit candles because of the fire hazard. If you use candles, make sure they are in a safe place and not near something flammable. My book, Intercessors Arise, was apparently too close to the flame, and one morning I found it burnt on the edges. It was baptized in fire during that month of prayer. At a meeting in Belgium where I was selling my books, an intercessor quickly wanted to buy the “anointed” book on prayer that was baptized with fire in the prayer room!
• Have some stimulating prayer training and books in the prayer room – A manual of the Intercessors Arise prayer teachings was always in the prayer room along with the book Intercessors Arise and Praying the Bible by Wesley and Stacy Campbell for prayer motivation. Teachings on prayer and intercession help to fuel the flame of prayer. For free bi-monthly prayer teaching for your House of Prayer, subscribe here.
• Keep the prayer room clean – The cleanliness of the hacienda was kept at the highest possible standard. Air fresheners or incense helps keep it fresh. A few of us would always try to keep it clean and orderly. Only water is permitted in the prayer room at IHOPKC and because we have so many thousands of visitors, shoes must always be worn because of cleanliness standards.
• Have the prayer schedule posted outside the prayer room – On an easel outside the prayer room were posted daily sign-up sheets for the week. The scheduled sessions were divided into two-hour sets. Each week had 84 two-hour sets. We recommend two hours, but you may want to divide it into one-hour blocks of time. It’s totally up to you. Individuals or church groups were encouraged to fill in the blocks (sets) during times when they would be able to occupy the room. Pastors often signed blocks for their churches. You may want to assign whole churches or cell groups within a church to take a day or night. You may also want to post an introduction to the prayer room, its themes and aims, as well as other important information on this “welcome” easel or wall for people to easily see.
• Have an appointed leader for each block of time – If a pastor brought his congregation, we would recognize him as the leader for that block of time unless he deferred it to someone else. We wanted to honor the pastors for their spiritual roles as gate-keepers in the area. In an amazing way, pastors and intercessors began to love and appreciate one another on a whole new level. When one church ended their two-hour block of time or set, another one would start. Intercessors filled in all the empty two-hour time slots, and whoever signed up would lead that block of time. The ones leaving their prayer time would always pray for the ones coming and for God’s blessing on their prayer watch.
• Have an on-site coordinator if possible – An on-site coordinator equipped with a cell phone was able to receive appointments or cancellations and record them accordingly. For a citywide House of Prayer, you may want to post the schedule on an online sign-up roster on the Internet. This is especially good for individuals who have to commute a long way to the prayer room. As the coordinator, I was able to oversee the prayer room, making sure there was an individual or group praying every hour of every day during the month. You can assign a different coordinator every day or week if you desire.
• Provide an opportunity for giving – A collection bowl was always set inside or outside the door of the prayer room. Many people gave generously. A resident of the hotel who came from outside the country was responsible for collecting the offerings, paying the bills, and recording income and expenditures during the month. Good financial accounting is important to maintain the unity of the Spirit.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC