Interactive Prayer Stations

PrayerLeader OnLine interviews Michelle Marx, Pastor of Worship Arts: Music, Drama and Creative Arts Ministries

Living Hope Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Q. Michelle, how did you come up with the idea for Interactive Prayer Stations?

I like to call them Worship Interactive Experiences. I first got the idea from an article I read four or five years ago. I don’t even remember who wrote the article, but it discussed various ways to be interactive and creative with our people in worship/prayer. The idea of WIE was born. The rooms can be arranged around a central theme, of which there are an infinite number! I’ve designed experiences that center around prayer, missions, worship, purpose, listening to God, revival, forgiveness, meditation, fruits of the spirit, beatitudes… you name it! The list is endless. A Worship Interactive Evening is designed specifically as an invitation for the believer to actively participate in various creative and introspective ways of worshiping God.

Q. Describe what someone would see when they arrive for a prayer session?

I typically use the north wing of our church, which is comprised of eight rooms. The first thing they would see and hear would be contemplative praise music playing as well as a welcome sign with the general theme, and a separate poster with guidelines next to it. If someone misses the corporate instruction, they can just mix in from there. Full-color, artistically and visually pleasing posters are at the threshold of each door. Each poster gives the impression of what awaits them in the room itself. Soft, reflective music would be playing. The music could be the same throughout, or at times, I’ve chosen to use different music in each room that reflects the atmosphere of that particular activity. The main thing that should stand out in each room or space is the use of the five senses. Each experience should appeal to sight, smell, touch, hearing and even taste, if applicable. The atmosphere that I create is always one of an introspective, inviting space where we meet our Creator one on one. Each space is distinctly separate and different. People are free to spend as much or as little time in each room as they want. There are no time constraints or pressure to perform. This is quality time between them and God alone.

Q. Is there an overall theme? Does each station (or room) have a different theme?

As I mentioned above, the themes can be as broad or narrow as you want. Any aspect of our relationship with God or others, any ministry, any Bible-centered theme, or any outreach can be addressed. I choose one main theme. Then I design the rooms, along with specific activities/directions around that main theme-–only breaking it down to specific areas.

Q. Explain a typical time schedule.

If it is designed to be a single evening event, we’d meet all together, worship through song and corporate prayer, explain the guidelines, assign room numbers so each room gets an even number of people, let them go and circulate at their own pace; then at the end of the agreed time, reconvene to share our experiences.

If it’s an all-night event (24 hour prayer for example), people are free to come and go throughout the 24 hours and spend as much time as they desire.

Q. How do you make the stations family/kid friendly?

Typically, the experiences that I’ve designed have been geared toward adults. When I have designed them for kids, the whole experience would be designed specifically for them while providing supervision and instruction in each room. So when in the planning stages, it should be decided if the experience will be for adults, kids or a combined family environment where the parents rotate with their kids.

You post guidelines at each station . . .

1. This is an exercise that is between you and God only. Please refrain from talking to others. This is very important as it will allow each other time and space to communicate with God and for God to communicate with us. Sharing is welcome after everyone is finished.

2. After you begin your journey in the 1st room you are assigned, proceed to the next room to the left (as you look down the hall, this would be clockwise, as if the end door is the clock). Everyone will move clockwise so as to not have a traffic jam in one room.

3. Proceed at your own pace. Do not feel pressured to leave too quickly or to stay if you’re finished. This experience is designed for you to move as you feel comfortable and as each experience comes to it’s own conclusion.

4. Engage fully in each activity and worship with all your mind and heart. You will get out of it what you put into it and God will meet you where you are.

Q. What feedback have you received?

All of the feedback I’ve gotten has been great. People seem to love the intimacy, quite time, tactile and active participation that it takes in each room. Here are a few testimonies I’ve received lately:

"I think that interactive prayer exercises are good because they involve people, they involve the senses, and they involve us in encountering God in a fresh way. Some people think that prayer is either a quick 'Help, Lord!' or else something that has to be done in a specially devoted time, on their knees, focused on a prayer list--or else better left to the prayer-warriors. Interactive rooms help us to realize that God wants to be involved in all of our lives.

"God used your simple sensory exercises (like the seed-planting exercise, or the feather, the paper loops, or pinning sins to the cross exercises) to capture our attention and speak to us in a deeper way. Symbolism and analogies always carry a deeper and more memorable message, just as Jesus did in His parables. The best result is being more aware of God accompanying us and speaking to us wherever we go--and that’s prayer."

"One room that always brings me to my knees (literally) in tears and worship to God is the one you have the cross setup in--sometimes we have communion (with cracker and juice) but I always have communion in there--pouring out who I am to Christ and asking of Him what I should let go and nail to the cross"

"My favorite room in the past is the room with the cross, body and blood of Christ. Praying to God and seeing some thing or area in our lives that is hindering us from obeying Him or keeping us from being Spiritually connected to Him and laying it at the cross asking Him for forgiveness. Then partaking in His body and blood is a cleansing of our hearts."

"The worship-interactive rooms have been a great blessing to me. The rooms force me to listen to God so that I can know Him better. In those rooms the Holy Spirit confirms the Agape Love that God has for me which in turn makes me love Him more so that I can live with the power and confidence of His Spirit. These quiet environments challenge me to have the same attitude as of Christ, as I go through the spiritual insights that are presented there."

"Of all the rooms, the one that breaks me and touches me to the core is the communion room. Nailing the challenges of life, that are going the wrong way (due to self focus), on the wooden cross is a humbling experience. I feel free and peaceful after that. Then partaking in the communion, which is set up so that it is just between God and me, is a triumphant experience. When I am done with that room I am not only confident to live for Christ because of the power of the Spirit in me, but also speak about Him and what He has done for me to others, thus expanding the Kingdom."

"The power of the Holy Spirit is deeply felt as you walk through the worship-interactive rooms. The tears that are shed in these rooms by many of us are evidence of the Spirit working in our hearts."

Q. Describe several prayer stations.

Some of my favorites:

1. Communion room.

Large cross with velvet table layout, candles lit with bread and juice laid out on a variety of levels. Lights are low. Creating the whole atmosphere is vital. Contemplative music is playing in the background. The instructions on the poster ask the participant to kneel before the Lord, asking Him to reveal areas in their lives that they need to give over to the Lord and lay at the cross. They then write that on the slips of paper provided and pin it to the wooden cross, as a symbol of letting go and giving it over to God. After they encounter Him at the cross, they then take communion in solitude, thanking God for His sacrifice so that they can be freed from these things.

2. Prayer Chains.

We are all part of the body of Christ, interconnected and interdependent, each one of us significant and needed. In this room, they are instructed to take 5 strips of paper provided--all different colors. On each strip, they are to write the names of various people: 1st--a good friend or family member that needs your prayer, 2nd--a person they would like to get to know better, asking God to deepen that relationship, 3rd--a person they know is in need and pray, asking God to meet that need while knowing God’s love and presence in a fresh way, 4th--the name of a friendship that needs healing, restoration, forgiveness and 5th--someone they know that needs Christ, asking God for their salvation and ways they can actively help.

When finished writing and praying, they link the parts of the chain to the main chain already started, as a symbol of One Body, all interceding and petitioning the Lord. It’s cool to see the end result. We often take that long chain and set it on our alter area so it can be a witness to others how much prayer for one another is needed and vital.

3. Missions Room.

This room has five stations. Each one represents parts of the harvest and has a colorful sign over it: Preparing the ground, planting, feeding and watering, weeding and protecting, and finally the harvest. Each station (table) is filled with things that represent that part of the process, and they are instructed (by signs) what to do at each--by physically doing something at each and praying specifically at each while you’re doing the action. They are physically working the soil, planting seeds, fertilizing, protecting and eating fruit at the last station to represent the harvest. Each person takes home the plant they’ve planted as a reminder to pray for missions--across the street and abroad. This room requires a lot of physical materials, but reaps great times of prayer now and later.

4. My Shape.

In this room, the participants are provided with different colors of clay. They are instructed to shape the clay into a form that would represent their life right now or how they feel about themselves at this time in their lives. After they are finished, with the Bibles provided, they are to look up and read the verses on the poster. All of the verses have to do with self-image according to God, life-purpose, their uniqueness. Then with the paper provided, they answer a few questions--for example: What does God say? How does the truth of the scripture match up with how you feel? Can you take God at His Word and trust it? Then, they write a prayer or simply pray at that moment, for God to reveal His truth and help them to believe it for themselves, to memorize scripture so that He can bring it to memory when we doubt who we are in Christ, etc.

Q. When can interactive stations be used?

Interactive worship experiences can be used in any format as long as the space lends itself to quite personal times one on one with God. Provided someone is responsible for planning, set-up and tear-down, these experiences can be valuable for all-night prayer, weekly prayer meetings, nights of worship, special occasions where you may want to focus on a certain theme (40-days of purpose for example), special leadership teams may want to use these just for their team …the sky’s the limit!

Q. Michelle, write a prayer for church prayer leaders and pastors who want to involve more church members in experiential prayer.

Heavenly Father, You are a creative God. The heavens and the earth are filled with Your glory and even these are only a taste of Your wondrous majesty. Who can compare to You? We are stunned by Your greatness and unending passion. We are humbled that You have seen fit to place within us the same creative power that You possess. What a blessing, Lord, thank You!

We know that You never intended our relationship and communion with You to be boring. For life with You, Jesus, is an exciting journey. We are honored to be called for a special purpose within Your Kingdom! Help us to never loose sight of You in the midst of our strivings--show us the bigger picture through Your eyes, Lord. Help us to always seek and practice creative ways to worship, to pray, to hear You, to spread Your fame, to go deeper with You daily. Please show us the way to courageously lead Your congregation with Your passion, Your vision and Your unconditional love. All this is for You, Lord, and for Your glory. May we be a reflection of You and never be afraid to use the creativity that You have placed within us. Set our faces as flint before You. Let no distractions get in our way.

Thank You for saving us, redeeming us, equipping us and allowing us to humbly serve You. We love You Lord. Amen.