“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

The first 24-7 prayer room, sparked by caffeine-fuelled students in Chichester, England in September 1999, spread like a wild-fire across the globe. Last time we counted there had been over eight thousand two hundred 24-7 prayer rooms in over 111 different nations! On every continent but Antarctica.

And in the UK, the number of prayer rooms continues to rise steadily. In the first five months of 2011, for example, more than 200 prayer rooms across England, Scotland and Wales registered onto this website… and that’s not to mention more than 100 across Ireland, and more than 50 UK Prayer Spaces in Schools. Something very exciting is taking place… and it’s taking place between individual people and God, children and adults, from every denomination and no-denomination (some wouldn’t even call themselves Christians) – simple, honest prayers… heard in Heaven.

In the UK, we continue to receive stories about people meeting with God for the first time in prayer rooms… young people learning to pray, faith being raised and restored, churches experiencing a fresh blessing from Holy Spirit. It is an incredible privilege to be on the receiving end of these phone calls and emails, to hear and read the excitement as people share their stories of God’s blessing.

So… What is a Prayer Room?

A 24-7 prayer room is a simple idea. It’s just praying without stopping… in one hour shifts, night and day around the clock, in a room or space that’s been set aside as the ‘prayer room’, for a week (or less… or more… or for a few hours each day… it’s really up to you). Most prayer rooms are decorated creatively to inspire prayer, engaging as many of the senses as possible, and thus enabling people to experiment with different styles and types of prayer.

“We pray best when we are no longer aware of praying.” Cassian

Why Prayer Rooms?

The most important thing about every single prayer room is that it is a place where people can go to meet with God. It’s not that God is there in the prayer room and not here, wherever I am now… it’s the ‘going to meet with…’ bit that makes it special. It’s the sense of pilgrimage. I go… to meet with God, and I find God there simply because God is longing to be met. The heart of 24-7 Prayer is the teenager who is praying somewhere, right now. It’s the email saying that another person just walked into a prayer room and met Jesus for the very first time. It’s about healing and hope and faith and freedom. It’s about you and me.

“The Prayer Preceding all prayers is ‘May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.” C.S Lewis

A season of 24-7 Prayer provides a place, a time, a context and a catalyst for prayer. It’s a practical tool helping ordinary people to pray. Many who would consider themselves bad at praying turn up for their hour slot in a prayer room and then stay for two. One is rarely enough.

“Our 24-7 prayer week exceeded all expectations. Over 200 people used the prayer room and more than 20 churches got involved. 24-7 has been one of the most productive weeks I have ever known. People were saved. The lukewarm were ignited. Unity made huge steps forward. Through 24-7 a radical vision was imparted way beyond anything our puny little talks could have accomplished”

In a prayer room the sense of God’s presence after many hours of prayer makes prayer easier and time seems to pass much more quickly. Again and again people say that “one hour in the prayer room felt like ten minutes”. And this is often from those whose previous experience of prayer had been the opposite, ten minutes feeling more like an hour.

“Lord, being in this room with you is like no place I have ever been. We have such a clear phone line! Our two way conversation is back.”

“I walked into the prayer room at 7:55 this morning and the air was still potent with prayer. That invisible fog of intercession that you can feel but cannot see – it hung their. It’s the weirdest thing, but it felt as if the room was actually alive.”

Even people who wouldn’t call themselves religious often sense the presence of God in prayer rooms. People who don’t want to be preached at still want to be prayed for. People who don’t think they believe in God still believe in prayer. And some people who wouldn’t enter a church don’t mind visiting a prayer room – even in the middle of the night.

“I told a non-christian friend about our prayer room. She said “My head’s messed up right now, and I think I need to do some praying.” I didn’t realise she meant “right now” literally, until she left the club, went to the prayer room and spent two-and-a-half hours alone with God!” (Claire)

One of the outcomes of time spent in a prayer room is often changes in ourselves – in our motives and attitudes and compassion, and this often leads to new action. This conspires to build life back into our churches and communities as we become part of the answer to some of our prayers.

“I was so amazed by the prayer room last night – it was just an awesome space, and a total wake up call for me personally. There’s so much injustice everywhere ! what am I, …doing to help ? the answer was nothing. I got so annoyed that I went straight home, thought, what the flip can I do right this second that could help others in need? So I packed up a load of clothes I don’t need and brought them to Barnardo’s this morning, this sounds nuts I know.”

Ready to go? Register your Prayer Room Now!