Creating a prayer kit

Being prepared for experiential prayer

Our new series is about creating a prayer kit for personal use or creating a basic ‘kit’ of items you can use again and again when setting up worship stations or using experiential prayer in group worship settings.

One of the challenges of using experiential prayer is accessing equipment. In this series I aim to provide a few ideas of items that might make up a prayer kit.

Many people tell me that they find that part too hard so they look at a photo and imagine using the equipment. While that works some of the time, for me the physical aspect to experiential prayer is what makes it meaningful.

There is something very real about taking a symbolic action. It combines our words or thoughts or feelings with a physical response that says I’m doing something with my faith. Read the list below and notice all the words that speak of ‘doing’ and imagine combining these actions with a focus on prayer.

• Standing holding a stone in my hand and dropping it into a pool of water.

• Pressing my thumb into a lump of dough.

• Sticking a sticker onto a sheet of paper.

• Posting a note through a slot.

• Squeezing a stress ball.

To me these speak of making a committment or declaration. These prayers are usually silent or spoken under my breath. They’re prayers between me and God. In the action I feel connection.

When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask.

Matthew 6:6-8 (CEV)

I’ve been using experiential prayer for years in both my personal prayer life and in worship settings. Very early on I realised that the things I gathered could be re-used. When I worked as a pastor with an office in the church building, my office looked something like a kindergarten supply room. I had stacks of plastic ice-cream containers labelled with assorted bits and pieces. Today, one wall of our garage is lined with much larger boxes and we have a cupboard on the back wall of the garage to store the collection of experiential prayer equipment I’ve been gathering over the last twenty five years.

Amongst the stockpile there are some things that get used again and again. I think of them as my ‘core’ experiential prayer equipment. A few years ago I converted the children’s playhouse into a prayer room. I have a cane basket sitting in there with my personal favourite prayer things.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be bringing you prayers using accessible equipment. In most cases you’ll be able to gather these from around your home or community. Some items can be purchased. I try and limit the items I purchase to things I’ll definitely use again and again. If the prayer ideas work for you, start building your own go-to kit.

Once you have an eye for noticing things that can be used for experiential prayer you’ll find items everywhere you go.

The series is going to look like this:

1st October 2022 - Getting prepared ( a few simple prayers to get us underway)

8th October 2022 - Prayers from the stationery drawer

15th October 2022 - Prayers from the outdoors

22nd October 2022 - Prayers from the toybox

29th October 2022 - Prayers from the bathroom

5th November 2022 - Prayers from the kitchen

12th November 2022 - Prayers from the garage or toolbox

19th November 2022 - Prayers from the recycle bin

For today, here’s three prayers using equipment that if you don’t have will be able to found fairly easily.

On the journey

Caroline