Quiet! My People Are Praying!

BY Ana (Annie) Pérez, Ph.D.

Annie Pérez (right), Florida Conference prayer ministries director, prays with student worker Ashley Mandracken in a Prayer Room set up in the Conference office.

Martin Butler

Workers wrote prayer requests and messages of praise on the Prayer Room walls.

Lee Bennett

A life-size etching of Jesus with His outstretched arms and pierced hands draws your eye as you enter the Florida Conference office atrium. Walkways surrounding the water feature lead to work spaces and the bustle of daily activity.

Mere steps into the work space, two prayer rooms were constructed as part of a pilot program to create a safe, welcoming environment for employees to pray for themselves and others.

Preparation

Prayer Room walls were covered in brown construction-grade paper to facilitate portraying prayer requests. An inviting, yet subdued, color scheme drew the eye. Several chairs and covered tables dotted each room. Pictures graced the walls. Subdued lighting, flameless candles, and the hint of lavender provided ambience.

Implementation

While one room remained a place of prayer for all, the other room was designated for use by those with special burdens for children.

The invitation was given to come often and stay as long as needed. Employees and visitors were entreated to write their petition on the wall with a marker. After praying for the petition, they were encouraged to wait for an answer. Petitions encircled the walls, as well as answers to prayers.

Remembrance of the visit was available through books about prayer, pins, and other giveaway items. Visitors were encouraged to take one and share one.

Summarization

These prayer rooms, originally begun as a pilot program to measure interest, were received with open arms. Employees and visitors became actively engaged. They wrote requests concerning their friends, family, health, and what they wanted deliverance from, as well as miracles and answers to prayers.

Employees left the rooms feeling renewed and at peace after spending an average of five to seven minutes.

At the end of the month, several pastors came and prayed for the petitions written on the walls, gave thanks for the miracles, and praised God for what had already been done and what He was about to do.

Ana (Annie) Pérez, Ph.D. is director of women’s ministries and prayer ministries for Florida Conference.

Florida | September 2017