Contemplative Prayer Stations

This contemplative prayer station uses your hands as an active representation of how we hold on to things and need to let them go to God.
- thanxs to .bE (found at http://pomomusings.com ) for this station!
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Directions for Leadership:
For this station all you need are xeroxed images of hands open and hands gripping as well as the directions below.

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Directions:

Close your eyes and clench your hands up tight.

Imagine all the pressures and worries and tensions you are carrying as you come to worship.

Then in your own time turn your hands, still gripping, over so that they are facing down.

Imagine God’s hands underneath yours and slowly open your hands so that the things you are carrying fall into God’s hands.
You may wish to repeat
this several times.

Then turn your hands face up, but this time with the palms open and ask God’s Spirit to fill you afresh.

This contemplative prayer station uses a what seems to be a random event to help people come to grips with their own jealousy.
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Directions for Leadership:

Sett up the quotes and directions in a closed of room that has space for people to sit and pray either on chairs or on the floor. Make sure you have tissue boxes around just in case. At the beginning of the service hand every one mini candy bars, but at random hand out 2 or 3 normal size ones and 1 Xlarge candy bar with no explanation other than you felt like giving everyone a gift today, out of love. Then go on and do what ever you do in your service, as people get up and go to the prayer station another dimension of what you did will be brought to their attention.

This is how we set up an area often times.

For this particular station you would need an area that displays the quotes and directions away from the prayer area… this allows for more privacy as well as keeps traffic from stepping on the person praying.
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Quotes:

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. -Epicurus

Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor. -Benjamin Franklin

Happiness is open to all, since, when you boil it down, it merely consists of contentment with what you have got and doing what you can for other people. -Sir Robert Baden-Powell

In jealousy there is more of self-love than love. - François de la Rochefoucauld

Envy is the ulcer of the soul. - Socrates

You can’t be envious and happy at the same time - Frank Tyger

Few men have the natural strength to honor a friend’s success without envy. - Aeschylus

Directions for participants:

Are you jealous of someone else’s candy bar?

Do you wish you had someone else’s clothes?
House? Car? MP3 player?

Are you envious of someone else’s marriage? Boy friend or girl friend? Relationship with family?

Are you jealous of someone else’s faith in God? Their spiritual gift? Their talents?

If you answered YES to any of these or can think of something not on the list that you envy, don’t go any where!
Take time to tell God about your Jealousy and ask that he forgive you and make you into a person of contentment instead.

In 1 John it says:

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

You may stay here or go into the prayer room to speak with your maker.

Jesus often took ordinary, everyday things and filled them with meaning and symbolism.
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Directions for Leadership:
This is a very fun station or entry way. Set up a bunch of long tables and put up a banner that says:

Jesus often took ordinary, everyday things and filled them with meaning and symbolism.

Then on the tables place the items from the below list on the table with the label that has the verses from the bible next to it. Make it look nice, with table clothes, and “show piece” each item. Place the following Instructions every so often along the tables. Depending on how adventurous you are, include a dead fish (you can get one at your local store) and leave it out in a basket. It will make the whole room start to smell, but I guarantee you will never hear a story about Jesus and fish the same again.
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Look at each thing on the table.

Are you familiar with what Jesus said using each of these items?
Do you think about the deeper meaning or the symbolism when you see these things in your everyday routine?
If you don’t know what they symbolize look them up in the bible, the verses where you can find what Jesus is talking about are next to each item.

Wine
Matthew 9:17
Mark 14:22 – 26

Bread
Mark 14:22 - 26
Pearls
Matthew 13:45&46

Coins
Matthew 22:15-22
Luke 15:8-10
Seeds
Matthew 13:1-23
Matthew 13:31&32

Sheep
Matthew 18:12-14
John 10:25-30

Salt
Mark 9:50
Mathew 5:13

Vineyards
Mathew 20:1-16

Children
Matthew 18:2-6

Light
Matthew 5:14-16
John 8:12

Perfume
Luke 7:44-48

This contemplative prayer station uses journaling and a paper shredder to help in the process of confession.
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Directions for Leadership:
Set up: On a table place sheets of paper with the prayer of confession on the top(you will need to find one that is from your particular denominational tradition or google for one), pens and pencils and the directions. To the side of the table set up 1-2 paper shredders. If possible you can use a fireplace instead of the shredders, or trash cans as a last resort.

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Directions to place on the table:

Confessing what is wrong in out life is a crucial part of coming to God in prayer. When we do not confess our wrongs, we limit our openness to God’s work of transforming us into Jesus’ likeness. When we confess it is freeing and allows us to connect with our maker and experience His Grace.

Take a sheet of paper and a pen. At the top of the paper is a prayer of confession, a liturgical prayer that has been prayed allowed by groups of Christians for centuries. Pray the prayer silently and think about the wrongs in your life. Confess them to God by journaling or listing them.

When you are done take your list over to the paper shredders. Tell God everything you are thinking and feeling. Ask God to forgive you, and as you do so, put the paper through the shredder and think about how God has shown you grace and forgiven you.

This contemplative prayer station is to make people think about who Jesus cares about.
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Directions for leadership:
In an entryway or in a separate area post the following for people to read and set up an area near by for people to pray.
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Start
Here
Imagine This:

Jesus is visibly here, in this room. He is slowly walking around, stopping here and there to speak a word or two into some ones ear. He gently lays a hand on one person, then turns and holds another for a moment. As we sing he does a little dance and then moves to speak to someone else.
How do you feel in this moment?

What are you thinking?

Suddenly Jesus stops and looks around, a concerned look on his face. He is searching for someone who is not here. He abruptly turns and walks out of the room.

You peek out the door just in time to see him take off towards down town.

How do you feel about this?

Do you feel ditched? Left behind?

Ask yourself why you may feel the way you do.

Who do you think he is looking for? Specifically.

Do you have a part in what Jesus is doing, who he is seeking?

Take a moment to pray for the person who came to mind. Also, pray that God would give you opportunities to have meaningful conversations with that person.

OR

Ask God to speak to you and then be still for a moment and wait for God to bring something to mind. Just listen for that still small voice… aka: that thought that keeps popping up!