December 13, 2022
Make Your Home A Sacred Place For Prayer
While you can (and should!) pray anywhere and everywhere, Catholics and saints throughout the centuries have grown in their spiritual life by creating a space in their homes that they can dedicate to deeper prayer. Whether simple or elaborate, the important thing is that this space, commonly called a “prayer corner,” is peaceful, contains elements to help you focus on prayer, and relatively distraction-free.
In this blog post, we’ll give you some tips on how to create your own prayer corner.
Let’s get started:
Find a Quiet Spot in Your Home
The first step is finding a quiet spot in your home where you can go to pray undisturbed. If you have young children at home, you might need to get creative to find a space that meets this requirement! If you live alone, any quiet spot in your home will do. Some people like to set up their prayer corners in a basement or closet, allowing them to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. If you need a reminder to pray throughout the day, try setting up in a more visible part of the house. The important thing is that you feel comfortable there, can access it easily (not hidden in the back of the attic where you need to climb over the Christmas decorations), and can concentrate on communing with God.
Once you’ve found the perfect location, it’s time to start filling it with items that will help you pray.
Choose Your Furnishings Wisely
The aura of your prayer corner needs to strike a balance; it should be warm and inviting so that you feel welcome as you pray, but if it’s too comfortable or finely furnished then you’ll get distracted, even fall asleep. Fortunately, you don’t need much to properly furnish your prayer corner.
It boils down to three basic elements: a place for Jesus, a place for you, and a place for your prayer aids. For Jesus, usually a small shelf or table serves as a nice visual focal point where you can display a statue of Our Lord, Mary, or your patron saint, and accompany it with a candle to create a warm, prayerful atmosphere.
The place for you depends on how you’re most likely to be praying. If it’s easiest for you to pray while kneeling, there’s kneelers of all shapes and sizes available, as well as small kneeling benches that can be easily stowed when not in use. Even an exercise mat can be repurposed as a spot to kneel before the Lord. Either way, make the place for you a welcoming and comfortable one, so that you won’t dread spending time each day there talking with Our Lord.
Finally, there’s the place for your prayer aids, including your rosary, chaplets, spiritual reading and prayer candles. A small table or desk works well for this – again, it can be as simple or fancy as you like, just remember that the goal is to facilitate your prayer time.
Make It Your Own
Once you have these three elements in place, it’s time to customize your space and make it your own. Scented or personalized candles and mementos are a thoughtful way to feel at home in your prayer corner, and pictures of loved ones can help remind you of some of your prayer intentions. Again, the key is to make your space inviting and comfortable without straying into distraction.
Pray Daily
Once you’ve created your prayer corner, make time each day to pray there for a set amount of time. This daily practice will help you develop a deeper relationship with God, allowing you to ask for His guidance on the challenges and joys of life. Routine and habit go hand in hand, so it’s helpful to set aside the same time each day for prayer, such as when you wake up in the morning or before going to bed at night.
When it comes to how much time each day you’re committing to focused mental prayer, that depends on your state in life and where you are in your spiritual journey. If you’re just getting started on daily prayer, it might be a bad idea to schedule a complete hour each day. Not only is this a tough commitment to follow through on, it’s also difficult to spend an hour in focused prayer each day when you’re starting from scratch. Take a serious look at your responsibilities, tasks, and spiritual health, and schedule your prayer time accordingly.
Conclusion:
Building a personal prayer corner in your home is a great way to create a sacred space where you can go to nurture your relationship with God. By taking the time to find the right location, furnishings, and decorations, you can create a space that is both beautiful and functional – perfect for spending quality time with our Heavenly Father. By following the tips in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way towards creating your own personal prayer corner!
