Prayer Room Extended for a Second Week

Members of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Mich., recently had an opportunity to grow in their prayer life through a prayer room set up inside the church. The response to the week was so positive that organizers kept the prayer room open for a second week.

Poster boards in the prayer room describe God.

“The people who came at the beginning of the week wanted to sign up for another hour, and the hours just filled up,” said Michele VandeSteeg, who organized the event.

VandeSteeg ran a 24-hour prayer room three years ago. When Bob Huisman, the pastor, asked her to do it again this year, VandeSteeg said yes, but proposed making it available for a week.

The prayer room consisted of a number of stations, including one called Tabernacle—a tent-like structure that hung from the ceiling in which a person could sit and pray. “It’s designed to just close you in with God, and get you away from distractions,” VandeSteeg said.

Mary Jane Geers, a longtime member at Immanuel, said the prayer room had significant impact on her, particularly in that it made her more aware of the struggles of others. “I am more sensitive and on the lookout for those who need empathy, encouragement, and love. On the other hand, I am encouraged by how God has healed and transformed others’ lives,” she said.

Encouraged by the success of the prayer room, VandeSteeg has ideas for expanding the concept, perhaps at a local strip mall. “Churches could be responsible for a week at a time, and we could have 24/7 prayer all year long in Hudsonville,” she said.