FROM JERUSALEM PRAYER CENTER TO LAKES
CHURCH PRAYER ROOM
During
our pilgrimage to the Holy Land on February 11, 2020, Lakes Church Lead Pastor
Dr. Aaron Burgner asked me to spend some time in the Jerusalem Prayer Center to
capture photos and information that would help him to replicate it in order to
build a Prayer Room at Lakes Church in Lakeland, Florida. It was a blessing
to spend time at the Jerusalem Prayer Center, take the photos shown above, and communicate with the directors of the Jerusalem Prayer
Center to capture the essence of this beautiful space. After several months of
planning and development, Pastor Aaron Burgner opened the Lakes Church Prayer
Room on August 11, 2021.
It
was such a joy to introduce our two precious grandsons, Colton and Carson, to
our new Lakes Church Prayer Room. Lakes Church Senior Pastor Dr. Aaron D.
Burgner was inspired to create this prayer room after visiting the Jerusalem
Prayer Center in Israel. Imagine walking into the Garden of Gethsemane and
experiencing an intense, focused time of prayer.
There
are interactive prayer stations for Praise, Confession, and Intercession. There
is such an intimate atmosphere as individuals begin their prayer time praising
the Lord by watching the Lakes Church video, “He Is” which proclaims Names of
God from Genesis to Revelation. Tears flow as individuals sit quietly with the
Lord, focusing on Who He Is and how grateful they are for all the Lord has done
in their lives.
Cleansing From Sin--1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Take a strip of dissolvable paper from the basket.
Write out the sin that the Holy Spirit has brought to your mind. Place the
paper in the bowl of water and stir with the sticks provided. Watch it
disappear and reflect on how He washes our sins completely away and thank Him
for being a God of forgiveness.
Intercession for the Nations—Commit to Pray for a People Group—By
the world map is a basket of Prayer Cards showing unreached people groups
throughout the world. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move through these
unreached people groups, drawing more and more to salvation in the Lord Jesus
Christ. As you look through these Prayer Cards, ask the Holy Spirit to lay one
of these groups on your heart. Take the Prayer Card with you as a reminder to
pray for those who have not heard that Jesus is their Savior.
Artistic Expression—Our God is a God of incredible beauty and astounding
creativity. Express your prayers, thoughts, and petitions to the Lord through
drawings, poetry, or other works of art. The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2) Take a few minutes and
allow God to inspire you as you express your prayer through art, using simple
colored pencils and paper that are provided.
Pray
for Hearts to Soften—A new heart born of love can only come from a
relationship with Jesus Christ. Intercede for your unredeemed loved ones, and
those of the world. As you cry out to the Father on their behalf, write that
person’s name or people group on one of the stones that are provided, and place
the stone in the basket that is provided. People pray earnestly as they write the names of their unsaved loved ones or unreached people groups on the rocks in the Intercession station of the prayer room.
I will give you a new heart,
and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
(Ezekiel 36:26-27)
Look
Up—meditate on Ezekiel 36:26-27, pray to see what it reveals about the
character of God.
Look
In—as you meditate on Ezekiel 36:26-27, pray to see how you might apply it
to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries:
"Because God is_________, I will_____________."
Look
Out—as you meditate on Ezekiel 36:26-27, pray to see how you might apply it
to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every
relationship, for your good, and for His glory.
What beautiful prayer rooms! Thank you for sharing these photos and your journey with us, Beth.
ReplyDeleteLisa, thank you so much for stopping by. It truly is a blessing to share these wonderful prayer experiences with others. Many blessings to you.
DeleteWhat a beautifully replicated prayer room. I love the dissolvable paper to write your sins on and stir it into nothing in the water.
ReplyDeleteVisiting today from Maryleigh's.
Paula, thank you so much for stopping by with your wonderfully encouraging comments. When I took my two grandsons in our prayer room for the first time, I was showing them around each of the stations. When we came to the Confession station where you write your sins on the paper that dissolves in the bowls of water, I began to explain how it worked, and I was about to give them some examples of sins they could write on the paper. Suddenly, my youngest grandson exclaimed, “You mean like DISOBEYING?” I said, “Yes, that’s a good example.” Then my oldest grandson chimed in and said, “You mean like LYING?” I agreed that was another good example. They quickly began to write the sins they have been convicted of on the little slip of paper. It was so heart-warming to see how the Holy Spirit had brought their personal sins to the surface so quickly, and how they were anxious to confess them and see them forgiven, just like the paper dissolving in the water. It is a powerful "hands-on" experience. Many blessings to you!
DeleteThat Prayer Room is beautiful and such a wonderful place for children too.
ReplyDeleteKim, thank you so much for stopping by. Our Prayer Room has been a wonderful, peaceful place for parents to come with their children, and for our children and youth Sunday School classes, and Lakes Church Academy classes to visit for extended sessions. Many blessings to you.
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