"My prayer space journey started about 3 years ago when I began meeting with another mum to support each other and pray for the school," writes Louise Hargreaves, from East Bierley, Bradford. "Over time, local clergy and school staff joined with us, and on 1st/2nd December we officially launched our prayer space.

For a week before opening the prayer space we’d done a secret countdown of days, although I’m not sure if the children noticed it or not! We also did an assembly introducing prayer and how God simply wants to spend time with us. And then, our team of helpers invited the children to come to the prayer space in groups of 4, 5, or 6. starting with year 4 we worked our way down the school and managed to squeeze (literally!) all the children in over the 2 days. It was a thrilling adventure!

To ease the transition from busy classroom to quiet space, we set up a corridor activity. We gave each child a different stone and talked about identity, past experiences of God/church and expectations of the room. Also encouraging them to think of any worries they might want to talk to God about and leave with Him. The children then found somewhere to leave their stone inside the prayer room.

We decided to use 5 simple activities inside the room;
1. the plasma ball to talk about what God is like
“He’s trying to talk to all the people”,
“God is in the middle of everything”
“God doesn’t hurt you”
“God holds onto you”

2. a thankful board using heart shaped post-its
“water fights”
“my bike”
“Irish dancing”
“family”
“life”

3. love heart sweets to pray for someone you love

4. writing your name on a large photo of a palm of a hand (being known by God) and

5. a chalk board for asking God questions
“What do you do all day?”
“Do you know my grandad? He is in heaven”
“How do you use your magic?”
“Can you come to my world?”

As the day went on we realised we needed something more sensory for the younger children and added playdough, telling them they could pray using playdough. Children made hearts, faces and one of my favourites; a great white shark!

Some of the highlights for me were seeing a boy ask to pray and then kneel down amongst his friends with his eyes closed and head bowed, or seeing children realise that they didn’t have to write a perfect sentence but that they could pray by drawing a picture or simply writing one word, seeing healing come in the midst of grief and sadness and the opportunity to pray again at lunchtime with that particular child, children realising that God wants to talk back, “I heard him say “hi” in my head!” and most of all children experiencing the reality that it can be fun spending time with God."

Louise Hargreaves (parent)

Posted by Phil

Phil Togwell lives in a large community house in Romford (UK) with his family (three daughters - Megan, Poppy and Angel, and one wife - Emma) and various visitors and pilgrims... exploring and experimenting with rhythms of prayer, mission, hospitality, life together. Phil is learning to cook, slowly. He likes curries, mountains, lengthy late-night conversations and reading books. He dislikes cats. Phil leads 24-7 Prayer's UK team and the Prayer Spaces in Schools team.