24-7 works best when it’s a response to what God is asking us to do. Ask God how long you should pray for (it doesn’t always have to be a week), when the best time is and who you should involve.
Ask
It might sound really simple but when your church leader is banging down your door asking why his church is covered in drapes, you’ll wish you had! Sharing the idea with lots of people in your church will really help them to get on board. It’s a good idea to have a group of over 18’s who will take responsibility for being ‘on call’ during the week.
Find the right room
We generally say that the room needs to be ‘cosy’ (a drafty garage is possible but not advisable). It should be easily accessed (if it has its own entrance all the better), has toilets and a sink nearby and can cope with being decorated for the whole week.
Find the right stuff
An empty room with a couple of plastic chairs in is not always the best place for people to really find God. Some bean bags, a few drapes, fairy lights and maybe a lava lamp will make the world of difference. Try to create sections in your room so that people can have some private space.
Themes
Think about what you want people to pray about when they come into the room. Put up some maps of the local area or of the world, download stories of our partners from www.bepartofamiracle.org and pin them up. And maybe get some news stories, pictures (slides/acetates can work well here too). Make sure you have some space for people to write or draw their prayers too.
Publicise
You won’t be able to pray for 168 hours non-stop… it just doesn’t work! So get out there and get asking people to join in!
Tidy Up
There’s nothing worse than a prayer room that’s been left to stagnate for a long time. Make sure you take down the room (or redecorate) after your week of prayer. But do keep some photos & creative prayers as a record.
For more info
www.24-7prayer.com