Places to Pray

The Prayer Chapel has two new stations added. The following is taken from the instruction sheet for the Prayer Chapel. This Chapel is located in Room 125 and is for all the children of God, both young and old.

1) Distractions - Be Still and Know That I Am God - Psalm 46:10

• Purpose: To quiet participants down so they can concentrate and get into a thoughtful frame of mind so they may hear God speaking to them.
• Tool: A jar filled with water and dirt.
• Action: Shake the jar and notice the chaos, how muddy the water is, and how difficult it is to see through the jar. Next, hold the jar still. Take a moment to listen to all the noise around you. Now think about the noise on the inside - the worries, hurt, anger, things you have to do when you get home.... One by one identify the noise you hear and push it to one side. Let God still the noise in your soul. Turn the noise off and then listen for His signal. Be still... Quiet... Listen... Notice how you can see much more clearly now - and not just through the jar. If you can't come by the Prayer Chapel, you can try this one at home. Maybe having a little dirt around the house is not always a bad thing.

2) Garbage In, Garbage Out - Read Matthew 18:21-22

• Purpose: This activity helps to confess and repent of hurts and to receive God's forgiveness.
• Tool: Paper, pencil, and a trash can.
• Action: Write on a piece of paper things you are hurt over - even things that you may have done that caused hurt in yourself or others. Look at what you have written. Do you want to hold on to these things? Do you want to let them go? If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will purify us from all unrighteousness. Jesus said if you let go of the hurtful things people do to you, God will also let go of the hurtful things you have done. This is forgiveness. Think carefully. Are you willing to "let go"? If you are, then tear up the paper and throw it in the trash can. Let go of them as God lets go of the hurtful things we have done. You are loved. You are free. You are forgiven.

Prayer Labyrinth
The Prayer Labyrinth is a path to fervent prayer and meditation. Throughout history people have used labyrinths for many different reasons, but Christians have used the one-path in and the same path-out labyrinth as a prayer path. During the Crusades many people who could not journey to the Holy Land walked the prayer labyrinth as a substitute for that journey. The Prayer Labyrinth was recently rediscovered as a powerful tool for prayer and many churches, renewal centers, and even hospitals have prayer labyrinths.

The Builder's Sunday School Class has proposed building a permanent Prayer Labyrinth at FUMC Waxahachie (on the corner across from the Family life Center – where the old playground was). The proposed design is the same as a labyrinth that was built in the Chartres Cathedral in France circa 1200. The Prayer Labyrinth at FUMC will be landscaped, open for the public and used for scheduled events (ie. during Holy Week and New Year's Day). They are currently raising money to fund this class project .