A Quiet Place for a Noisy World: How Our Prayer Room Changed Us

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

- Matthew 6:6

There was a time when our family’s prayer life felt... well, good, but not deeply intentional. We prayed together in the mornings during devotion time, again at lunch, and always before supper. My husband Derek faithfully typed up a prayer each morning, and I would pray along with my personal Bible reading. Before bed, Derek led the kids in prayer—reciting the Lord’s Prayer, Luther’s Evening Prayer, and Psalm 23. He also prayed two specific prayers over them, asking God for wisdom, protection, and even their future spouses. Our kids prayed by themselves at bedtime, and Derek and I always ended the day in prayer together for our marriage, our businesses, and the stewardship of the gifts God has given us.

It was a solid foundation. But something was missing.

Then Derek read the book Lead with Prayer by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle. While the book primarily applied to business, it challenged us to think about our home. It emphasized the importance of designating time and space for prayer, of making prayer a visible priority, and of parents—especially fathers—leading the way.

That’s when we had a realization: while prayer was part of our daily routine, we hadn’t set aside a specific place where our family could go to be still before the Lord. We needed a prayer room.

We looked around and found the perfect spot—a walk-in closet. At the time, it was filled with old dresses, wrapping paper, and decorations, but it was conveniently connected to the room where the kids did some of their homeschool work. It was time for a transformation.

We cleared out the clutter and added a simple folding table with two chairs. We stocked it with prayer tools: a Bible, prayer cards, a prayer list, a notebook for written prayers, a timer for silent reflection, and a book of prayers called There’s a Prayer for That. We placed a cross and a small statue of Jesus as the Good Shepherd on the table. One of our daughters even decorated the space with hand-drawn Bible verses, using her God-given artistic talents to make it a beautiful, peaceful place.

The next step was making it part of our daily lives. Derek started taking each child individually into the prayer room after he read with them as part of their bedtime routine. He would guide them through using the resources, modeling how to pray more intentionally. Soon, the kids had the option to either pray with Derek or use the room on their own during the day. Even when they chose to go alone, Derek still went at his usual time, showing them that prayer remained a priority.

I began using the prayer room, too—especially during overwhelming moments. When the day felt chaotic or emotions ran high, I’d step into the room, take a deep breath, and refocus my heart on Christ. It became a refuge, a place to lay down burdens and realign my thoughts with God’s truth.

At first, the kids resisted. They complained about going to the prayer room. So, we decided to integrate it into our family’s token reward system. Our kids earn tokens for doing chores and living out our family values, which they can trade for screen time, special snacks, or even cash. Adding prayer room time as a token-earning activity helped encourage consistency.

Before long, something shifted. The kids stopped needing reminders. They started going on their own. Our prayers deepened, covering new topics and concerns. Our home began to feel different—more grounded, more connected, more aware of God’s presence.

Creating a dedicated space for prayer “leveled up” our family’s prayer life in a way we hadn’t expected. Setting aside both time and place has reinforced for our children—and for us—that prayer isn’t just something we do; it’s a vital part of who we are as a family.

If you’ve ever considered making a prayer closet or room in your home, this is your encouragement to do it. You probably already have a space that could be transformed. More importantly, you have the opportunity to shape your family’s spiritual life in a way that will impact generations to come.

Because when we make prayer a priority, we invite God into the center of our homes—and that changes everything.