My favourite prayer zone/activity is 'Big Questions'. There are plenty of question-prayers in the Bible - even Jesus prayed question-prayers - so this is a very 'orthodox' way to pray. Students are simply invited to write onto a post-it note or a piece of torn-up cardboard one question-prayer... and the result is painful, profound and sometimes very funny. Here are some examples - typed as they were written - from a primary school Prayer Space in Scotland.

Can I get a puppy?

Why does it always rain in Cambuslang?

What made you create the earth?

Way dys pepol day? (Why do people die?)

Where do we come from?

Where did you come from?

Can I have a lvey room? (Can I have a lovely room?)

Why did you make bees?

6000 x 10000 =

Why can’t you help when people get hurt?

Why did you make dinosaurs die?

Is Roxy good dog?

(Can I) get a fluffy room?

Where do you live?

How did u think of making the world?

How do we know you love us?

Who is your wife?

How do u make us move? And talk?

I want to know what you do?

Why did you make wasps?

Why did you mack stingy nettles they a nosing? (Why did you make stinging nettles, they are annoying)

Why did you have to die? I love u in my heart.x

Why do bad things sometimes happen to good people?

I want dinosaurs

Did you make earthquakes?

Where is heaven?

Who old are you?

Is hell and hevan real?

Why can’t we fly?

Is my Gran and Grandpa ok in heaven?

90 x 1000000 =

Who created the world and who is Gods father?

Why is corc prity? (Why is Cara pretty?)

Some of our questions are 'head' questions - things we don't understand, things that don't make sense in our seeing-touching world. And some of our questions are 'heart' questions - things that make us ache in hope, or double-up in pain. Prayer Spaces give students (and sometimes staff too - we all need this) time and space and creative ways to express both.

Posted by Phil

Phil Togwell is preparing to move North (Whitley Bay, near Newcastle, UK) with his family (three daughters - Megan, Poppy and Angel, and one wife - Emma). Phil is learning to cook, slowly. He likes curries, mountains, lengthy late-night conversations and reading books. He dislikes cats. Phil is part of 24-7 Prayer's GB team and leads the Prayer Spaces in Schools team.