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How to use

A guide to what prayer activities are and how best to use them.

An introduction to prayer activities

A prayer activity is a simple installation that inspires reflection and prayer. Each activity includes an invitation to reflect on a personal theme and something to do in response.

You’ll find hundreds of prayer activities in our library that have been tried and tested in prayer spaces in primary schools and secondary schools, church schools and community schools, and in lots of nations too. These prayer activities are being adapted and improved all the time, and new ones are being created by local prayer space teams (and even by pupils), so keep visiting. (And if you adapt, improve or design any new prayer activities, please send them in so we can share them.)

Choosing your prayer activities

The prayer activities in our library are grouped under several headings.
The best prayer spaces include a selection of prayer activities from each of these groups:
Group 13
Me and myself

Identity and self-image

Who am I?

Group 9
Me and others

Relationships and resolving conflict

How can I be reconciled with others?

Group 30
Me and the world

Justice and the natural world

What difference can I make in the world?

Group 30
Me and God/the divine ‘Other’

Faith and big questions

What do I believe about life?

Themes and seasons

Prayer activities can be selected individually or clustered into zones (this works well in primary schools).
Here are examples of shaping your prayer space around larger themes:
Group 11
Seasons

Seasonal events and celebrations, such as Easter or Advent.

Group 33
Stories

Parables or stories from the Bible such as the Garden of Eden or the Lord’s Prayer.

Group
Themes

Key life stages for school children such as exams or times of transition.

Why they work

It’s important that prayer activities are flexible and open, so that pupils can make their own meaning from them. However, they do also need some structure because it helps pupils to engage with them easily and confidently. We’ve put together a list of helpful practices for using and creating prayer activities.
Clear and simple

Make sure that the prayer activity can be explained in two sentences. Try to avoid abstract concepts and religious words.

Interactive

Prayer is more than words. And we learn best by doing. The best prayer activities combine something to reflect on and something to do that symbolises a response.

Relevant

Begin with something familiar that pupils will immediately relate to and can respond to. Don't start with a philosophical idea or a theological truth.

Inclusive

Make sure that the prayer activities welcome pupils of all ability, religious or cultural background, and learning styles. Prayer activities are sometimes challenging, but they should never exclude.

Equipping for life

The best prayer activities give pupils confidence and practical ideas that they can take with them into their everyday lives.

Personal and Corporate

The best prayer spaces provide opportunities for a shared spiritual experience as well as a personal one. Try to enable both.

Rooted

Make sure that every prayer activity is rooted in the Christian faith, in the life and the teachings of Jesus… even if the connection isn’t obvious and explicit.

View our Prayer Activity Library

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